Ukrainian long-range drones struck an oil export terminal in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday, hours before the start of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike on the fuel terminal and also reported targeting a military facility near the city. The attack occurred amid an escalation of long-range strikes between Ukraine and Russia as the war enters its fifth year.
Attack Details
Ukrainian drones flew over 1,000 kilometers to hit the oil terminal in St. Petersburg, causing a fire and sending clouds of black smoke over the port, according to President Zelenskyy. Video footage from the scene showed a drone striking the corvette Boikiy, which was in dry dock for repairs.
Alexander Beglov, governor of St. Petersburg, reported that unspecified infrastructure objects were hit in the Kirovsky and Krasnoselsky districts of the city. Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region, stated that air defenses shot down 59 drones overnight.
President Zelenskyy also reported drone attacks on the Kronstadt naval base—an old base for Russia's Baltic Fleet—and a manufacturing plant involved in weapon production in Russia's Tambov region.
Russian Response
Russian authorities confirmed that a Ukrainian drone strike targeted infrastructure but provided no further details. Russia's Defense Ministry reported that air defenses shot down 354 Ukrainian drones overnight.
St. Petersburg's Pulkovo airport temporarily suspended flights, resulting in over 30 delays or cancellations affecting some visitors' travel. Mobile internet services were also cut.
Economic Forum Context
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an annual event often described as Russia's answer to Davos, began on Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to speak at the forum on Friday. The venue was heavily protected, with no indication that drones approached it. Major Western investors and officials have largely avoided the event since Russia invaded Ukraine. Saudi Arabia is a special guest country this year, sending a large business delegation.
Previous Day's Russian Attacks
A day before the Ukrainian strikes, Russian forces launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, killing at least 22 civilians and wounding 138. Ukraine's air force reported that Russia fired 198 long-range drones overnight, with 189 intercepted. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Russia's deep strikes as having a "systematic" character.
Other Reported Casualties and Damage
- In the Russia-controlled part of Donetsk, a Ukrainian strike on a bus traveling from Moscow to Crimea killed seven and injured 11, according to Kremlin-appointed head Donetsk Denis Pushilin.
- In the Smolensk region, two firefighters were killed and two others injured by a Ukrainian drone, per regional governor Vasily Anokhin.
- In Ukraine's Sumy region, one civilian was killed and 15 were injured, including three children, by Russian strikes.
- In Kherson, an 86-year-old woman was killed and five wounded by Russian shelling and drones.
NATO Visit
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Wednesday, meeting with President Zelenskyy. The visit was initially announced by Ukraine's railway operator and later deleted after photos circulated. Rutte's visit followed the large-scale Russian attacks on Kyiv that killed at least 22 civilians.