ST. PETERSBURG – A towering black cloud loomed ominously over St. Petersburg, marking the scene of a Ukrainian drone strike that cast a shadow over the commencement of President Vladimir Putin’s annual economic showcase for Russia.
As Putin prepared to arrive in his hometown for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Ukrainian assault—igniting an oil terminal a day prior—posed yet another challenge to his narrative. His efforts to downplay the ongoing four-year conflict and depict it as a distant issue, detached from the Russian public’s everyday experience, were momentarily overshadowed by this event.
This strike, which also targeted a naval base near Russia’s second-largest city on the Gulf of Finland, highlighted Ukraine’s increasing capability to reach deep into Russian territory. It underscored that even the highly fortified birthplace of Putin is not immune to such vulnerabilities.
In response, St. Petersburg’s airport experienced numerous flight delays and diversions. Authorities also curtailed cellphone internet access in a bid to thwart further drone incursions.
Previously, Putin had scaled back the country’s annual Victory Day parade on May 9, anticipating potential Ukrainian drone strikes. This caution proved prescient as, shortly after, a significant drone attack in Moscow’s suburbs resulted in three fatalities, revealing the capital’s susceptibility.
Commenting on the situation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian forces are advancing within Ukraine “to prevent such attacks” like the recent one on St. Petersburg. He mentioned that the “systematic” strikes on Kyiv that Russia had threatened are actively underway.
On Tuesday, Russia hit Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, killing 23 and wounding 151 others.
Putin has used the forum to showcase his country’s economic advances and encourage foreign investment. Often styled as the Russian version of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, it usually draws tens of thousands of delegates from around the world.
While Western officials and business people have stayed away from the forum after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, Russia has sought to attract more guests from other regions to underline its declared goal of promoting a “multipolar world.”
Saudi Arabia, which is a special guest this year, has sent a large delegation. The presidents of Uzbekistan and Tanzania and China’s vice president also are attending. A U.S. official, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., head of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, will attend the event for the first time in years.
Russia’s economic outlook has clouded as the initial boost from massive military spending has fizzled. The government has raised taxes and increased domestic borrowing to keep its budget deficit under control.
Putin is expected to minimize Russia’s economic problems during his forum appearance, but the Ukrainian attack on St. Petersburg’s port about 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) from the forum’s venue have underlined the growing challenges posed by the conflict.
Hours before the forum opened Wednesday, Ukrainian drones also hit the Kronstadt naval base on an island in the Gulf of Finland, the home of Russia’s Baltic Fleet since Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg. While most of the fleet has moved to Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, Kronstadt retains its symbolic importance as the seat of the country’s naval glory, with its historic cathedral and old fortifications.
