A powerful blast rocked the Russian city of St. Petersburg early on Saturday when a drone crashed into an apartment block, local media have reported. City authorities have confirmed “an incident” took place, likely caused by a UAV.
Local outlet Fontanka said the explosion occurred in the northern part of the city, and that the facade of a residential building was “seriously damaged.”
St. Petersburg Mayor Alexandr Beglov initially declined to say whether it was a drone strike. However, the local department of the National Guard later said that the building had been damaged by what appeared to be a UAV, and that around 100 people had been evacuated.
“There have been no casualties. The balcony windows of two buildings were partially damaged. Residents of the affected apartments have been evacuated,” Beglov wrote on Telegram, adding that police and emergency services were working at the scene.
The press service of the St. Petersburg Health Committee later reported that six people sought medical help following the incident.
Videos from the scene shared by both Baza and Mash showed a yard strewn with debris, with emergency services working at the scene.
Meanwhile, another clip shared by Mash depicts the moment the drone apparently hit the building. The sound of a humming engine can be heard, followed by a loud bang. The outlet suggested that the drone could have been heading for a nearby oil facility, less than 1km away.
Mash later reported that local residents had been warned of a second possible incoming strike, and that that all communications in the area were being blocked.
Local outlet 47news.ru also reported that two drones had been sighted in the St. Petersburg area, suggesting that another UAV may have crashed in the Vsevolzhsky district, to the east of the city.
St. Petersburg and its environs have recently been targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks despite the city being located hundreds of kilometers from the frontline.
In mid-January, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it had intercepted a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle in the area, with local media saying it was targeting an oil terminal in the city.