The Kremlin’s carefully choreographed economic forum kicked off in St Petersburg today amid the scream of air raid sirens and the thud of drone strikes. Ukrainian forces launched a coordinated attack on the city, targeting energy infrastructure and military sites as President Vladimir Putin prepared to address a gathering of global investors. Witnesses reported explosions near the port and the historic centre, forcing delegates into bunkers.
The symbolism is brutal: Putin’s attempt to project stability and growth is being shredded by drones over his hometown. For ordinary Russians, this is another jolt in a war that has now reached their doorsteps. Energy prices are already spiking, and the rouble wobbled on the news.
The forum’s theme, ‘Russia’s Economic Sovereignty’, looks hollow when the capital’s second city is under fire. Western sanctions have squeezed wages and supply chains, but this attack shows the conflict’s cost is now physical, not just financial. Workers in St Petersburg’s factories face longer hours and higher prices.
The Kremlin insists it will press on, but the message from these drones is clear: no amount of stage-managed optimism can hide the war’s toll on the kitchen table.
