Putin faces Ukraine drone threat and stagnating economy at ‘Russian Davos’

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to deliver a speech at a flagship annual economic forum Friday, days after Ukrainian drone strikes rocked the host city St.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to deliver a speech at a flagship annual economic forum Friday, days after Ukrainian drone strikes rocked host city St. Petersburg.

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Putin has previously used the International Economic Forum, in Russia’s cultural capital, to showcase his country’s economy and encourage foreign investment.

But if he had hoped to minimize the impact of the four-year-old war at this year’s event, Wednesday’s attack likely ended those hopes.