Ukrainian long-range drones struck a Russian warship and an oil terminal in St. Petersburg overnight into Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed. The attack, spanning more than 1,000 kilometers, hit as President Vladimir Putin opened a flagship economic forum in the city. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit the same day.
Clouds of black smoke rose over the Baltic port. The "Boykiy" corvette caught fire at the Kronstadt naval base, a historic installation for Russia's Baltic Fleet. The oil terminal in the city's port also burned.
Russia's second-largest city suspended flights at its main airport and cut off mobile internet services during the attack. Russian authorities offered scant detail. They confirmed only that a drone strike targeted the city's infrastructure.
The Kremlin views the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum as a prestige event. It is sometimes called "Russia's Davos." This year, Saudi Arabia is the special guest country and sent a large business delegation.
Putin is scheduled to speak at the forum on Friday. The timing of the strike is a direct embarrassment for the Kremlin leader. Weeks earlier, he scaled back the annual Victory Day parade in Moscow due to fears of Ukrainian drone attacks.
The war has now stretched into its fifth year. The front line has barely moved. Swarms of drones hinder battlefield movement.
Both sides seek an edge through long-range strikes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Russia's deep strikes have taken on a "systematic" character. A day earlier, Russian forces launched a massive drone and missile attack on Kyiv and other cities, killing at least 22 civilians and wounding 138.
Zelensky expressed frustration with his own government on Wednesday. An agreement exists "at the highest political level" to purchase Patriot air defense systems. Implementation is stuck.
Financial, legal, and technical considerations are the holdup. "The wait has taken too long," he said on social media. He demanded officials unblock the purchase or face "serious personnel decisions."
Ukraine is short of American-made Patriot missiles. US stocks are depleted by the Iran war. This leaves Ukraine vulnerable to Russia's ballistic missiles.
Rutte's visit to Kyiv will likely cover air defense needs. Here is what they are not telling you. The drone that hit St.
Petersburg flew over 1,000 kilometers. That range puts the entirety of European Russia within reach. The math does not add up for Moscow's air defense planners.
A city that hosts Putin's showcase economic event could not stop a slow-moving drone. Follow the leverage, not the rhetoric. Ukraine is demonstrating that no Russian asset is safe.
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The economic toll extends beyond the flames. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted oil facilities at the port of St. Petersburg and nearby terminals.
The goal is to diminish oil production, a key funding source for Moscow's war machine. The strikes also hit a manufacturing plant involved in weapon production in Russia's Tambov region, 600 kilometers from Ukraine, Zelensky said. In the Russia-controlled part of Ukraine's Donetsk region, a Ukrainian strike hit a bus traveling from Moscow to Crimea.
Seven people died and 11 were injured, according to the Kremlin-appointed head of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin. In the Smolensk region, two firefighters were killed by a Ukrainian drone attack, according to regional governor Vasily Anokhin. Two other firefighters and a local resident were injured.
Meanwhile, Russia fired 198 long-range drones at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine's air force. Air defenses neutralized 189 of them. In the northern Sumy region, one civilian was killed and 15 more were injured, including three children, by Russian strikes over the previous 24 hours.
In southern Kherson, Russian overnight shelling and drone strikes killed an 86-year-old woman and wounded five others, regional authorities said. Major Western investors and officials have stayed away from the St. Petersburg forum since Russia invaded Ukraine more than four years ago.
The gathering has for decades been Russia's leading event for attracting foreign capital. The empty chairs tell a story. Sanctions and reputational risk have isolated the Russian economy.
Saudi Arabia's large business delegation is one of the few bright spots for the Kremlin this year. Why It Matters: The strike on St. Petersburg during the economic forum shatters the Kremlin's narrative of normalcy.
If Ukraine can hit a warship in the Baltic Fleet's historic home port, it can disrupt energy exports and military logistics across a vast arc of Russian territory. For Western leaders, the attack validates the argument that long-range strike capabilities are a cost-effective way to pressure Moscow without direct NATO involvement. The attack also exposes a gap between Putin's public confidence and operational reality.
The forum is designed to project strength. Smoke over the port projects vulnerability. Saudi investors and other delegations will not miss the contradiction.
Key takeaways: - Ukrainian drones struck a Russian warship and oil terminal in St. Petersburg, over 1,000 km from Ukrainian territory, on the opening day of Putin's economic forum. - The attack forced the suspension of flights and mobile internet in Russia's second-largest city, exposing air defense gaps. - Zelensky publicly threatened his own officials with "serious personnel decisions" if Patriot missile purchases are not unblocked. - NATO chief Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv for unannounced talks as Russia launched 198 drones at Ukraine overnight. What comes next is a test of escalation thresholds.
Putin speaks Friday at the forum. His response will signal whether the Kremlin treats this as a military problem or a political crisis. Ukraine will likely press its range advantage.
The Patriot missile bottleneck remains unresolved. Rutte's visit may produce new air defense commitments. The bus strike in Donetsk and the firefighter deaths in Smolensk will fuel Russian domestic anger.
Watch for whether Moscow retaliates with a new wave of strikes on Ukrainian cities before the forum ends.
Key Takeaways
— - Ukrainian drones struck a Russian warship and oil terminal in St. Petersburg, over 1,000 km from Ukrainian territory, on the opening day of Putin's economic forum.
— - The attack forced the suspension of flights and mobile internet in Russia's second-largest city, exposing air defense gaps.
— - Zelensky publicly threatened his own officials with 'serious personnel decisions' if Patriot missile purchases are not unblocked.
— - NATO chief Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv for unannounced talks as Russia launched 198 drones at Ukraine overnight.
Source: France 24 / AFP
