Ukraine carried out a major drone assault on Russia’s St Petersburg region on Wednesday, striking targets near the country’s second largest city and disrupting activities ahead of a high profile economic forum aimed at attracting foreign investment.
As thick black smoke rose over parts of the region at daybreak, Russian authorities said air defence systems intercepted 59 drones overnight. Despite the scale of the attack, officials reported no fatalities, though several districts around St Petersburg were affected.
According to BBC, the strikes came just hours before the start of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, one of Russia’s most important annual events. The gathering, often described as Russia’s answer to Davos, is expected to host thousands of delegates from more than 130 countries, with President Vladimir Putin scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Friday.
Russian authorities temporarily shut down Pulkovo Airport and mobile internet services were disrupted across parts of the city. Air raid alerts were also issued in neighbouring Latvia and Estonia as concerns mounted over regional security.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian President later confirmed that Ukrainian forces had targeted multiple sites in Russia, including an oil terminal and a naval facility in the nearby port town of Kronstadt.
“The Ukrainian plan of long range sanctions is being implemented exactly as it is needed to bring peace closer,” Zelensky said in a social media post, using a phrase Kyiv often employs to describe attacks deep inside Russian territory.
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Kronstadt serves as the main base of Russia’s Baltic Fleet, making it one of the country’s most strategically important naval locations. Unverified footage shared online appeared to show drones flying towards military vessels docked in the area.
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces, claimed on Telegram that the Russian corvette Boikiy was among the targets hit during the operation.
The attack underscores Ukraine’s growing ability to strike deep inside Russian territory. Since the start of the war, Kyiv has rapidly expanded its domestic drone industry, allowing it to increasingly target oil depots, military facilities and energy infrastructure that it says support Russia’s war effort.
The Kremlin condemned the strikes and vowed retaliation.
“Our responses will be systemic in nature,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, signalling that Moscow was preparing a broader response rather than immediate retaliatory action.
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The St Petersburg forum, once a showcase for Russia’s economic ties with the West, has changed dramatically since Moscow launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Western political and business leaders who once attended in large numbers are largely absent, although a small United States delegation is expected to participate this year.
Among the American attendees are Rodney Mims Cook Jr, head of the US Commission of Fine Arts, conservative commentator Candace Owens and actor Steven Seagal, a longtime supporter of Putin.
The latest escalation comes as both sides continue to exchange long range attacks. In Russia controlled parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, a drone strike on a passenger bus reportedly killed seven people on Wednesday, according to Moscow installed officials.
Meanwhile, Russian missile and drone attacks continue to inflict heavy civilian casualties across Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities said at least 22 people were killed in nationwide strikes on Monday night alone, highlighting the continuing intensity of a conflict now well into its fifth year.
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