Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg ahead of Russia's flagship economic forum

Ukraine launched a drone strike on St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, just as the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) — often called Russia's answer to the World Economic Forum in Davos — was set to open.

President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video on X showing smoke billowing from an oil storage facility, saying Wednesday that "key facilities on Russian territory were hit overnight, including the St. Petersburg oil terminal."

He said Ukraine's long-range strike program, aimed at hastening peace, "is being executed precisely," adding that the targeted facility lies roughly 1,100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border but "supports Russia's ability to wage war."

St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said the attack damaged infrastructure in three zones of the city but caused no fatalities, according to AFP.

Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the neighboring Leningrad region, announced that Russian air defenses shot down 59 drones overnight.

The strike forced Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg to suspend operations for several hours. Reuters, citing local media, reported that more than 30 flights were delayed or canceled.

SPIEF opened in St. Petersburg on Thursday, with roughly 20,000 participants from 130 countries expected to attend.

President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the SPIEF plenary session on Friday before joining a discussion. He is also set to meet Han Zheng, China's vice president.

Ukraine made little effort to conceal that the strike was effectively aimed at the forum itself.

Serhiy Sternenko, an adviser to Ukraine's defense minister, posted a video on social media showing attendees heading to the venue against a backdrop of smoke, writing that "the St. Petersburg forum is opening with a column of black smoke from Ukraine's strike."

The attack came a day after a large-scale Russian missile and drone assault killed 23 people across Ukraine.

Both sides have been trading intense strikes in recent days.

Russia launched 73 missiles — including eight Zircon hypersonic missiles — and 656 drones against Ukraine on Wednesday. Ukraine, in turn, struck not only St. Petersburg but also the Kronstadt military base and a munitions factory in the Tambov region.

In Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine, a passenger bus was hit by a Ukrainian drone strike in the Donetsk region, killing at least seven people and wounding 11, DPA reported, citing local officials appointed by Russia.