Ukrainian drones struck energy and military facilities in Saint Petersburg early Wednesday, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials. The attack came as thousands of delegates arrived for Russia’s flagship economic forum.
The three-day Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) opened on Wednesday. Organizers expect around 20,000 guests from 130 countries to attend the event. The forum has often been described as “Russia’s Davos” because of its international business and political significance.
Saint Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said several infrastructure facilities were damaged during the drone attack. He added that no fatalities were reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the drones targeted the Saint Petersburg Oil Terminal and the Kronstadt military base. He described the operation as part of Ukraine’s strategy of conducting “long-range sanctions” against Russian military and economic assets.
“Ukraine’s plan for long-range sanctions is being implemented exactly as needed to bring peace closer,” Zelensky said on social media while sharing footage showing flames and smoke rising from an oil facility.
Ukraine’s drone forces commander also claimed that a Russian warship was hit at the Kronstadt naval base. Video footage released by Ukrainian sources appeared to show the drone approaching its target.
The strikes caused major disruptions in the city. Saint Petersburg’s main airport suspended operations for several hours overnight. Flight schedules were affected, and several services between Moscow and Saint Petersburg experienced delays.
Ukrainian officials said the operation was intended to disrupt the economic forum, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to deliver a keynote speech on Friday.
Sergiy Sternenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister, said the forum opened under the shadow of the drone attacks.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin pledged to respond to the strikes. The attack occurred just one day after a large-scale Russian missile and drone assault reportedly killed 23 people across Ukraine.
Elsewhere, Russian attacks on frontline regions of Ukraine killed at least four people, according to local officials. The developments came as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian leaders.
The latest exchange of attacks highlights the continuing escalation of the conflict. Both sides have increasingly targeted strategic infrastructure far from the front lines, demonstrating their ability to strike deep inside enemy territory.
