OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
7:59 AM – Thursday, June 4, 2026
Ukrainian long-range drones struck St. Petersburg, Russia, hours before the city’s economic forum congregated, drawing guests from around the globe.
Loud explosions and clouds of black smoke were seen at the Petersburg Oil Terminal after it was hit on Wednesday. Ukraine also struck the Kronstadt naval base and shipyard in Leningrad oblast, home to Russia’s Baltic fleet.
Video captured a Ukrainian drone flying low over the port and hitting a Russian guided-missile ship, which was docked and being repaired at the time.
The attack targeted the northeastern Kirovsky and Krasnoselsky districts, where the port city is located, according to its governor, Alexander Beglov.
Delegates arriving in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s birthplace for the opening of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, one of the Kremlin’s most important annual international gatherings, were greeted with disruptions, as the oil facility was only about nine miles from the event’s venue, and a major fire was ignited in the explosion.
The prestigious St. Petersburg event, largely seen as Russia’s version of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, is meant to attract foreign investors and showcase Russia’s economic strength.
About 20,000 visitors from 130 countries are expected at the three-day summit.
President Donald Trump sent a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Commission of Fine Arts Chair Rodney Mims Cook Jr. Right-wing influencer Candace Owens and controversial British-American internet personality Andrew Tate are also slated to attend, per The Guardian.
Saudi Arabia was also a special guest this year, and was set to send a large delegation including Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
One of the most high-ranking officials expected to attend is Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.
The forum became a source of embarrassment for President Putin, as the timing of the strikes showed his guests Ukraine’s ability to penetrate into Russian territory and successfully attack its second-largest city.
“I thank our warriors for their precision. Ukraine’s plan for long-range sanctions is being implemented exactly as needed to bring peace closer,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated.
Ukraine’s strikes came after a Russian attack killed 23 Ukrainians, injuring many more.
“From just one massive attack, Russia killed 23 people in our country, including children. The Russians used a large number of drones – more than 650 during the night and around 100 more during the day. But the most dangerous threat is, of course, missiles,” Zelensky said at a NATO–Ukraine Council meeting in Kyiv on Wednesday. He added, “It’s clear that this is the greatest threat we face right now.”
In a social media post the same day, he stated that his government remains in “constant contact” with the United States.
“We are waiting for the negotiating team to arrive, but it is taking a very long time. Iran is currently the number one issue for the United States. Unfortunately, we [are] in this queue of wars,” he wrote on X. “I truly believe that the United States is the strongest actor that can push Putin toward ending the war, and that is why I have always said the best option for us is for the United States to be involved in the negotiations, alongside Europe.”
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