Ukraine Strikes St. Petersburg on First Day of a Marquee Putin Event

Ukrainian drones on Wednesday attacked St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, on the opening day of a major annual economic conference that President Vladimir V. Putin has tried to cultivate into a showcase of a modern and prosperous country.

It was the second time in a month that Ukraine had struck a major Russian city before an event important to Mr. Putin, as Kyiv expands a campaign of long-range strikes aimed at inflicting economic damage on Russia.

In early May, Ukrainian forces hit sites in Moscow, including a high-rise apartment building near the city center, days before the annual Victory Day parade, the most important event on the Kremlin’s calendar. A truncated version of the parade was later held after Ukraine mockingly said it would “permit” Russia to hold the event.

On Wednesday, drones hit infrastructure facilities in three districts of St. Petersburg, causing damage and injuring several people, Aleksandr Beglov, the city’s governor, said in a statement. Nearly 60 drones were shot down in the Leningrad region, which surrounds the city, Aleksandr Drozdenko, the region’s governor, said.

St. Petersburg’s main airport, Pulkovo, suspended operations for almost five hours, according to Rosaviatsia, the Russian aviation authority. Early in the morning, the city’s residents reported large plumes of smoke in the sky, as well as roaring noises and bangs, according to Fontanka, a local news website.

Read more: New York Times