Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Andrei Kartapolov, in a commentary for the Parliamentary Newspaper, discussed the increasing attempts to attack St. Petersburg using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), assessing them more as demonstrative actions than as a threat with practical consequences. According to him, despite the fact that St. Petersburg is an important city for Russia, existing air defense systems demonstrate high efficiency, minimizing potential threats and limiting themselves mainly to intimidation attempts.

Kartapolov expressed concerns about a possible change in tactics by the Ukrainian military in the future, suggesting that they may seek to attack architectural sites as part of a strategy of psychological pressure. He explained that it would be impossible to create an “impenetrable air defense shield” around St. Petersburg without drawing forces from other historically significant cities such as Tsarskoye Selo and Vyborg, which could entail the opening of new vulnerabilities.

The deputy emphasized that a potential enemy can be expected to use various tactics, including attacks on significant cultural and historical sites.