
'Just a show for Putin' — Inside the 2026 St. Petersburg Economic Forum
Once billed as a rival to Davos, the forum now draws far-right influencers and conspiracy theorists.

Once billed as a rival to Davos, the forum now draws far-right influencers and conspiracy theorists.
The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, and Ukraine issued a joint statement on June 7 setting out five conditions that must be met between Kyiv and Moscow to bring a resolution to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Armenia's parliamentary election on June 7 saw the country's highest voter turnout since 2018, as citizens cast their ballots to determine the makeup of the National Assembly — and decide whether Yerevan will pursue a European alliance or deepen ties with Russia.

Zelensky said in a June 7 interview with Sky News that he asked Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to deliver a message to Putin: Ukraine will never surrender Donbas, and Zelensky is ready to meet with Putin.

The attack was carried out with Ukraine's homemade Fire Point drones and new long-range Behemoth UAV, causing significant damage to the bridge, the military said.

Editor's note: Got an opinion on anything you've read in the Kyiv Independent so far? Send it to letters@kyivindependent.com, and it may appear in our Letters section. Key developments on June 6-7: * 'Sky-high arrogance' — Russian drone strikes spent nuclear fuel depot in Chornobyl * Zelensky confirms another drone strike on St. Petersburg Oblast ahead of Putin's economic forum finale * Bridge linking Crimea to southern Ukraine damaged in drone strike, Russian occupation official says * Uk

The attack partially destroyed the repository's container reception building, though no spent nuclear fuel was being stored there at the time.

The Kyiv Independent’s coverage of news on Russia. Spanning eleven time zones across Eastern Europe and Asia, Russia has an estimated population of 146 million people. Russia’s capital city is Moscow, which is home to almost one in 10 Russians. Russia’s official currency is the Russian Ruble.
"Almost half of your 26 years of power in Russia you have spent in the war against Ukraine," Zelensky wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Whatever you say about NATO, geopolitics and the Russian language, this war is your personal choice — a war without a real reason. This is how history will remember it."



