St. Petersburg, Russia – Russian authorities reported on Saturday that two buildings in the Krasnogvardeysky district of St. Petersburg were damaged in an unspecified incident, with unconfirmed media reports suggesting it might be linked to a downed Ukrainian drone. No casualties were reported in the early morning incident, which occurred in the second-largest city in Russia, the birthplace of President Vladimir Putin.
According to RIA Novosti, a state-owned news agency, six individuals required medical attention following the explosion that shook the buildings. Meanwhile, three people were killed in a Russian drone strike at an apartment block in Odesa, a southern Ukrainian port city. Regional governor Oleh Kiper stated that eight individuals were injured in the attack, with air defenses managing to bring down seven out of the eight drones that approached the region.
Russian media sources speculated that the incident in St. Petersburg could have been caused by a drone crashing into the apartment buildings. Footage shared by the popular Russian-language Telegram channel Mash depicted a multi-storey building being struck by a sudden flash of light, causing debris to scatter in the air. Governor Alexander Beglov confirmed the damage to the buildings and the subsequent evacuation of affected residents, noting there were no casualties.
Videos of the scene showed alarms sounding, panic among residents, and the aftermath of a powerful explosion. Tass reported that nearly 100 individuals, including rescuers and medics, were on-site, with an operational headquarters established to manage the situation. In a separate incident, Kyiv’s defense forces successfully shot down 14 out of 17 drones launched at various sites overnight, according to officials.
Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov revealed that more than 20 settlements in the eastern Ukrainian province had been targeted by Russian artillery and mortar attacks. High-rise buildings in Kharkiv, the regional capital, also sustained damage from a drone attack, although there were no casualties reported. However, three individuals experienced acute stress reactions as a result of the attacks.