Russia says hundreds of Ukrainian drones downed as economic forum ends

Russia’s defence ministry said the drones were downed implicit 16 areas and regions, including St Petersburg, Crimea and implicit the Azov and Black seas.

Residents of Saint Petersburg were told not to permission their homes aft a large-scale Ukrainian drone onslaught targeted Russia’s second-largest metropolis astatine the extremity of a three-day planetary economical forum.

Russia said aerial defences changeable down 376 Ukrainian drones overnight arsenic attacks intensify connected some sides with nary wide extremity successful sight, aft Russian President Vladimir Putin said determination was nary constituent gathering his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for face-to-face talks.

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Russia’s defence ministry said connected Saturday that the drones were downed implicit 16 areas and regions, including St Petersburg, Crimea and implicit the Azov and Black seas.

According to Aleksandr Drozdenko, politician of the Leningrad region, whose large metropolis is St Petersburg and besides includes cardinal Baltic ports, 86 drones were changeable down.

“Combat operations continue,” helium said.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s drones covered a region of “about 1,000 kilometers to the St Petersburg portion – to the force navy’s arsenals and a basal successful Kronstadt”.

“Our long-range sanctions besides reached astir 500 kilometers into the Krasnodar portion – and deed an lipid depot,” helium said successful a station connected X.

“Russia indispensable extremity its warfare and halt its attacks connected life. Any manifestation of injustice against Ukraine volition person a conscionable response,” Zelenskyy said. “It is clip to extremity this war.”

The St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), with immoderate 20,000 guests from much than 130 countries, ends connected Saturday. On the archetypal time of the acme connected Wednesday, Ukrainian drones deed an lipid analyzable and naval basal successful the city.

In Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia determination politician Ivan Fedorov said connected Saturday that the bodies of 2 men who had been unaccounted for aft a Russian onslaught were found.

One idiosyncratic was besides killed, and 3 others were wounded successful Russian drone and artillery attacks successful Dnipropetrovsk, determination politician Oleksandr Ganzha wrote connected Telegram.

On Thursday, Zelenskyy, successful a uncommon move, appealed to Putin and said: “Ukraine proposes ending this warfare done nonstop engagement betwixt america – and you. I americium proposing a meeting”.

But speaking astatine the economical forum connected Friday, Putin said determination was “no point”.

“It lone makes consciousness for the Ukrainian broadside to halt the beforehand of our equipped forces. That’s it. And we request agreements,” Putin said.

“Let the experts work, make immoderate solutions, and past we tin meet.”

The 2 sides’ stances stay poles apart. Moscow has said it volition hold to extremity the warfare arsenic agelong arsenic it keeps the territory it took from Ukraine, portion Kyiv volition lone judge a woody erstwhile its territory is returned.