Ukrainian drones hit St Petersburg oil terminal and naval base as Putin's economic forum opens

The attack

Ukrainian drones hit infrastructure in three districts of St Petersburg in the early hours of 3 June, the opening day of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (Spief), an annual event designed to attract foreign investment. Reuters correspondents reported hearing loud explosions and seeing a plume of smoke visible from the historic city centre. Alexander Beglov, the governor of St Petersburg, confirmed that unspecified infrastructure objects had been hit in three different districts. Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the wider Leningrad region, said air defences had shot down 59 drones overnight.

Tonight, important targets on Russian territory were hit. Among them, the oil terminal in St Petersburg. From our Ukrainian state border to this target of the Russian oil industry, which works for the war, there are about 1,100 kilometres.

Targets

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed the strikes on Telegram, naming the oil terminal and what he described as purely military targets at the Kronstadt naval base, roughly 20 km from St Petersburg in the Gulf of Finland. Ukrainian sources reported that a corvette, the Boikiy, was hit while in dry dock. The vessel had previously escorted Russian shadow fleet tankers through the English Channel. A second vessel at the quay was also reportedly struck, though its identity remains unconfirmed. The oil terminal is part of the largest Baltic oil facility, with an annual capacity of 12.5 million tonnes and 21 storage tanks, according to Romanian broadcaster ProTV.

Forum disruption

Pulkovo airport temporarily restricted flights, with more than 30 flights delayed or cancelled, according to local news outlets. The disruption coincided with the arrival of forum participants, including Western delegates. Thick smoke from the burning terminal provided an awkward backdrop for arriving delegations. Putin is scheduled to speak on Friday, the final day of the event, though ProTV reported that his appearance is now uncertain. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Russia's response would be systemic.

Our response will be systemic, as it already is. What I can tell you is that the special military operation aims to prevent such strikes.

Broader context

The strike came one day after one of the largest Russian attacks on Kyiv and the city of Dnipro, which killed 22 people. In Dnipro, rescuers recovered the body of a three-year-old child and the child's mother from the rubble. Russia also accused Ukraine of killing at least 12 civilians in other attacks, including eight on a passenger bus travelling from the capital to occupied Crimea. The Kremlin warned that punishment for those responsible would be inevitable. NATO chief Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday morning in a surprise solidarity visit.

Strategic significance

For Ukraine, the Kronstadt strike carries largely symbolic weight, since Turkey closed the Black Sea straits to military vessels at the outbreak of war, preventing ships based there from participating in attacks on Ukraine. For NATO, however, the attack has real significance, reducing the Kremlin's naval capabilities in the Baltic Sea. The oil terminal strike also has economic impact, as the facility supplies fuel to Crimea and other occupied territories.