Russia's Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg temporarily halted flight arrivals and departures from 7:45 a.m. (0445 GMT) on Saturday to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft, Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said.
People look at an information board at Pulkovo airport outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Reuters/Peter Kovalev
Russia's Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg temporarily halted flight arrivals and departures from 7:45 a.m. (0445 GMT) on Saturday to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft, Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said.
It did not specify a reason for the decision to halt flights, but Russian airports have previously closed when there is a risk of Ukrainian drone strikes in the area.
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the northern Leningrad region containing St Petersburg, said Russian forces had shot down two drones near Luga Bay in the gulf of Finland.
"The airport is temporarily not accepting or dispatching flights," a Rosaviatsia representative wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Aircraft crews, air traffic controllers and airport services are taking all necessary measures to ensure flight safety - this is the top priority."
Reporting by Alexander Marrow
Russia targeted Ukraine with a record 728 drones overnight, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to send more defensive weapons to Kyiv and aimed unusually direct criticism at Russian President Vladimir Putin.
U.S. President Donald Trump defended former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday in a social media post that said his former ally was the victim of a "witch hunt," a term Trump has used to describe his own treatment by political opponents.
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