Ukraine fired drones at the outskirts of Russia’s second city early Monday, just hours before Vladimir Putin addressed the St Petersburg Economic Forum. Local officials reported 59 drones intercepted overnight and three districts of the city struck, though no casualties were reported. Black plumes of smoke drifted over the Nevsky, illuminating a damaged oil terminal and a naval base near the town of Kronstadt.
The opening of the St Petersburg Economic Forum, once dubbed the “Russian Davos,” is a flagship event on Moscow’s political agenda. The event is set to attract thousands of delegates from 130 countries, including a low‑key U.S. delegation led by Rodney Mims Cook Jr., the head of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. Right‑wing commentator Candace Owens and actor Steven Seagal also appear to attend.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would respond to the strikes, adding that the response would be "systemic in nature." Air‑defence units shot down all 59 drones, and local authorities disrupted mobile internet services. St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport closed temporarily and air‑raid alerts were issued in nearby Latvia and Estonia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the drones hit several targets, including the oil terminal and a naval base at Kronstadt. In a note on social media, he described the strike as part of a long‑range sanctions strategy aimed at shortening the war.
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s unmanned‑systems division, reported that the corvette Boikiy was struck by a drone and that the attack was part of a broader pattern of Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian defence sector has grown rapidly since the invasion began, enabling Kyiv to target Russian fuel and oil facilities that support the war machine.
In other related incidents, Moscow has reported that a drone struck a passenger bus in the Donetsk region, killing seven people. Meanwhile, Russian missile and drone strikes earlier that week caused at least 22 casualties across Ukraine. The contrasting headlines underscore the ongoing brutality of the conflict on both sides.
