Ukraine launches drones at St Petersburg before Putin’s economic forum

Ukraine launched drone attacks on the city of St Petersburg on Wednesday morning, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, hours before the Russian metropolis was set to open its international economic forum.

In a post on Telegram, Zelensky praised the joint efforts of various drone units and the country’s intelligence services. He said an oil terminal had been hit, as well as a military target in the Kronstadt district – where the Russian Navy has its Baltic Sea base.

The Ukrainian president emphasized that the targets were located almost 1,100 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

Footage showing a cloud of black smoke, reportedly coming from a burning oil refinery in the city, circulated on social media. Russian officials have not confirmed the attack on the refinery.

However, St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov reported casualties and damage, saying the emergency services were on high alert. “Several buildings have been damaged. Clean-up operations are currently under way,” he wrote, without providing details of the damage.

Authorities in St Petersburg had warned residents and visitors of the possibility of drone attacks in a text message.

The attacks cast a shadow over the opening of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which is usually staged as a glamorous event for guests from all over the world. The event – hosted by President Vladimir Putin – begins on Wednesday and runs until Saturday.

The Russian Defence Ministry said 354 drones had been shot down, including in the region around Moscow and St Petersburg.

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had also targeted a company in the central Russian Tambov region involved in the production of Russian military equipment.

According to media reports, drones struck the town of Michurinsk in the Tambov region, targeting a factory that manufactures missile technology.