Kremlin threatens strong retaliation after attack on key targets in St Petersburg ahead of 'Russian Davos'
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia would continue its systematic attacks on Ukraine after Ukrainian drones attacked an oil terminal and a naval base in St Petersburg hours before the start of Russian President Vladimir Putin's representative economic forum, reports Reuters.
“I would like to remind you of the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which states that our responses will be systematic, and indeed they already are,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about the Ukrainian attack on the Russian leader's hometown of St. Petersburg.
Russian defense systems shot down dozens of drones over the Leningrad region, northwest of Moscow, overnight and continued to repulse the attacks in the morning, local authorities said.
Ukrainian drones targeted an oil terminal and a naval base in St
Petersburg hours before the start of the economic forum in an attempt to embarrass the Kremlin chief and show how vulnerable Russia's cities are.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian drones had struck the oil terminal, released images and said they also targeted a military installation in Kronstadt, an island near the city of more than 5.6 million people that is home to elements of Russia's Baltic Fleet and major shipbuilding and repair facilities.
Our long-range sanctions carried out by the warriors of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Special Operations Forces, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine have yielded good results. Important facilities… pic.twitter.com/esxYMexU8d
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa) June 3, 2026
However, the location of the economic forum itself was heavily guarded and there was no suggestion that Ukrainian drones had approached the venue.
A cloud of gray smoke was visible from the historic center of Saint Petersburg, and Reuters correspondents reported hearing loud explosions on Wednesday morning. The same explosions were reportedly heard by hundreds of forum guests, some of whom flew in before the first day of talks.
The Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum of 2026 (SPIEF 2026) in Russia has started with a very fiery keynote speech by the Ukrainian surprise guests. pic.twitter.com/VVIuGcQCO7
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) June 3, 2026
Telegram channels in St. Petersburg published images from the city after the Ukrainian attack.
And Moscow was the target of Ukrainian drones. In the Tambov region of central Russia, outbuildings of an industrial facility in the city of Michurinsk were damaged, the governor said on Telegram.
The Leningrad region, home to crucial energy export infrastructure and a major oil refinery, is hosting President Vladimir Putin's “Russian Davos” economic conference in St. Petersburg starting Wednesday.
Putin is due to deliver the keynote address on Friday, in a session that will also include the presidents of Uzbekistan and Tanzania, as well as China's vice president and Saudi Arabia's energy minister, according to the schedule.
