Russia says dozens of Ukraine drones downed over St Petersburg

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MOSCOW: Russia reported shooting down 72 Ukrainian drones over Saint Petersburg on Saturday after Kyiv launched a massive long-range aerial barrage targeting critical infrastructure in President Vladimir Putin's home city.

The wide-ranging strikes successfully struck an oil terminal in the city's Kirovsk district and sent drone debris crashing into the historic 18th-century Peterhof palace complex and the northern port of Vysotsk near the Finnish border. Local officials stated that the technical consequences at the oil terminal were quickly resolved and reported no civilian casualties.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed responsibility for the operation, stating that defense forces intentionally targeted port oil infrastructure that directly generates revenue for Russia's war machine.

Zelensky also asserted that Ukrainian forces executed successful strikes on the Kronstadt naval base, a vital military target.

The deep-territory bombardment marks an escalation in Kyiv's strategy of launching retaliatory strikes far from the front lines. This latest drone wave follows a devastating Russian missile assault on Kyiv earlier this week that claimed 30 civilian lives.

As Ukrainian forces continue pushing their drone capabilities deeper into Russia, Moscow faces mounting pressure to secure its airspace.

Putin recently admitted that Russia must actively improve its domestic air defenses to counter Europe's worst conflict since World War II.