Drone Strike Near St Petersburg Before Economic Forum
Ukraine conducted a strike on the outskirts of Russia's St Petersburg just hours before the commencement of a significant economic forum aimed at attracting foreign investment to Russia.
At dawn, thick black smoke was seen rising over Russia's second-largest city, where President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to address the financial event on Friday. The forum is expected to host thousands of guests from 130 countries, including a discreet delegation from the United States.
Local authorities reported that air defenses intercepted and shot down 59 drones overnight. Three different districts within St Petersburg were reportedly targeted, although no fatalities were reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated,"Our responses will be systemic in nature,"referring to Moscow's planned reaction to the strikes on Wednesday.
Mobile internet services experienced disruptions, and St Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport was temporarily closed. Additionally, some areas in nearby Latvia and Estonia issued air raid alerts in response to the events.
Ukrainian Confirmation and Target Details
Later on the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian drones had struck multiple locations within Russia, including an oil terminal and a naval base in the nearby town of Kronstadt.
Zelensky wrote on social media,"The Ukrainian plan of long-range sanctions is being implemented exactly as it is needed to bring peace closer,"using a euphemism for long-distance strikes on Russian territory.
Kronstadt serves as the principal base for the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet. Unverified videos circulated on social media by Ukrainian military personnel showed drones flying toward docked military vessels, with footage ending before any impact could be seen.
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's unmanned systems, announced on Telegram that the corvette Boikiy was hit during the operation.
Context of the St Petersburg Economic Forum
The St Petersburg Economic Forum, previously referred to as the "Russian Davos," is a key event on Russia's political calendar.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the forum attracted prominent Western delegations, including CEOs and heads of state.
This year marks the first time in nearly a decade that a low-profile US delegation is expected to attend. The delegation is led by Rodney Mims Cook Jr., head of the US Commission of Fine Arts and the official overseeing President Donald Trump's ballroom project at the White House.
Among other attendees are US right-wing commentator Candace Owens and actor Steven Seagal, known for his support of Putin.
In a sarcastic post on X, Denys Shrilierman of Ukrainian defense company Fire Point commented:
"Due to such distinguished guests and the importance of the event itself, we couldn't ignore it - and urgently flew to [St Petersburg]."
The post included videos showing drones crossing the sky and thick black smoke rising from undisclosed locations along the seafront.
Ukraine's Defence Sector and Ongoing Conflict
Since the onset of Russia's invasion four years ago, Ukraine has developed a rapidly growing defense industry. Kyiv now regularly targets locations within Russia, focusing on energy infrastructure and oil facilities, which it views as supporting the Russian war effort.
On Wednesday, a drone strike hit a passenger bus in the Russia-controlled Donetsk region of Ukraine, killing seven people, according to a Moscow-installed official.
Meanwhile, Moscow continues to conduct strikes on Ukrainian cities, resulting in frequent civilian casualties. On Monday night alone, at least 22 people were killed in combined missile and drone attacks across Ukraine.
