Ukraine has carried out a wave of long-range strikes against key Russian infrastructure overnight, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, with reports of explosions and a large plume of smoke seen rising over Vladimir Putin’s hometown of St Petersburg.
In a statement on X, the Ukrainian president described the attacks as “our long-range sanctions”, claiming they had delivered “good results” and hit multiple strategic facilities inside Russian territory.
“Important facilities on Russian territory were hit last night,” he said, adding that the operation was carried out by Ukraine’s defence and security forces as part of an ongoing campaign targeting military and energy infrastructure deep behind the front line.
One of the most significant reported targets was the St Petersburg Oil Terminal, located around 1,100 kilometres from Ukraine’s border. Images circulating on Russian and Ukrainian channels showed thick smoke rising over the city following the strike.
🔥 Reports indicate the Russian guided-missile corvette Boyky has been damaged in Kronstadt, near Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg.
If confirmed, Ukraine has struck a warship tasked with protecting Russia’s Baltic approaches hundreds of kilometres from the front.
From oil… pic.twitter.com/36rfZdzpbo
— Shaun Pinner (@ShaunPinnerUA) June 3, 2026
The attack prompted temporary restrictions at Pulkovo airport, according to Russia’s aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia, as authorities moved to manage disruption in the region.
The timing of the strikes is politically sensitive, coming just days before the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a flagship Kremlin event due to begin on June 3 and host senior officials and business leaders under the chairmanship of President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy also claimed that “purely military targets” at the Kronstadt naval base were hit. The historic port, which serves as a key hub for the Russian Baltic Fleet, is considered strategically important for operations in the Baltic Sea.
Further strikes were reported in the Tambov region, where Zelenskyy said a weapons factory involved in Russian arms production was targeted. The area lies roughly 600 kilometres from the frontline.
He thanked Ukrainian forces for what he described as “precision” operations, adding that the strategy of long-range strikes was intended to pressure Moscow and “bring peace closer”.
“Ukraine’s plan for long-range sanctions is being implemented exactly as needed,” he said. “Glory to Ukraine!”
Good morning, you fabulous people of Zamunda… except for those in St. Petersburg.
You reap what you sow. pic.twitter.com/qSqrQjsTCK— Shaun Pinner (@ShaunPinnerUA) June 3, 2026
Russian officials confirmed damage to infrastructure across several districts in St Petersburg, including Kronstadt, Kirovsky and Krasnoselsky. Governor Alexander Beglov said several people had been injured, though there were no fatalities.
“Cleanup operations are underway,” he said, without detailing the full extent of the damage.
The overnight strikes came shortly after one of Russia’s largest recent aerial assaults on Ukraine, in which 73 missiles and 656 drones were launched, according to Kyiv. Ukrainian air defence systems intercepted or neutralised the majority of incoming weapons, but officials said 22 people were killed, including two children.
The escalation underlines the intensifying long-range dimension of the war, with both sides increasingly targeting infrastructure far beyond the front lines in a conflict that shows no sign of abating.
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