Ukraine Launches Drone Strikes on St. Petersburg During Russian Economic Forum

Ukraine launched drone attacks targeting areas around St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, on the opening day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), an event often referred to as the "Russian Davos." The forum was scheduled to feature a keynote address by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 5.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a video on X showing smoke rising from an oil storage facility, stating that "key facilities within Russian territory" were attacked overnight, including the St. Petersburg oil terminal. Zelenskyy characterized the strikes as a "justified response" to a prior Russian airstrike and reiterated his readiness for direct dialogue with Putin to end the war.

The drone attacks followed a significant Russian assault that reportedly involved 73 missiles and 656 drones across Ukraine, causing at least 23 deaths and injuring over 130 people. The intensification of cross-border exchanges comes as US-led negotiations for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war have been stalled since February due to the impact of the Iran-US conflict.