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Ukrainian drones strike St. Petersburg oil terminal during economic forum
🇫🇮 Finland /Economy & Trade

Ukrainian drones strike St. Petersburg oil terminal during economic forum

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Ukrainian drones attacked St. Petersburg, targeting an oil terminal and a naval facility during the city's international economic forum.
  • Governor Alexander Beglov reported damage to several sites and four injuries, while the Leningrad region reported shooting down 59 drones.
  • The attacks occurred as the economic forum, important to President Vladimir Putin, began, with some residents expressing veiled criticism of the war.

Ukrainian drones struck St. Petersburg on Wednesday, hitting an oil terminal and a naval facility in an attack that coincided with the opening of the city's international economic forum. The strike targeted the oil product loading terminal on the Gulf of Finland, one of Russia's largest on the Baltic Sea, sending a large plume of black smoke into the sky. Independent publication Astra also reported a successful strike on the Kronstadt naval yard, which services Russian navy vessels.

Ukrainians decided to visit the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum for the first time in many years.

— Troika (Telegram channel)A sarcastic caption accompanying a video of Ukrainian drones attacking St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov stated that "several targets were damaged" and four people were injured. The governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, reported that 59 drones were shot down over the region during the night. Sources in St. Petersburg confirmed the smoke plume and added that a large residential building near the terminal sustained minor damage, though Russian authorities have not officially confirmed this.

Several targets were damaged.

— Alexander BeglovSt. Petersburg Governor, reporting on the drone attack.

Social media buzzed with thousands of messages about the overnight attack. Many residents described hearing loud explosions across the city. Some users on the Fontanka news site's Telegram channel called Ukrainians "Nazis" and demanded Kyiv's destruction. However, others subtly questioned the war's initiation. One user, using the pseudonym Dmitrii, posted, "Maybe it just shouldn't have been started?" This sentiment, hinting at criticism of the "special military operation," garnered significant support, with its message receiving more likes than negative reactions.

59 drones were shot down over the region during the night.

— Alexander DrozdenkoGovernor of the Leningrad region, reporting on the drone attack.

The drone threat warning ended at 10 a.m. Wednesday, precisely when the official program of the economic forum began at the Expoforum convention center. President Vladimir Putin, who was born in St. Petersburg, has never missed the forum, and was expected to deliver a speech on Friday.

Maybe it just shouldn't have been started?

— Dmitrii (pseudonym)A reader's comment on the Fontanka news site's Telegram channel, hinting at criticism of the war.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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