As Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Saturday — often dubbed “Russia’s Davos” — Ukraine launched another series of long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory, targeting areas near St. Petersburg, hundreds of miles from the front lines of the war.According to Ukrainian officials, the attacks occurred just miles from the city where Putin was addressing foreign guests, including several Americans and one Trump administration official.The strikes came hours after Putin dismissed the prospect of direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he saw little point in negotiating with Kyiv’s leader. Instead, he used the forum to praise Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, telling them that the nation was proud of their service and had placed its hopes in them.
While the audience was predominantly Russian, several high-profile Americans attended the event, including conservative commentator Candace Owens, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts member Rodney Mims Cook Jr. — who is overseeing the White House ballroom redevelopment project — and actor Steven Seagal. Social media personalities Andrew and Tristan Tate, who face criminal charges in Romania and the United Kingdom, were also present.
