Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed overnight drone strikes on Russia's naval arsenals at Kronstadt and a naval base in St. Petersburg
Kyiv, Ukraine — June 5, 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in an overnight address that Ukrainian forces carried out precision drone strikes deep inside Russian territory — hitting naval arsenals at the historic Kronstadt base near St. Petersburg and an oil depot in the Krasnodar region — as part of what he described as Ukraine's continuing "sanctions" against Russian aggression.
In his address, Zelensky said:
"It is time to end this war. But Russia's ruler wants to keep fighting. That is why Ukrainian sanctions against this aggression are working. Last night, our drones covered a distance of about 1,000 kilometers to the St. Petersburg region – to the enemy navy's arsenals and a base in Kronstadt. Our long-range sanctions also reached about 500 kilometers into the Krasnodar region – and hit an oil depot.
These are important results of the joint efforts by warriors from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. Russia must end its war and stop its attacks on life. Any manifestation of injustice against Ukraine will receive a just response. I thank our warriors for their precision."
Kronstadt is not just any military target. It is one of the most historically significant naval bases in all of Russia — a fortified island city at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland that has served as the home of Russia's Baltic Fleet for over three centuries.
Ukrainian drones traveling more than 1,000 kilometers struck the naval arsenals at Kronstadt — facilities used to store weapons, ammunition and equipment for Russia's Baltic Fleet — dealing a significant blow to one of Russia's most strategically important naval installations.
A separate wave of long-range Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot approximately 500 kilometers inside Russia's Krasnodar region — a major oil-producing area in southern Russia that has become one of Ukraine's most consistently targeted strategic assets throughout the war.
The strike on the Krasnodar depot is the latest in Ukraine's systematic campaign to reduce Russia's ability to fuel both its military operations and its broader economy.
Ukraine does not have the ability to match Russia's military might on the conventional battlefield. What it does have — increasingly — is the ability to reach deep inside Russian territory and strike the infrastructure that funds and fuels Russia's war machine.
Every oil depot that burns is fuel that cannot reach Russia's tanks and aircraft. Every naval arsenal that is struck is ammunition that cannot be fired at Ukrainian cities. Every precision strike deep inside Russia is a message to ordinary Russian citizens that their government's war has consequences — not just for Ukraine, but for Russia itself.
Zelensky's deliberate use of the word "sanctions" to describe Ukraine's drone strikes is significant. It reframes Ukraine's military actions not as attacks but as enforcement — a direct and legitimate response to Russian aggression, carried out with precision against military and energy targets.
It is a framing designed to appeal to Western audiences who have debated the limits of support for Ukraine, while sending an unmistakable message to Moscow.
Russia's Defense Ministry acknowledged the overnight drone activity but provided limited details on the damage caused. Russian air defense units reported shooting down a number of drones, without specifying how many reached their targets.
Local governors in both the St. Petersburg and Krasnodar regions confirmed incidents but provided minimal information, consistent with Russia's pattern of downplaying damage from Ukrainian strikes.
Ukraine has now demonstrated, repeatedly, the ability to strike targets across the full depth of Russian territory — from Kronstadt in the northwest to Krasnodar in the south, from Moscow's suburbs to the refineries of Ryazan.
The message from Zelensky is clear: Ukraine is not waiting for Russia to come to the negotiating table. It is making the cost of continued war too high to ignore.
DeSanta News will continue to follow this story as more details emerge from the overnight strikes.
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July 9, 2026 · 5 min read
