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Ukrainian drone attacks hit St. Petersburg oil refinery ahead of major economic forum
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Conflict & Security

Ukrainian drone attacks hit St. Petersburg oil refinery ahead of major economic forum

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Ukrainian drone attacks struck critical infrastructure in the Leningrad region, including an oil refinery, shortly before the start of Russia's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
  • The attacks caused damage to several facilities and resulted in injuries, though no fatalities were reported.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed responsibility for the attacks, targeting what he called important objectives, including the St. Petersburg oil terminal.

The opening of Russia's prominent St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) was overshadowed by a significant Ukrainian drone attack targeting critical infrastructure in the Leningrad region. The assault, which occurred early Wednesday, struck multiple sites, including a major oil refinery, causing widespread damage and internet disruptions.

Regional governor Alexandr Beglov confirmed that enemy drones attacked infrastructure in the Kronstadt, Kirov, and Krasnoselsky districts. While several facilities were damaged and some individuals sustained injuries, authorities reported no fatalities. Images circulating on Russian social media depicted thick plumes of black smoke rising over the city, with reports indicating a fire at the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal, one of the largest in the Baltic region.

This night important targets in Russia were attacked, including the oil terminal in St. Petersburg.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyClaiming responsibility for the drone attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Telegram account.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to Telegram to claim responsibility for the strikes, stating that "important targets in Russia" were attacked, including the oil terminal located approximately 1,100 kilometers from Ukraine. He also mentioned attacks on "military targets at the Kronstadt airbase."

The coordinated drone assault has been seen as a blow to Russian authorities hoping for an unhindled start to SPIEF, an event typically attended by global leaders and representatives from numerous countries. This year's forum was expected to host dignitaries including the presidents of Tanzania and Uzbekistan, as well as China's Vice President. The attacks raise security concerns ahead of President Vladimir Putin's planned participation in the forum's plenary session.

Several facilities were damaged. Efforts are currently underway to mitigate the consequences. Several people were injured. There were no deaths.

— AuthoritiesProviding an initial report on the damage and casualties resulting from the drone attacks.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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