St. Petersburg faces dangerous air pollution after Ukrainian drone attack on oil terminal

St. Petersburg faced hazardous air quality on June 3, 2026, after a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeted critical infrastructure, including a major oil terminal. The city's air pollution reached a high level, deemed dangerous for individuals with high sensitivity, according to AccuWeather. The meteorological service labeled the air quality as "poor" and advised residents to limit outdoor time if experiencing respiratory difficulties or throat irritation.

The attack, which involved more than 60 drones targeting St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region, coincided with the start of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The assault damaged facilities at the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal, igniting a fire that produced towering plumes of black smoke. This facility, spanning 37 hectares with 21 fuel tanks, has an annual production capacity exceeding 12.5 million tons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to Telegram to claim responsibility for the strikes. "Important targets in Russia were attacked tonight, including the oil terminal in St. Petersburg," he stated, noting the facility's distance of approximately 1,100 kilometers from Ukraine. Ukraine also asserted it had struck a Russian missile corvette in the Baltic Sea port of Kronstadt.