ST. PETERSBURG BURNS AS RUSSIA'S AIR DEFENCES FACE A MASSIVE DRONE ATTACK 🇷🇺🇺🇦🔥 Russia's second-largest city endured a chaotic night as a large-scale drone attack sent residents searching for answers, disrupted airports and left several major facilities burning. The extraordinary part wasn't just the scale of the attack. It was how ordinary Russians found out what was happening. With residents complaining that no air-raid sirens had sounded, neighbourhood Telegram chats effectively became improvised warning systems. "Nevsky District. Am I imagining it, or is that a rumble?" "Very much not imagining it." Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko issued successive updates as the number of drones detected climbed from 11 to 57 and then 126. His announcements repeatedly assured residents that "Combat work continues." By the end of the night, accounts of the attack put the number of drones involved at 145. Among the facilities said to have caught fire were an oil terminal, a data centre and a major Ozon logistics warehouse. Ozon subsequently informed customers that products stored at the affected facility were no longer visible in its system. An unusually polite way of explaining that your online shopping might have gone up in smoke. Airports suspended operations under Russia's Plan Carpet security procedures, leaving travellers stranded and flights diverted. One aircraft carrying Russian tourists home from Egypt reportedly landed in Helsinki, where passengers spent five hours on the tarmac waiting for arrangements. Meanwhile, St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov issued statements about the absence of casualties, while restrictions on photographing sensitive sites threatened residents with fines. When authorities announced a terrorism investigation, 525 readers of Fontanka responded with clown emojis. The absurdities extended well beyond the burning warehouses. Russian hosting provider Selectel had updated its contractual terms to address liability for potential damage caused by Russian air defences. The Defence Ministry was pursuing a lawsuit worth approximately one billion rubles against the Severnaya Verf shipyard over a frigate contract. And officials who had missed mandatory training were being instructed to attend summer classes. Even as fires were being reported around St. Petersburg, Russia's Foreign Ministry was sharing photographs of a Pushkin-themed ball at its embassy in Beijing. Elsewhere, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov faced a diplomatic walkout during an IMF meeting in Bangkok, with accounts describing roughly half the room leaving during his remarks. On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces were also confronting Russian troops using gas pipelines as infiltration routes. In one operation, a Ukrainian ground robot named Gimli carried an explosive device nicknamed Shrek, while a Vampire drone dropped additional charges from above. Yes, a dwarf, an ogre and a vampire were apparently involved in fighting Russian troops inside a pipeline. St. Petersburg residents have also revived an old local superstition surrounding the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. According to the legend, removing its scaffolding has preceded major disasters, from the Soviet collapse to the pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine. The scaffolding reportedly came down again on Friday. The drone attack followed on Saturday night. There is no evidence of a connection, of course, but the coincidence has given residents another reason to talk. Beneath the jokes and bizarre details lies a serious problem for the Russian authorities. The attack demonstrated how difficult it can be to maintain normal civilian life when airports close, infrastructure burns and residents rely on neighbourhood chats to understand the danger around them. Officials can issue reassuring statements and count newly painted benches. They cannot make a night of explosions disappear.