STORY: :: Robert Brovdi via Telegram
Ukrainian drones slammed into an oil terminal in St Petersburg and a warship at a nearby naval base on Wednesday.
This was a clear attempt to embarrass Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The blasts taking place in his home city, and just hours before it was to play host to his showcase economic forum - dubbed "Putin's Davos".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed his drones had struck the fuel terminal and said they had also targeted a military facility where elements of Russia's Baltic Fleet are located.
:: Robert Brovdi via Telegram
Ukraine released a video which showed a drone striking a Russian warship in what it said was a dry dock at Kronstadt.
Reuters was able to verify the location of the attack and the model of the vessel, but could not independently verify how seriously the ship or the oil terminal had been damaged.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia would continue to strike Ukraine systematically in response to such attacks, so that such strikes don't occur in future.
The city's governor said unspecified "infrastructure objects" had been attacked in three districts of Russia's second-biggest city and home to over five million people.
The governor of the surrounding region said air defenses shot down 59 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Given the importance of the event to Moscow, the Ukrainian attack is likely to raise questions inside Russia about the effectiveness of its air defense capabilities.
The location of the economic forum itself was heavily protected and there was no suggestion that Ukrainian drones had got close to the venue.
Some of the most prominent guests this year are from Saudi Arabia, including Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
An eclectic group of Americans, including ex-Hollywood star Steven Seagal and far-right influencer Candace Owens, are due to attend.
The Kremlin said Rodney Mims Cook Jr, named by President Donald Trump to head the Commission of Fine Arts overseeing his White House ballroom, is the first serving U.S. official to attend since 2018.
