ASTRA: UAV strike hits naval cadet corps near Russian base in Kronstadt PHOTO/VIDEO

A suspected drone attack has targeted the Kronstadt Naval Cadet Military Corps in the Russian city of Kronstadt, according to open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysis published by ASTRA.

Images and videos shared by local residents showed black smoke rising over the city on the morning of June 6, with OSINT analysts suggesting that the smoke originated from the grounds of the cadet corps, located on Zosimova Street. Russian authorities have not officially confirmed an attack on the facility or reported any damage.

The Kronstadt Naval Cadet Military Corps, established in 1995, operates under Russia’s Ministry of Defence. The institution serves as a military boarding school for boys from grades five through eleven, combining standard secondary education with naval-oriented military training. Many graduates go on to attend Russian military academies, particularly those affiliated with the navy.

The facility is situated approximately one kilometre from Kronstadt’s naval base, a key installation for Russia’s Baltic Fleet.

The reported incident comes days after another Ukrainian drone operation in Kronstadt. On June 3, the Kronstadt Marine Shipyard, which services Russian Navy vessels and submarines, was reportedly targeted. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) later claimed that the Russian Navy corvette Boykiy had been destroyed during that operation, although Russian authorities have not confirmed the claim.

Drone activity was also reported overnight in other parts of St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region. Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko stated that air-defence forces had intercepted 72 unmanned aerial vehicles over the region.

“Combat operations are ongoing,” Drozdenko said in a statement issued shortly before 7:00 a.m. local time.

Earlier updates from the governor indicated that 25 drones had been detected after 5:00 a.m., with the reported number rising to 55 approximately an hour later. Authorities did not specify the locations where the drones were intercepted.

By Sabina Mammadli