Ukrainian drones strike oil terminal in St Petersburg as Putin’s ‘Davos’ gets under way

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, June 3 (Reuters) – Ukraine struck an oil export terminal in St Petersburg just hours before the start of President Vladimir Putin’s annual economic forum in a bid to embarrass the Kremlin chief and show how vulnerable Russia’s major cities are.

The attack on Putin’s hometown of St Petersburg and the location of his own “Davos”, an economic forum designed to attract foreign investment and show Russia in its best light, comes as both sides attack each other in a war that has raged for more than four years with no imminent end in sight.

A plume of smoke was visible from the historic city centre, where an oil export terminal was hit, and Reuters reporters reported hearing loud explosions on Wednesday morning.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that his drones hit the fuel terminal and said they also targeted a military facility near Russia’s second city.

St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said unspecified “infrastructure facilities” were hit in three different parts of the city. Alexander Drozdenko, governor-general of the Leningrad region, said air defense shot down 59 UAVs overnight.

Russia’s aviation watchdog said the city’s Pulkovo airport had to temporarily restrict flights and more than 30 flights were delayed or canceled, according to local news sources.

(Reuters By Maxim Rodionov/Andrew Osborn By Andrew Osborn)