Jun. 3 — Ukrainian drones attacked the large oil terminal in Russia’s St. Petersburg, located 1,100 kilometers (683 miles) from the Ukrainian border, reported Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy also posted footage of the attack, which appears to show fires breaking out in several parts of the facility following the strike.

Astra, Russian independent Telegram news channel, corroborates the attack on the oil terminal, citing St. Petersburg’s locals that reported on the attack on the city this morning. 

At the same time, Aleksandr Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region, with administrative center is St. Petersburg, said that Russian air defenses had downed 59 Ukrainian drones on Jun. 3. Drozdenko claimed that no casualties or damage were reported.

Ukraine previously attempted to strike the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal in January 2024. At the time, a Ukrainian drone was reportedly downed over the facility, with falling debris causing a fire, reported the Kyiv Independent.

The St. Petersburg Oil Terminal is one of the largest oil facilities in Russia, located on the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea. According to the terminal’s website, the facility has 32 oil storage tanks with a total capacity of 442,000 cubic meters (about 15.6 million cubic feet). The terminal receives and ships 12.5 million tons (about 13.8 million the US tons) of petroleum products per year.

The Ukrainian drone attack happened on the day of the start of Russia’s 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a large conference for businessmen and government officials from different countries, hosted by Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia.

The St. Petersburg Oil Terminal is located roughly 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) from the Expoforum convention center where the conference will take place, according to the Kyiv independent.

Rodney Mims Cook, a member of the US President Trump’s administration, is to attend the forum. This is the first time in eight years that a US official will participate in the event. 

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