Putin Watches Navy Day From Afar as Ukrainian Drones Hit St Petersburg

Ukrainian drones struck near St. Petersburg on Sunday, prompting a temporary closure of the city’s main airport and disrupting Russia’s Navy Day commemorations, which were already reduced over security concerns.

According to Reuters, Vladimir Putin arrived in the city aboard a patrol boat and visited the naval headquarters, where he oversaw remote military drills involving all four Russian fleets. The large-scale parade traditionally held in St. Petersburg was cancelled earlier in July.

St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport was shut down for nearly five hours as air defense systems responded to incoming drones. According to regional governor Alexander Drozdenko, over ten drones were shot down in the surrounding area. Falling debris injured at least one civilian.

Across Russia, air defenses reportedly intercepted 291 Ukrainian drones over a 24-hour period, according to the Defense Ministry. Although not the highest number recorded, the scale of the attack underscored ongoing security challenges amid Ukraine’s expanded use of long-range UAVs.

The Kremlin said Navy Day events were held in a “working format” this year, without the usual public festivities. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the decision to cancel parades in St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, and Vladivostok was based on “overall security considerations.”

Last year, Russian state media suggested Ukrainian forces were planning to target Navy Day ceremonies. This year’s drone activity came as Russia conducted simultaneous naval exercises in the Arctic, Baltic, Pacific, and Caspian regions, involving more than 150 ships and 15,000 troops.

Earlier, on July 17, Ukrainian drones struck the Shchekinoazot chemical plant in Russia’s Tula region, igniting a fire and damaging critical infrastructure. The facility, which produces key materials like ammonia and methanol used in military applications, suffered hits to a rectification column, a high-pressure steam pipeline, and a methanol furnace.

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