MOSCOW, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Multiple Russian regions came under drone attacks from Saturday night to Sunday morning, with Russian air defense forces shooting down over 1,000 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
The ministry said Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia's Belgorod, Bryansk, Leningrad and Moscow regions, as well as over the Black Sea. TASS news agency described the drone assault as one of the largest strikes this year.
Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, was hit by a drone attack in the early hours of Sunday, leaving one person dead and five others injured, said St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov.
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said take-offs and landings were suspended at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, with passengers and staff evacuated to safe zones.
Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko wrote on social media that 144 drones were shot down across the region on Sunday morning. Falling drone debris damaged an apartment block, a private house and power lines, triggering power outages in some local areas.
The ministry added that the Russian armed forces kept targeting Ukrainian logistics hubs, ports and vessels. A logistics center used for storing and distributing drone components and other goods was damaged. Separately, Russian forces struck a dry-cargo ship carrying dual-use goods 30 km east of the port of Odessa. ■