Ukrainian Drones Attack Oil Terminal as Putin's Economic Forum Opens
Only a few hours before the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) officially opened on Wednesday (3/6), the region was shaken by Ukrainian drone attacks. These explosions serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing war, occurring just as the Kremlin prepares to welcome international guests to President Vladimir Putin’s home territory.
Thick black smoke was visible in the sky over St. Petersburg, Russia’s second most important city. The incident forced Pulkovo Airport to temporarily restrict airspace, resulting in the delay and diversion of approximately 30 flights. The Governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, confirmed that attacks hit infrastructure in three districts, while air defences reportedly intercepted 59 drones in the Leningrad region overnight.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that their drones successfully struck the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal. This attack is part of Ukraine’s long-term strategy to cripple the Russian war economy through long-range strikes deep into enemy territory. “Ukraine’s plan for long-range sanctions is being implemented exactly as needed to bring peace closer,” Zelensky wrote in a social media post showing a burning oil depot.
In addition to the oil terminal, other targets included military facilities at the Kronstadt naval base and weapons production sites in the Tambov region. These strikes occurred a day after Russia launched missiles at Kyiv and Dnipro, killing at least 23 people.
Despite the smoke from the attacks, SPIEF proceeded with the presence of controversial guests. One notable figure was Rodney Mims Cook Jr., Chairman of the US Fine Arts Commission, who is being cited as the first official US representative to attend after years of boycotts. While Cook claimed his participation was approved by the State Department, he was not officially appointed by the Trump administration.
Russian Presidential Assistant Yury Ushakov welcomed Cook’s presence as a sign of thawing relations with Washington. Cook is scheduled to speak in a Russian-US cultural dialogue session alongside Russian figures currently under international sanctions, such as Valery Gergiev and Mikhail Piotrovsky.
As the war enters its fifth year, both sides are engaged in an increasingly widespread aerial campaign. Russia continues to threaten increased bombing, while Ukraine is beginning to feel the impact of its retaliatory strikes on Russian oil refineries, which have triggered fuel shortages in several regions. President Putin is scheduled to deliver his keynote speech on Friday (4/6), where he is expected to project Russian economic resilience to the remaining foreign investors, even as the shadows of drone attacks haunt the economic hub.