The economic conference in St Petersburg this year brought together as many as 20,000 participants from 130 countries and marks the fact that the isolation of Russia is no longer working as it once did. The UN Secretary-General is attending, and the United States is also sending a delegation. Ukraine used the occasion to launch drones, causing black smoke to billow up outside the windows. Flights were delayed.

Ukraine succeeded in demonstrating its capabilities, but it is questionable whether that was wise. Putin was humiliated in front of his guests. Russia has shown that it can strike Kyiv and other cities with deadly force. Its appetite is unlikely to have diminished after today’s display.

A major Ukrainian drone attack struck military targets at a Russian naval base on Kronstadt Island west of St Petersburg during the night before Wednesday. According to the city’s mayor, the attack also hit the metropolis itself, as well as vessels of the Russian fleet.

The attacks created large black clouds over the opening of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). (…)

According to St Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko, nearly 60 drones were shot down during the night. He wrote on Telegram that mobile internet “may be affected”, as has become increasingly common in major Russian cities in recent months. Mayor Aleksandr Beglov wrote that “several people” were injured in the attacks.

Russia has confirmed that infrastructure was targeted. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that an oil terminal in the city was hit, as well as the corvette Boikyj, causing a major fire aboard the vessel.

The city of five million at the innermost end of the Gulf of Finland had black plumes of smoke as a backdrop when the conference began. Eyewitnesses reported large columns of black smoke behind the city’s well-known tourist attractions.

Conference participants were affected when the airport had to close as a result of the attacks, and a number of flights were delayed.

Ukraine has confirmed that the purpose of the attack was to disrupt the conference, where Putin is expected to speak on Friday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also due to take part in a panel discussion on climate. The presidents of Uzbekistan and Tanzania are expected to attend, together with ministers from Cuba, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

For the first time since 2017/2018, the United States is sending a delegation to the conference, according to President Vladimir Putin’s close adviser Yuri Ushakov. The conference continues until Saturday.

In Ukraine, four people were killed in Russian attacks earlier in the day. On Tuesday, at least 23 people were killed and 151 wounded in heavy Russian attacks.

“This clearly also demonstrates panic on the Russian side. The reason they are escalating terror attacks in Ukraine is that they do not know what to do,” said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia’s oil and gas industry with the aim of damaging exports and thereby reducing oil export revenues, which in turn finance Russia’s war effort against Ukraine.

“At the same time, we see that Putin is losing money, soldiers and momentum. That is why he is escalating attacks on civilians,” Kallas told the AFP news agency on Wednesday.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also describes Russia as increasingly desperate.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that the attacks are justified retaliation in response to Russia’s extensive bombing of Ukraine.

It was only a matter of time before Ukraine would be capable of doing this, Zelensky said on Wednesday when NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited him in Kyiv. The attacks are boosting Ukrainian morale, Zelensky said.

“Thank God that today we have security guarantees that allow us to end this war on equal terms with the Russians in any diplomatic format,” said Zelensky.

The President repeated his message that he is prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks to bring the war to an end.

“I am ready for direct talks with Putin to end this war, rather than waiting until every conflict in the world has been resolved before our turn finally comes,” said Zelensky, in a clear dig at the US-led talks and the ongoing war with Iran.

According to an AFP analysis, Ukraine regained control of a larger area than it lost to Russia in May for the second consecutive month. (NTB)