“It’s nightmarish,” Iliya, 21, told NBC News hours after drone strikes hit the city. “We hope that it all will stop soon,” he added. A thick plume of black smoke over the port of St. Petersburg, Russia on Wednesday following a Ukrainian drone attack. APJune 3, 2026, 2:37 PM EDTBy Keir Simmons and Natasha LebedevaST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Some were woken by the explosions, others pulled back their curtains to see plumes of black smoke rising above the city known as Russia’s cultural capital. Just a moment.We are getting your experience ready.