Ukrainian drones hit St. Petersburg as key Putin economic forum opens

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum opens on Wednesday.

LONDON -- Ukrainian drones hit one of Russia's largest oil terminals in St. Petersburg overnight into Wednesday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, sending plumes of black smoke towering over the city as the landmark St. Petersburg International Economic Forum prepared to open.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian long-range drones struck targets including the Petersburg Oil Terminal overnight -- just under 700 miles from Ukrainian territory.

The latest round of "long-range sanctions," as officials in Kyiv refer to Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia, "yielded good results. Important facilities on Russian territory were hit last night," Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram.

St. Petersburg is known as Russia's "second capital," and is a regular target of Ukrainian drone attacks given its political and economic significance, plus its role as a key export hub for Russian oil.

Video from the city showed attendees of the International Economic Forum arriving at the venue with clouds of black smoke hanging over the city.

St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said in a post to Telegram that "infrastructure facilities in the Kronstadt, Kirovsky and Krasnoselsky districts were attacked" by Ukrainian drones.

"Several facilities were damaged. Currently, efforts are underway to mitigate the consequences. Several people were injured. There were no fatalities. An operational headquarters is in operation. Forces and resources have been put on high alert," Beglov wrote.

Conceived of as Russia's version of Davos, the annual International Economic Forum gathers Russia's political and business elite in St. Petersburg. Prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the event also hosted many international leaders.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to deliver his keynote speech to the event on Friday.

Robert Mims Cook -- the head of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, who is overseeing President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project and his planned triumphal arch in Washington -- is set to attend the forum, which would make him the first American official to do so since 2022.

High profile radical conservative influencer Candace Owens has also been invited to speak at the forum, while the pro-Trump right-wing influencers Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are also in Russia.

Russia's federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya, said in a post to Telegram that temporary flight restrictions were introduced at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport during the overnight attacks.

Temporary restrictions were also imposed on airports in the Russian cities of Saratov, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod and Pskov, Rosaviatsiya said.

Russia's Defense Ministry said in a post to Telegram that its air defenses shot down at least 354 Ukrainian drones overnight into Wednesday morning.

Elsewhere, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said the capital also came under Ukrainian attack. The mayor said in posts to Telegram that air defenses intercepted at least 22 Ukrainian drones heading toward the capital on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

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