Ukrainian drones hit St. Petersburg oil terminal and a Baltic Fleet corvette as Putin's forum opens
Ukrainian long-range drones set the St. Petersburg oil terminal ablaze and struck the corvette Boikiy at a Baltic Fleet base, hours before Putin's economic forum opened in the city.
Ukrainian long-range drones set the St. Petersburg oil terminal ablaze and struck the corvette Boikiy at a Baltic Fleet base, hours before Putin's economic forum opened in the city.
Delegates arrived for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Wednesday under a column of black smoke. Hours earlier, Ukrainian long-range drones had set the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal on fire, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. He put the distance from the Ukrainian border at about 1,100 kilometers. The forum venue stood roughly 10 miles from the burning tanks, the Guardian wrote.
Drones also reached the Kronstadt naval base. Ukraine's military said it hit the corvette Boikiy and started a fire aboard, France 24 noted. The ship was named on Telegram by Robert Brovdi, who runs Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, the BBC said. It is a Steregushchy-class corvette, in Baltic Fleet service since 2013, armed with guided missiles, per France 24. Moscow has used it to escort tankers in the shadow fleet that moves Russian oil around Western sanctions, CNN noted.
The operation drew in the SBU, the Unmanned Systems Forces, Special Operations Forces, the HUR military intelligence agency, and the State Border Guard, the Kyiv Independent detailed. Russia's Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 354 drones overnight, according to NPR; the Leningrad region governor put the regional count at 50, per the Kyiv Independent. Several people were wounded and three city districts were hit, the Guardian said. Two firefighters were killed by drone debris in the separate Smolensk region, NPR said.
The St. Petersburg terminal handles about 12.5 million tons of fuel a year, per the Kyiv Independent, one of the larger export points on Russia's Baltic coast. It is the kind of node Ukraine has hit repeatedly this year, squeezing the oil revenue that funds the war.
"Ukraine's plan for long-range sanctions is being implemented exactly as needed to bring peace closer," Zelensky wrote. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's response would be "systematic," according to France 24.
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Subscribe Free →Putin is due to give the forum's keynote on Friday, the BBC wrote. The strike put black smoke behind a stage built to sell Russia as open for business, and it landed a drone's reach inside one of the most defended cities in the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Ukraine strike in St. Petersburg?
Ukrainian long-range drones hit the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal and set it ablaze, and struck the corvette Boikiy at the Kronstadt naval base nearby, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine's military, as detailed by the Kyiv Independent, France 24 and CNN.
How far did the drones travel?
Zelensky said the St. Petersburg oil terminal sits about 1,100 kilometers (roughly 680 miles) from the Ukrainian border, France 24 and the Guardian wrote. NPR noted the drones flew more than 1,000 kilometers to reach it.
What is the Boikiy?
France 24 noted that the Boikiy is a Steregushchy-class corvette that has served with Russia's Baltic Fleet since 2013 and carries guided missiles. Per CNN, Moscow has used the ship to escort tankers in its sanctions-evading shadow oil fleet.
Why did the timing matter?
The strikes came hours before the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum opened, an event Putin uses to project economic strength, with about 20,000 guests from 130 countries due to attend, according to the Guardian and France 24. Putin is set to deliver the keynote on Friday, per the BBC.
How did Russia respond?
Russia's Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 354 drones overnight, according to NPR. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's response to the attacks would be "systematic," according to France 24.
Were there casualties?
Several people were wounded in St. Petersburg and three city districts were hit, the Guardian wrote. In the separate Smolensk region, two firefighters were killed by drone debris, NPR noted.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.