Ukrainian drones strike Russian warehouse near Saint Petersburg: officials

Ukrainian drones hit a warehouse near Saint Petersburg early on Friday, triggering a fire that sent smoke pouring over the historic city, according to local officials and an AFP reporter.

Kiev has targeted Saint Petersburg as it steps up long-range drone strikes on Russian energy, military and logistics sites in recent weeks.

Local media reported that the strikes targeted warehouses belonging to Russian online retail giant Wildberries, while the company said two of its warehouses in the city had temporarily halted operations, without giving more details.

An AFP reporter saw grey smoke rising into the morning sky over high-rise buildings.

“Saint Petersburg came under attack by military-purpose unmanned aerial vehicles … the strike hit civilian infrastructure facilities,” Governor Alexander Beglov said on social media.