St Petersburg/Donetsk: A drone strike on a passenger bus in Donetsk, a Russian-held part of eastern Ukraine, killed seven people and injured 11 others on Wednesday, Russian authorities said, amid what Moscow described as a large-scale overnight drone assault targeting several regions, including the strategically important Leningrad region.
Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk region, said the drone struck a bus travelling between Moscow and Simferopol, the capital of Crimea.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of escalating cross-border drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides intensifying attacks on military, energy and transport-related targets in recent weeks.
Earlier on Wednesday, authorities in Russia’s north-western Leningrad region announced that air defence systems had intercepted and destroyed 50 drones overnight.
Governor Alexander Drozdenko said security forces were continuing efforts to repel what appeared to be a large-scale Ukrainian drone assault.
The Leningrad region, which surrounds St Petersburg, is home to key energy export facilities, major transport infrastructure and one of Russia’s largest oil refineries.
The attack came just as St Petersburg was preparing to host the annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), one of Russia’s most prominent business and investment events.
Often referred to as Russia’s answer to the World Economic Forum in Davos, the gathering is expected to attract senior government officials, business leaders and foreign delegates despite Western sanctions and international isolation linked to the Ukraine conflict.
The forum, now in its fifth edition since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, officially opened on Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to deliver the keynote address on Friday.
According to the programme, the session will also feature the presidents of Uzbekistan, Tanzania, and China’s vice-president.
Several international participants, including a prominent right-wing American commentator, a serving US official and a leading German retail billionaire, are also expected to attend.
Security measures in and around St Petersburg were heightened ahead of the event. Operations at Pulkovo Airport were temporarily restricted due to the drone threat, while local media reported that more than 30 flights were delayed or cancelled.
St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said authorities had implemented extensive security arrangements to address potential threats during the forum.
“All new challenges have been fully taken into account. Law enforcement forces have allocated personnel and equipment to ensure public safety and order,” he said. Russian officials also reported drone activity in other parts of the country.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said at least 20 drones heading towards the Russian capital were intercepted overnight. In the Tambov region, local authorities reported damage to outbuildings at an industrial facility in the city of Michurinsk following a separate drone incident.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Latvia briefly issued an airspace violation warning in the municipality of Aluksne near the Russian border before later withdrawing the alert.
The latest developments follow a major Russian drone and missile assault on Kyiv on Tuesday. Moscow described that attack as retaliation for what it said was a deadly strike on a dormitory in Luhansk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has since warned that further large-scale Russian attacks may be imminent.
According to reports, Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure and logistical assets in an effort to reduce Moscow’s ability to finance and sustain its military campaign.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian drones struck the Ilsky oil refinery in southern Russia, one of several energy facilities targeted in recent months.
As both sides continue to exchange drone and missile attacks, the conflict shows little sign of easing, with civilian areas, transport networks and strategic infrastructure increasingly caught in the crossfire.
