Ukrainian drones strike St. Petersburg oil terminal as Russia hosts major economic forum

The St. Petersburg strike came as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to address the Kremlin-promoted economic forum on Friday — a gathering the Kremlin likens to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Russian authorities acknowledged that a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the city's infrastructure but provided no further detail. The city's airport briefly suspended flights overnight, and authorities cut off mobile internet services.

Zelenskyy said on social media that Ukraine aimed only at "legitimate targets" related to Russia's war effort and indicated that Kyiv plans to expand its long-range drone campaign. "It is only a matter of time when we will be able to increase the scale of our own mass strikes," he told reporters. AP reporting noted that Ukraine has repeatedly targeted oil facilities in St. Petersburg and nearby ports, with strikes aimed at diminishing Russia's oil revenue and disrupting weapons production.

The overnight operation extended beyond the oil terminal. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert Brovdi said drones also struck the Russian guided-missile corvette Boikiy, in dry dock at the Kronstadt naval base west of St. Petersburg — an old Baltic Fleet installation. Zelenskyy also said drones hit a weapons manufacturing plant in the Tambov region, roughly 600 kilometers from Ukraine, according to AP.