Ukraine attacks Saint Petersburg at the inauguration of Putin's economic forum
Drones have hit the Russian oil export port in response to the massive attack against Kyiv and Dnipro
MoscowThe image of the congressmen of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum entering the exhibition center with columns of smoke caused by Ukrainian drones in the background is probably the last thing Vladimir Putin would have wanted to see. Kyiv has launched an attack on the city's oil export terminal coinciding with the inauguration of this event, which the Kremlin wants to present as its alternative to the World Economic Forum in Davos. The Russian president plans to attend on Thursday and Friday.
the attack on a university residence in Donbas, in which 21 young people diedVolodymyr Zelensky has highlighted that the crude oil export terminal is 1,100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. He also announced the attack on the naval base where the Russian Baltic Fleet is moored, in Krondstadt, west of St. Petersburg, and on a weapons manufacturing company in Tambov, about 500 kilometers south of Moscow. In total, the Ukrainian army sent 350 drones against Russian territory this morning.
Russia insists on accusing the Baltic countries of allowing Ukrainian aircraft to fly through their airspace, which, from the Kremlin's point of view, makes them accomplices in the attacks. On Friday, Putin threatened to attack these states with the excuse that "all locations that pose a direct threat to Russia are legitimate targets".
These bombings occur the day after Russia carried out a massive missile attack against the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Dnipro. At least 23 people died and almost 140 were injured. Putin had justified the escalation by arguing that Zelensky has brought the war to "a new dimension" with the attack on a university dormitory in Donbas, in which 21 young people died. In the last few hours, a Ukrainian drone has also killed seven people traveling on a bus in the occupied region of Donetsk.
A forum with US presence
The Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, held since 1997, has practically no Western participants since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This year, however, for the first time in almost a decade, delegates from the United States will attend, participating in a session dedicated to cultural cooperation between Washington and Moscow. Also present will be Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, who will meet with Putin, Saudi Arabian Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman, as well as deputies from the far-right party Alternative for Germany.
