Ukraine launched another wave of drone strikes deep inside Russia on Saturday, targeting areas near St. Petersburg for the second time this week as the city hosted the final day of Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s flagship economic forum.
The strikes followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public appeal earlier this week for direct talks with Putin and a comprehensive ceasefire. Putin rejected the proposal during a keynote address on Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he mocked the Ukrainian leader while arguing that a summit between the two leaders would serve little purpose.
“I do not yet see the point,” Putin said when asked if he would meet with Zelensky.
Ukraine said the latest strikes hit military and energy infrastructure hundreds of miles from the front lines. In a statement Saturday, Zelensky said Ukrainian drones traveled roughly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to strike Russian naval arsenals and a military base in Kronstadt, near St. Petersburg, while separate long-range attacks targeted an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
“Russia must end its war and stop its attacks on life,” Zelensky said, adding that “any manifestation of injustice against Ukraine will receive a just response.”
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Putin’s refusal to engage directly reflected Moscow’s weakening position.
“By refusing President Zelenskyy’s offer for direct peace talks, Putin lost his chance to get out of his failed war,” Sybiha said Saturday. “Things will only get worse for Russia. Battlefield losses will continue to grow. Failures will get more humiliating.”
Putin also took aim at Zelensky’s public image at the forum, joking that President Donald Trump had “disciplined” the Ukrainian leader over his appearance.
Zelensky proposes ‘full ceasefire’ and face-to-face meeting with Putin in direct open letter
“But we all saw how Donald, in front of the whole world, disciplined [Zelensky] — insisting on a dress code, remember?” Putin said. “Playing Rambo: First Blood all the time may work, but only up to a point, and not everywhere.”
Putin went on to thank Trump for the criticism, saying it had been “certainly useful,” before adding that there was still “room for improvement” and that “the work needs to continue.”