Ukraine Strikes St. Petersburg Following Putin's Rejection of Talks

WHO:

ABC News - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

AP News - Russian President Vladimir Putin

AP News - St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov

AP News - Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko

AP News - Regional head Oleksandr Hanzha

AP News - Regional head Ivan Fedorov

WHAT:

ABC News - Ukrainian drones targeted St. Petersburg in a "large-scale" attack.

AP News - 141 drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region.

AP News - Russia's Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses shot down 376 Ukrainian drones.

AP News - A Ukrainian drone strike set ablaze an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and hit a nearby naval base.

AP News - One person was killed and three wounded in the Dnipropetrovsk region due to Russian strikes.

AP News - Seven people sought medical care after a Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia.

WHERE:

ABC News - St. Petersburg, Russia

AP News - Leningrad region, Russia

AP News - Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine

AP News - Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

WHEN:

AP News - The drone attack on St. Petersburg occurred Saturday morning.

AP News - The Ukrainian drone strike that set ablaze the oil terminal happened Wednesday, hours before the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

AP News - Putin rejected Zelenskyy's proposal for a meeting on Thursday.

WHY:

AP News - The attack underscores Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia following Putin's rejection of a meeting with Zelenskyy.

AP News - Putin's rejection of the meeting proposal was based on his belief that there is "no point" in it.

HOW:

AP News - Ukrainian drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometers to reach the St. Petersburg region.

(UPDATED June 6, 2026 11:21 UTC)

In a significant escalation, Ukrainian drones targeted St. Petersburg in a large-scale attack, with reports indicating that Russia's Defense Ministry shot down 376 drones during the incident. The drone strike set ablaze an oil terminal and struck a nearby naval base, while in Ukraine, one person was killed and three were wounded due to Russian strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and seven sought medical care after a drone strike in Zaporizhzhia. This attack highlights Kyiv's increasing capability to strike deep within Russian territory, particularly following President Putin's rejection of a meeting proposal from President Zelenskyy, which he deemed pointless.