Ukrainian drones attacked the St Petersburg region on Wednesday, striking near Russia's second-largest city just hours before the opening of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Russian authorities reported that air defence systems intercepted 59 drones overnight, with thick black smoke seen rising over parts of the region at daybreak. No fatalities were reported, but several districts around St Petersburg were affected. Pulkovo Airport was temporarily shut down, and mobile internet services were disrupted across parts of the city. Air raid alerts were also issued in neighbouring Latvia and Estonia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian forces had targeted multiple sites in Russia, including an oil terminal and a naval facility in Kronstadt, home to Russia's Baltic Fleet. "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. Unverified footage online showed drones approaching military vessels in the area. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's unmanned systems forces, claimed the Russian corvette Boikiy was among the targets hit.
The St Petersburg forum, often compared to Davos, is set to host delegates from over 130 countries. President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Friday. Western political and business leaders have largely boycotted the event since 2022, though a small U.S. delegation is expected, including Rodney Mims Cook Jr, conservative commentator Candace Owens and actor Steven Seagal.
In other developments, Moscow-installed officials in Ukraine's Donetsk region reported that a drone strike killed seven people on a passenger bus. Ukrainian authorities said at least 22 people were killed in nationwide Russian missile and drone attacks on Monday night. The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia's responses would be "systemic in nature."
Zelensky celebrates drone strikes on Russia's naval base while attending a forum meant to attract foreign investment. The same event draws U.S. figures like Steven Seagal, who supports Putin, even as Russian attacks kill 22 Ukrainians days earlier. This mix of war escalation and selective diplomacy reveals fractured global alignments. No clear line separates condemnation from participation.
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