Russia St Petersburg ablaze: Ukraine unleashes a barrage of drones on Vladimir Putin’s hometown

In the war in Ukraine, which has been raging for four and a half years, the Ukrainian armed forces continue to focus on targeted attacks on Russian territory. At the weekend, both Moscow and Vladimir Putin’s home city of St Petersburg came under attack: hundreds of drones caused devastating damage, although Russian air defences intercepted 195 Ukrainian drones on their way to the capital alone, according Latest on the war in Ukraine: Ukrainian drones attack Moscow and St Petersburg. According to the state news agency Tass, a further 126 drones were intercepted in the region around St Petersburg – bringing the total to more than 320 aerial objects. Despite the reported shoot-downs, several drones caused considerable damage. Russian authorities stated that there had been no fatalities. Kyiv did not initially comment on the offensive. Ukraine has been targeting strategic targets deep within Russian territory for some time now.

Vladimir Putin’s hometown under attack. Oil terminal in St Petersburg ablaze, VK data centre damaged. The etent of the damage to the facility as a whole remained unclear at first. Videos purporting to show a large scale fire appeared on social media. However, these recordings have not been independently verified.

A data centre belonging to the internet company VK, which operates one of Russia’s most popular social networks, was also hit. In addition, Ukrainian media reported that a strike had hit an eight-lane bridge in the city, which has a population of over a million. However, the Russian side did not confirm this account. Shortly before that, Russia had, for its part, attacked a bridge in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

The drone attacks forced several major airports to close temporarily. In St Petersburg, all flight operations were suspended and passengers and staff were brought to safety. Two major airports in the Russian capital were also shut down: both Domodedovo and Vnukovo suspended all take-offs and landings.

Initial reports did not specify how long the disruptions lasted. However, the simultaneous closure of airports in both cities highlights the scale of Ukraine’s drone offensive. Moscow and St Petersburg are hundreds of kilometres from the front line – yet Ukraine still managed to bring civil aviation in both cities to a standstill.

Putin’s army strikes back. Russia escalates attacks on Ukraine’s power grid

Moscow had already struck back the night before the Ukrainian drone offensive. According to President Zelenskyy, the Russian army attacked more than 15 power facilities in Ukraine. On Telegram, he warned that Russia had intensified its campaign against the country’s electricity supply. The aim, he said, was to place maximum strain on Ukraine’s reserves and repair capabilities.

The mutual attacks on strategic infrastructure mark a further escalation in the war, which has been raging for over four and a half years. Whilst Ukraine is targeting Russian oil infrastructure and technology sites with its drone strikes, Moscow is focusing on systematically destroying its neighbour’s energy supply.

Francis Tawiah (Duisburg, Germany)