Ukraine drone strikes Saint Petersburg, 3 injured amid SPIEF 2025
Synopsis
Ukrainian drones struck Saint Petersburg on the morning of 6 June — the second such assault since SPIEF 2025 opened — with Russia claiming 376 UAVs were intercepted overnight across multiple regions. The timing is striking: as Putin told the forum's plenary that he sees no reason to meet Zelensky, Ukraine escalated its deepest drone push yet into Russia's second city.
Key Takeaways
Three people were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on Saint Petersburg on 6 June 2025 ; all have been discharged from hospital.
86 UAVs were shot down over Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region by Saturday morning, according to regional authorities.
The Russian Defence Ministry said air defence systems destroyed 376 Ukrainian UAVs overnight across multiple regions.
A drone strike sparked a fire at an oil depot in Ust-Labinsk, Krasnodar region ; 60 residents were evacuated and no casualties were reported.
The attack is the second major drone assault on the region since the St.
Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) began.
President Putin ruled out a face-to-face meeting with President Zelensky at SPIEF, saying he 'still sees no reason' for such talks.
Three people were injured after Ukrainian drones struck Saint Petersburg on the morning of Saturday, 6 June, in what city Governor Alexander Beglov described as a large-scale attack by military unmanned aerial vehicles. All three injured sustained minor wounds and have since been discharged from hospital, Beglov confirmed.
Scale of the Attack
According to the Governor of the Leningrad region, which surrounds Saint Petersburg, 86 UAVs had been intercepted and shot down by Saturday morning. The Russian Defence Ministry separately stated that air defence systems destroyed 376 Ukrainian UAVs overnight across multiple regions of Russia — one of the largest single-night drone interception tallies reported since the conflict began.
Residents of Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region reported hearing powerful sonic impacts resembling explosions from early Saturday morning. Governor Beglov urged citizens to remain indoors. 'On the morning of June 6, St. Petersburg came under a large-scale attack by military unmanned aerial vehicles. Air defence systems are operating. In accordance with the recommendations of the Operational Command, I ask St. Petersburg residents to remain in their homes and not to go outside,' he said.
Oil Depot Fire in Krasnodar Region
Separately, a Ukrainian drone strike reportedly sparked a fire at an oil depot in Ust-Labinsk in Russia's Krasnodar region. Regional operational headquarters said 60 residents from nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution. No casualties were reported in that incident.
Timing: Second Strike During SPIEF
The attack marks the second major drone assault on Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region since the opening of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which was concluding on Saturday. The forum's timing has drawn attention, as the strikes coincide with a high-profile gathering of international business and political figures on Russian soil.
Putin Rules Out Meeting Zelensky
This comes amid a sharp diplomatic chill. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's open letter inviting a direct meeting to discuss ending the war failed to move Russian President Vladimir Putin, who told the plenary session of SPIEF that he 'still sees no reason' to meet the Ukrainian president. The rebuff signals that any near-term diplomatic off-ramp remains firmly closed, even as drone exchanges intensify across Russian territory.
Point of View
Signalling that Ukraine can reach deep into Russian territory precisely when the Kremlin is projecting normalcy to the world. Putin's flat refusal to meet Zelensky at the same forum, even as drone debris falls on his showcase city, suggests the war's political logic is now fully decoupled from any diplomatic track. The 376-UAV overnight interception claim, if accurate, would represent a dramatic escalation in drone volume — a metric worth scrutinising independently, as Russian defence ministry figures have historically trended high.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Ukrainian drone attack on Saint Petersburg on 6 June 2025?
Ukrainian drones struck Saint Petersburg on the morning of 6 June 2025, injuring three people who were later discharged from hospital with minor wounds. Governor Alexander Beglov confirmed the attack and urged residents to stay indoors while air defence systems were active.
How many drones were intercepted during the overnight attack on Russia?
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 376 Ukrainian UAVs overnight across multiple regions. Separately, 86 UAVs were reported shot down over Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region by Saturday morning.
Why is the timing of the drone attack significant?
The strike is the second major drone assault on Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region since the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) began. SPIEF is Russia's flagship annual economic summit, making the timing symbolically significant.
Was there any other damage from the drone strikes on 6 June?
A Ukrainian drone strike separately ignited a fire at an oil depot in Ust-Labinsk in Russia's Krasnodar region. Sixty nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution; no casualties were reported in that incident.
What was Putin's response to Zelensky's call for peace talks?
At SPIEF's plenary session on Friday, President Vladimir Putin rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's open letter seeking a face-to-face meeting, stating he 'still sees no reason' for such a meeting. The rebuff came hours before the drone strikes on Saint Petersburg.
