Key facts
- Ukraine launched drone attacks on an oil terminal and a naval base in St. Petersburg, Russia.
- The drone strikes in St. Petersburg occurred hours before President Vladimir Putin's annual economic forum.
- Governor Alexander Beglov reported damage and some injuries from the St. Petersburg drone attacks.
- Russia's Defence Ministry stated it intercepted and destroyed 339 Ukrainian drones over a 13-hour period.
- The drone activity reported by Russia affected 13 Russian regions, including Moscow, and the Black Sea.
- Flight suspensions occurred at several airports due to drone activity.
- Ukraine warned of accidental drone launches near Finland on May 15.
- The accidental drone launches near Finland triggered a security alert affecting 1.8 million people.
- Air traffic at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport was halted due to the drone alert.
- A Russian drone strike partially destroyed a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near Chornobyl.
- An official US delegation will attend the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
- The US delegation's attendance is the first official participation since 2017/2018.
Ukraine launched drone attacks on an oil terminal and a naval base in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday morning, according to reports. These strikes occurred just hours before President Vladimir Putin's annual economic forum was set to commence. Governor Alexander Beglov confirmed that the attacks resulted in damage and some injuries. President Zelenskyy also confirmed that strikes targeted Russian navy arsenals, occurring after President Putin rejected peace talks. Russia's Defence Ministry reported intercepting a significant number of drones, stating its anti-aircraft units destroyed 339 Ukrainian drones over a 13-hour period on Saturday. This drone activity affected 13 Russian regions, including Moscow, and the Black Sea, leading to flight suspensions at several airports. Operations at Pulkovo Airport were temporarily disrupted. Separately, Ukraine warned of accidental drone launches near Finland on May 15, which triggered a security alert affecting 1.8 million people and halting air traffic at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. The Finnish Defense Forces confirmed no violation of Finnish airspace. In a different incident, a Russian drone strike partially destroyed a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near Ukraine's Chornobyl power plant. Officials confirmed that no spent fuel was present at the time, radiation levels remained stable, and no injuries were reported. Amidst these events, an official US delegation, led by Rodney Cook of the US Commission of Fine Arts, is scheduled to attend the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. This marks the first official US delegation attendance at the forum since 2017/2018. Saudi Arabia is the main guest at this year's forum.