Moment Kyiv launches devastating drone attack on St Petersburg as Zelensky warns Putin he will punish ‘injustice against Ukraine’ Ukraine early today staged a massive attack on Russia hours after Vladimir Putin snubbed Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for face-to-face talks to end the war. The Kremlin dictator, 73, accused his adversary of ‘rudeness’ in alluding to his ‘old age’ in an open letter. Zelensky had also warned Putin of the risk of a coup to oust him if he fails to halt the war due to rising dissent in his ruling circle. But Putin — speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum — bluntly refused talks and  instead issued a Stalin-style rallying call to his troops currently losing ground in the conflict.   ‘We should not address the author of this letter [Volodymyr Zelensky]….but rather our soldiers on the contact line. ‘The whole country is watching you; the whole country is proud of you and hoping for you. Work, brothers,’ he told them. But instead it was Russia that was massively on fire today after a barrage of Ukrainian strikes highlighting Kyiv’s growing confidence in taking the war to their enemy. Zelensky had also warned Putin of the risk of a coup to oust him if he fails to halt the war due to rising dissent in his ruling circle A vast naval ammunition depot at 81263 military unit at the 7082nd Technical Mine and Torpedo Base was ablaze and detonating in Leningrad region following a direct hit.  A major Category 1 alert over exploding ‘hazardous’ explosives was issued with a lockdown ordered in St Petersburg. ‘I ask St Petersburg residents to stay in their homes and not go outside,’ demanded governor Alexander Beglov. ‘There may be disruptions to mobile internet. Information about the elimination of the air threat will be provided later.’ It was immediately unclear if Putin was still in the war-hit city after his appearance at the forum on Friday.  He has access to bunkers in St Petersburg, his hometown.  A major Category 1 alert over exploding ‘hazardous’ explosives was issued with a lockdown ordered in St Petersburg The attacks made a mockery of his claim to be winning the war.  For the second time in three days, Ukraine also hit Kronstadt, Putin’s naval port close to St Petersburg where fire was seen early today at a key military training facility.   Unconfirmed reports said submarines had been hit at  Kronstadt, HQ of the Russian Baltic Fleet.  The V. A. Fock Institute of Physics in Petrodvorets [Peterhof] was also hit by a drone with dramatically skimmed trees before exploding.  Capital Moscow was forced to use air defences to fend off multiple Ukrainian drones.  Separately, a massive inferno ignited at the Poltava oil depot in Ust-Labinsk, Krasnodar region, with a blaze covering 54,000 square feet.  A mystery fire at an oil refinery in Tyumen, western Siberia, was not confirmed as a Ukrainian strike.  The aim of this strike appeared to be to deepen a crisis which is seeing growing Russian fuel rationing and massively hampering efforts to supply Crimea and other occupied territory. New strikes on Hell’s Highway – the so-called Novorossiya trunk road through annexed Ukraine – have caused carnage on this key route where Kyiv now claims ‘fire control’ due to drone attacks and mines. The Putin regime has been forced to ban the transport of children and civilian cars on the this P-280 route and the P-150 Highway.  A rerouting of planes in southern Russia added to the chaos for tourists seeking to reach and leave the Crimean peninsula.  Ukrainian drones also hit the  Research Institute of Marine Thermal Engineering in St. Petersburg, say reports.  This is Russia’s key location for developing torpedo armaments and power plants for underwater naval weapons.  Occupied Black Sea port and resort Mariupol was also ablaze today after Ukrainian strikes following Putin’s snub. In recent days, Ukraine has destroyed seven ships from Putin’s navy, FSB security service, and shadow fleet of sanctions-busting vessels.  Ukraine said overnight it downed 249 of 272 drones sent by Russia.  Zelensky’s plea to Putin to hold talks to end the war was seen as aimed more at figures in his circle growing tired of the conflict than the implacable dictator.  Intelligence suggests powerbrokers close to Putin could in time pressure him to engage in negotiations to freeze the conflict.  As the Ukrainian strikes were launched, Zelensky, 48, said of Putin’s refusal to talk: ‘Unfortunately, the Russian side is again choosing war – everyone heard today’s response. ‘A weak response. He just doesn’t want to end the war. ‘I think many in the world were disappointed by this response. ‘He doesn’t want to change anything and doesn’t want to admit that his war is only pleasing to him and those who are making money from it – they were all very [much] smiling today. ‘So, there should be less money in Russia and more pressure on Russia.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.