Key facts
- Russia reported downing 50 drones over the Leningrad region.
- Russia intercepted 20 drones targeting Moscow.
- Drone attacks occurred as President Putin's economic forum began in St. Petersburg.
- Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg temporarily restricted flights.
- A separate drone attack in Donetsk killed seven and injured eleven.
Russia reported successfully repelling drone attacks in the vicinity of St. Petersburg and Moscow. Governor Alexander Drozdenko stated that 50 drones were downed over the Leningrad region, while Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that 20 drones targeting Moscow were intercepted. These security incidents occurred concurrently with the commencement of a significant annual economic forum in St. Petersburg, an event often referred to as President Vladimir Putin's "Russian Davos." Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg temporarily restricted incoming and departing flights. The forum is the fifth since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. Ukraine has recently stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including hitting the Ilsky export oil refinery on Tuesday. Outbuildings at an industrial facility in Michurinsk, Tambov region, were also damaged. In a separate incident, a drone attack in Russian-controlled Donetsk killed seven and injured eleven people on a bus. Reuters could not independently verify all the reports. The annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will be held over June 3-6. Founded with the aim of facilitating foreign investment in Russia, it became known as Russia's Davos in the 2000s. In recent years, SPIEF has a very different feel but it has remained one of Russia's most important economic forums and is now a key platform for discussing the transformations taking place in the global economy. This year's event will draw many in the upper echelons of Russia's business and political elite, as well as foreign business and government representatives from across the globe. The forum dates its origin back to 1997. Over the years, the presidential address became one of the forum's defining features. The Ukraine conflict in 2022 transformed the event, but many argue that it has gained a new and more important mission as the world evolves away from Western hegemony. Last year's event saw 24,200 participants and media representatives from 144 countries and territories, while over a thousand agreements were signed. The largest delegations came from Indonesia and China. AI has become a significant area of focus for the Russian government.