NATO chief arrives in Kyiv as Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg harbour

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday in an unannounced visit.

Rutte was welcomed at the station by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and he is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit today.

“We deeply appreciate NATO’s unity and strength in supporting Ukraine as we defend transatlantic security together,” Sybiha commented on X.

The visit comes as Ukrainian forces claim a series of long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory.

Ukrainian drones struck several strategic sites, including the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal and military facilities at the Kronstadt naval base, the site of the iconic 1921 insurrection by Soviet sailors against the Bolshevik government.

The corvette Boykiy was allegedly left ablaze, according to reports. The corvette was used multiple times by the Russian Navy to escort Russian shadow fleet oil tankers.

The attacks cast a shadow over the opening of Russia’s flagship St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, often dubbed “Russia’s Davos,” set for this afternoon

Zelenskyy praised the operation, saying Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” campaign was producing results and helping bring peace closer through precision strikes on facilities supporting Russia’s war effort.

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