Ukraine launched hundreds of drones targeting Russian military facilities in St. Petersburg on the final day of a major Russian investment forum in the city. The strikes focused on a naval base near the Russian city and represented the second long-range drone attack on St. Petersburg in recent days.
The attack came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the economic forum. Putin had been speaking at the event in St. Petersburg when Ukrainian forces executed the operation. The timing appeared designed to demonstrate Ukrainian strike capabilities deep inside Russian territory while Putin addressed international investors.
Multiple news outlets reported the strikes targeted Russian navy installations near St. Petersburg, a city located far from the Ukrainian border. The operation marked an escalation in Ukraine's use of long-range drone warfare against Russian military infrastructure. Ukraine has increasingly deployed drones to strike targets hundreds of miles inside Russia as the war continues.
The attack unfolded on what sources described as the last day of Putin's Davos-style investment forum in St. Petersburg. The forum had drawn international attention as Russia sought to project economic stability and attract foreign investment despite ongoing Western sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. The drone strikes overshadowed the event's final day and highlighted Ukraine's ability to reach Russian cities previously considered secure from attack.
Russian authorities have not released casualty figures or detailed damage assessments from the strikes. The attack represents part of a broader Ukrainian strategy to target Russian military facilities and disrupt operations far from the front lines. St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city and a major naval hub, has become an increasingly frequent target as Ukraine expands its drone program.