Ukraine launched a series of drone strikes deep inside Russia overnight, hitting a key oil terminal in St Petersburg, the Kronstadt naval base, and a defence plant in the Tambov region. The attack came in retaliation for a deadly Russian missile and drone barrage across Ukraine 24 hours earlier that killed 22 people and injured over 100.
The Petersburg Oil Terminal, one of the largest oil handling facilities in northwestern Russia, was set ablaze by Ukrainian 'kamikaze' drones. Thick smoke billowed over St Petersburg as residents reported loud explosions. The strike is a major embarrassment for President Vladimir Putin, occurring just before the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (IEF), often called the 'Russian Davos', scheduled for June 3-6.
A source told the Daily Mirror: "This is Putin's worst nightmare as St Petersburg is a place close to Putin's heart... It is also a huge undermining of Putin's favourite topic of security as it shows Ukraine can ruin his big economic muscle-flex." The IEF is the Kremlin's flagship annual business gathering, used to project economic resilience.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the strikes, stating: "There are good results from our long-range sanctions. Important facilities on Russian territory were hit overnight." He emphasised that only military targets were struck, including at the Kronstadt base, and thanked Ukrainian soldiers for their accuracy.
In addition to the St Petersburg strikes, a drone attack hit the Progress plant in Michurinsk, Tambov Oblast, which produces control systems for military aviation and missile technology. The strikes further pressure Russia's oil revenues, which have been crucial for funding its invasion of Ukraine.
