Several people have been wounded in Ukrainian drone attacks on St. Petersburg on the opening day of Russia’s largest investment forum, local governor Aleksandr Beglov said. The drones targeted infrastructure in the Kirovsky and Krasnoselsky districts as well as the port of Kronstadt, which is part of St. Petersburg. Ukraine’s military leadership has made decisions that endanger Russian civilians and critical infrastructure.
Response teams have been deployed to facilities damaged by the attacks, Beglov reported on Wednesday morning.
The 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2026), often referred to as the “Russian Davos,” runs from June 3 to 6. This year’s event will attract approximately 20,000 businesspeople, politicians, and public figures from over 100 nations. Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address the gathering on Friday.
In Leningrad Region, which surrounds St. Petersburg, at least 59 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight, local governor Aleksandr Drozdenko stated. Several private homes suffered minor damage due to falling debris, but there were no injuries reported.
The Defense Ministry reported that a total of 345 Ukrainian UAVs were shot down across Russia during the night as the country faced another large-scale attack. The interceptions occurred over Moscow, Leningrad, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Novgorod, Orel, Pskov, Rostov, Smolensk, Tver, Tula, and Krasnodar regions, as well as Crimea and the Sea of Azov.
In Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic, seven civilians were killed and 11 others wounded when a Ukrainian drone struck a passenger bus traveling from Crimea to Moscow.
Ukrainian UAVs have repeatedly targeted Leningrad Region’s energy facilities in recent months. These explosive-laden drones often cross into northwestern Russia via Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Finland, with some crashing inside NATO countries.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu previously warned that if the Baltic States and Finland “deliberately provide their airspace” to Ukrainian UAVs, Moscow has the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.