Ukrainian drones struck an oil export terminal and military-related facilities in and around St Petersburg hours before the opening of Russia's flagship economic forum, often dubbed Putin's "Davos".
The attacks disrupted flights at St Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport and cast a shadow over the high-profile forum, which the Kremlin uses to project economic resilience despite Western sanctions.
Ukrainian Drones Hit St Petersburg Oil Terminal Ahead of Putin's Economic Forum
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the operation, while Russian authorities said infrastructure was damaged across multiple districts and at least 59 drones were intercepted overnight.
Summary
Ukrainian drones struck an oil terminal and a naval facility in Russia's St. Petersburg early Wednesday, hours before the opening of President Vladimir Putin's flagship economic forum, in what appeared to be a high-profile attempt to expose vulnerabilities in Russia's air defences.
The attacks targeted the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal and military facilities in Kronstadt, an island town that hosts elements of Russia's Baltic Fleet as well as major shipbuilding and repair infrastructure, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the operation, saying drones had struck the fuel terminal and military targets.
"Ukraine’s plan for long-range sanctions is being implemented exactly as needed to bring peace closer,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post.
The strikes coincided with the opening of the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, often referred to as Russia's version of Davos, an event the Kremlin uses to showcase economic resilience and attract foreign investment despite Western sanctions.
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said unspecified “infrastructure objects” had been hit across three districts of the city.
“Several facilities have been damaged. Clean-up operations are currently underway. Several people have been injured. There have been no fatalities,” Beglov said in a statement.
Authorities in the surrounding Leningrad region said Russian air defences intercepted 59 Ukrainian drones overnight. Despite the interceptions, damage was reported at multiple sites and thick smoke was seen rising above parts of the city. The attacks also disrupted operations at St. Petersburg's main airport, leading to flight delays and temporary closures.
The Kremlin said Russia would continue carrying out strikes against Ukraine in response to such attacks, describing them as part of a new "paradigm" in the war. The latest operation comes amid an intensifying campaign by Kyiv to target Russian energy and military infrastructure far from the front lines, seeking to raise the economic and strategic costs of Moscow's war effort.
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(Reuters reported)
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