Saint petersburg: Ukrainian forces launched a significant drone strike on the Russian city of St. Petersburg, described by Russian authorities as an unprecedented threat. The city was hosting the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a crucial event for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Thai News Agency, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the interception of over 370 Ukrainian drones across various regions, with more than 140 shot down over the Leningrad region, which surrounds Saint Petersburg. Alexander Drozdenko, governor of Leningrad, labeled the incident as unprecedented violence, while Alexander Beglov, governor of Saint Petersburg, urged citizens to remain indoors, marking the first such advisory since the onset of the war with Ukraine. Pulkovo International Airport suspended flights temporarily for safety reasons, and mobile internet access was disrupted during the incident.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the attacks targeted Russian naval arsenals, the Kronstadt naval base-a key base for the Russian fleet in the Baltic Sea-and defense ministry facilities in the Lomonosovsky district. He asserted that Ukrainian long-range drones managed to travel over 1,000 kilometers to attack an oil terminal in St. Petersburg, resulting in a large fire. Zelenskyy justified the attacks as a response to Russia's continued bombing of Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians.
The incident occurred shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a formal proposal from Zelenskyy for face-to-face peace talks, deeming such a meeting pointless. The Ukrainian attack on St. Petersburg coincided with the final day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, also known as Davos Russia 2026, an event designed to boost Russia's economic development and showcase its resilience in the face of Western sanctions.