INA-SOURCES
Ukrainian drones targeted military facilities and energy infrastructure in St. Petersburg on Thursday morning, coinciding with the opening of a high-profile economic forum in the city, according to both Russian and Ukrainian authorities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized the strikes on Russia's second-largest city as a "just response" to recent Russian bombardments, vowing to escalate retaliatory operations.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which opened on Wednesday for a three-day run, is expected to draw approximately 20,000 participants from 130 countries.
Infrastructure Damaged, No Casualties Reported
The Kremlin has pledged to retaliate for the strikes, which occurred just one day after a barrage of Russian missiles and drones killed 23 people across Ukraine.
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov confirmed that "several" infrastructure sites sustained damage, though no fatalities were reported. Ukrainian authorities stated the operation specifically targeted the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal and the Kronstadt military base.
According to the commander of Ukraine's drone forces, the overnight assault forced the temporary closure of St. Petersburg's main airport for several hours and struck a Russian warship stationed at the Kronstadt naval base.
Disruption of the Economic Forum
Kyiv explicitly noted that the operation aimed to disrupt the narrative surrounding the economic forum, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to deliver an address on Friday.
International Reactions and Additional Strikes
Speaking at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is delivering a "proportionate response" to lethal Russian strikes. "It is only a matter of time before we are able to increase the frequency of our responses," Zelensky added.
Secretary General Rutte noted that Ukraine is successfully demonstrating its capability to target "some of the core capacities of the Russian military." Meanwhile, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas told AFP on Wednesday that recent Ukrainian operations have caused notable apprehension within Moscow.
In a separate development early Thursday, Russian occupation authorities in annexed Crimea reported that a Ukrainian attack left at least three people dead and seven others injured.