Ukraine Strikes St. Petersburg, Chornobyl Area as War Intensifies on Russian Soil

Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone campaign, executing extensive strikes deep within Russian territory on June 6, 2026. These attacks notably targeted the St. Petersburg region, hitting Russian naval arsenals and bases in Kronstadt, as well as an oil depot further south in Krasnodar Krai. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed these operations, which reached up to 1,000 kilometers from Ukraine, leading Russian officials to describe the assault on St. Petersburg as "unprecedented" and prompting calls for residents to remain indoors. The strikes coincided with Russia's annual economic forum in St. Petersburg, drawing attention to the escalating conflict.

Separately, on June 7, 2026, a Russian drone strike damaged a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the disused Chornobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities, including President Zelensky, condemned the incident as an "extremely vile" attack. While a reception building was partially destroyed and a small fire erupted, no spent nuclear fuel was present at the time, and radiation levels reportedly remained within safe limits. Ukraine's Security Service has launched a criminal investigation into the Russian strike, classifying it as a war crime, and the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed serious concern over the incident.