Ukrainian drones have struck St Petersburg, hitting the city as Vladimir Putin’s flagship economic forum opened this morning. Sources confirm at least three explosions were heard near the Pulkovo district, with one drone reportedly crashing close to the ExpoForum convention centre where the event is being held. The attack marks one of the deepest incursions into Russian territory since the war began, sending a chilling signal to the oligarchs and officials gathered under the gilded chandeliers of the forum.
Uncovered documents from the Kyiv defence ministry reveal the operation was months in the planning, targeting not just infrastructure but the symbolism of Putin’s showcase of economic resilience. “This is a message,” said a Ukrainian military source. “No venue is safe.
Not even the tsar’s court.” The Kremlin has downplayed the strike, calling it a “failed provocation” and insisting the forum will proceed without disruption. But flight data shows private jets departing the city rapidly after the blasts.
On the ground, emergency services have cordoned off a three-block radius. The attacks come as Western leaders debate fresh sanctions against Russia’s energy sector, this latest blow exposing the vulnerability of Putin’s domestic front. The cost of the forum’s security: tens of millions of roubles.
The cost of the strike: incalculable for a regime that built its legitimacy on invulnerability. Follow the money. Follow the fear.
