Russia Drone Attack: St. Petersburg Airport Disrupted, 249 Drones Downed

Russia reported repelling a large-scale drone attack overnight, with the majority of the unmanned aerial vehicles targeted toward the Leningrad region and other areas across western Russia. The attacks prompted a temporary suspension of flights at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, local authorities stated.

Aleksandr Drozdenko, Governor of Leningrad Oblast, announced that air defense systems had intercepted and destroyed more than 50 drones over the region. The Russian Ministry of Defense subsequently claimed a total of 249 drones were destroyed throughout the night, not only over Leningrad Oblast but also over the Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk, Smolensk, Tula, and Moscow regions, as well as over the waters of the Azov Sea. The ministry reported the highest concentration of intercepted drones – 128 – were downed over the Bryansk region.

Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg initiated restrictions on both incoming and outgoing flights around midnight on March 23rd, and these restrictions remained in effect as of the morning of March 24th. Residents of St. Petersburg also reported disruptions to mobile communication services, with some areas experiencing limited internet access restricted to websites on a pre-approved “white list.”

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the drone attacks targeted multiple regions in western Russia. A separate report indicated that a Russian air defense missile detonated in the Leningrad region near a defense-related facility.

Aleksandr Drozdenko has served as Governor of Leningrad Oblast since May 28, 2012. Prior to his governorship, he held the position of Vice-Governor of Leningrad Region and Chairman of the Leningrad Region Committee on State Property Management from November 6, 2002, and was previously the mayor of Kingisepp. He graduated from the Leningrad Agricultural Institute in 1986 and earned a PhD in economics in 2007.

Independent confirmation of the Russian Ministry of Defense’s claims regarding the number of intercepted drones is currently unavailable.