UKRAINIAN DRONES TARGET ST. PETERSBURG IN MAJOR ATTACK, RUSSIA CLAIMS RECORD STRIKE

Russia has said that Ukraine carried out an unprecedented drone attack on and around the city of St. Petersburg during the final day of the country's annual economic forum. According to Russian officials, more than 140 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region. St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov urged residents to stay indoors, marking the first such warning in the city since the Russia-Ukraine war began more than four years ago.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes targeted Russian weapons storage sites and a naval base, describing the operation as a justified response to continued Russian attacks on Ukraine. The attack came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said there was no reason to hold direct talks with Zelensky, despite Ukraine's calls for negotiations to end the war.

Meanwhile, a commander of a Ukrainian drone unit claimed that striking targets inside Russia had become relatively easy, saying Ukrainian drones faced very little resistance while carrying out missions deep inside Russian territory.