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SAINT PETERSBURG: Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on Russia early Wednesday, targeting energy and military facilities in and around Saint Petersburg as the city prepared to host the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, according to AFP. St. Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov told the media that several infrastructure facilities were damaged in overnight strikes across three districts of the city.&nbsp; While no fatalities were reported, several people were injured.&nbsp; According to CNN, Russian authorities said air defense systems intercepted and destroyed more than 350 Ukrainian drones across the country, including around 60 over the Leningrad region. In western Russia&rsquo;s Smolensk region, Governor Vasiliy Anokhin said Ukrainian drones struck critical infrastructure facilities. Two firefighters were killed while responding to a blaze caused by falling drone debris, while two other firefighters and a civilian suffered minor injuries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the operation targeted key military and energy assets, including the St. Petersburg oil terminal and military facilities at the Kronstadt naval base. He also claimed a weapons-production site in the Tambov region was hit. The attacks coincided with the opening of SPIEF, Russia&rsquo;s flagship economic gathering often compared to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Flight operations at St. Petersburg&rsquo;s airport were briefly disrupted due to airspace restrictions. The escalation follows a deadly Russian missile and drone assault on Ukraine that killed at least 23 people earlier this week.

Europe

Russian authorities confirmed that the drones struck energy and military targets in St. Petersburg and western Russia as a major economic forum opened; Moscow claimed to have intercepted hundreds of drones across the country.

Ukrainian drones hit St. Petersburg as Russia hosts major economic forum

KYIV: A barrage of Russian missile and drone strikes killed nine people and wounded dozens across Ukraine, authorities said on Tuesday, just days after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing a &quot;massive new strike&quot;. Moscow has bombarded Ukraine almost daily since launching an offensive in 2022, often provoking retaliation from Kyiv, as talks to end Europe&#39;s deadliest conflict since World War II remain stalled. AFP journalists heard several explosions in the Ukrainian capital, where local authorities said Russia struck with ballistic missiles, setting off fires and cutting power in several districts. The city&#39;s mayor Vitali Klitschko said four people were killed and at least 58, including two children, wounded in the &quot;mass enemy attack&quot;. &quot;Explosions in the city. Air defence forces are working! Stay in shelters!&quot; Klitschko had warned earlier. Residents rushed to shelters clutching bags and blankets, AFP journalists observed, as a large plume of smoke emanated from Kyiv&#39;s city centre. &quot;The enemy is striking with ballistic missiles,&quot; Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv&#39;s City Military Administration, said. Deadly strikes, involving both missiles and drones, were also reported elsewhere. In the city of Dnipro, a Russian attack killed five people and wounded 25 others -- three of whom were in serious condition -- local governor Oleksandr Ganzha said. Ten people, including a child, were wounded in the city of Kharkiv, according to the mayor, Igor Terekhov. &#39;Protect your lives&#39;&nbsp;Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person in Russia&#39;s Kursk region, near the Ukrainian border, regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said. Another drone sparked a fire at an oil refinery in the southwestern city of Krasnodar, its operational headquarters said on Telegram. The strikes on Ukraine came after Zelensky said on Friday &quot;we have intelligence information about Russia preparing a new massive strike&quot; and called for people to &quot;protect your lives&quot;. &quot;Please pay attention to air alerts, protect your lives. Our services are working efficiently and are prepared; the Air Force and other defenders of our skies will be on duty 24/7, as always.&quot; The Ukrainian president has reiterated his call to allies to allow and finance the supply of Patriot missiles, which can intercept Russian ballistic missiles. He wrote to US President Donald Trump and the US Congress last week asking for Patriot systems to respond to the intensifying Russian air attacks. Ukraine has also stepped up its strikes on occupied territories and on Russia in retaliation for the daily Russian bombardments. Russia launched a record 8,150 long-range drones at Ukraine in May, an AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data showed, up 24 percent from April. Kyiv intercepted about 90% of all incoming drones and missiles in May, according to air force data.

This photograph shows an explosion during drone and missile attacks in Kyiv on June 2, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (AFP)

AFP journalists heard several explosions in the Ukrainian capital, where local authorities said Russia struck with ballistic missiles, setting off fires and cutting power in several districts.

Russian strikes rock Ukraine, killing nine and wounding dozens

MOSCOW: The death toll from a Ukrainian strike on a college in a Russian-occupied town in eastern Ukraine has risen to 10, local Moscow-backed authorities said on Saturday. A total of 38 people were wounded, and 11 teenage students were missing, said Leonid Pasechnik, governor of the occupied Lugansk region. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the drone barrage that hit the college dormitory in Starobilsk overnight on Thursday to Friday and ordered the army to prepare a response. &quot;Rescuers worked through the night clearing the rubble in Starobelsk. Unfortunately, hopes were not fulfilled -- the death toll has risen to 10,&quot; Pasechnik wrote on Telegram, using a Russian spelling for the town. He said search and rescue operations were continuing. Ukraine denied targeting civilians and said it had hit a Russian drone unit stationed in the Starobilsk area. Russia&#39;s foreign ministry said on Friday that those responsible would face &quot;inevitable and severe punishment&quot;. Ukraine regularly targets Russian-controlled areas of the country with drones, saying the strikes are retaliation for Russian attacks. Starobilsk is located about 65 kilometres (40 miles) from the front line in east Ukraine. Russian forces captured the town in 2022, shortly after launching their full-scale offensive. The Lugansk region is almost entirely occupied by Russia, which claims it as its own.

Local residents stand next to debris and a damaged residential building following an air attack in Dnipro on May 21, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Mykola SYNELNYKOV / AFP)

A total of 38 people are wounded, with 11 teenage students missing, said Leonid Pasechnik, governor of the occupied Lugansk region; Russian President Vladimir Putin had condemned the drone barrage that hit the college dormitory in Starobilsk overnight on Thursday to Friday and ordered the army to prepare a response.

10 dead in Ukrainian strike on college in Russian-occupied town: Governor

KYIV: Russia fired a record number of long-range attack drones at Ukraine in April, AFP analysis of data published by Kyiv&#39;s air force showed. The wave of attacks came with US-mediated talks on ending the conflict frozen and saw Moscow significantly increase the number of long-range drones fired in the middle of the day, a tactic Kyiv condemned as trying to inflict more civilian harm. Russia launched 6,583 long-range drones during the month, according to a compilation of daily reports published by Ukraine&#39;s air force. That was two percent more than the number fired in March, which was also a record at the time. According to the data, Ukraine managed to shoot down 88 percent of all incoming drones and missiles. Kyiv has touted its defences against drones as the best in the world, developed over four years of nightly Russian barrages of Iranian-style attack craft. Russia previously fired long-range drones at Ukraine almost exclusively in overnight attacks, but in recent weeks, daytime attacks have become more frequent in what analysts have called an approach designed to inflict more damage. &quot;Russia&#39;s new tactic of coupling a large nighttime strike with an equally large daytime strike will likely cause increased civilian harm,&quot; the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in April. &quot;Russia may aim for the daytime strike series to more heavily target civilians and civilian infrastructure including public and open-space areas, especially as warmer weather arrives and more Ukrainians are likely outside,&quot; the US-based think tank added. Pavlo Palisa, the deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky&#39;s office said the daytime attacks were a new attempt to &quot;terrorise civilians&quot; now that winter is over. Russia had barraged Ukraine&#39;s power and heating grid over the winter, leaving millions without hot water or communal heating in -20C temperatures. &quot;There is also an economic component here. Massive attacks in the middle of the working day significantly paralyse business,&quot; Palisa said in an interview with Ukrainian media in early April. Moscow denies targeting civilians and says its attacks target military and military-connected energy sites. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed since Russia invaded in February 2022, including hundreds in drone and missile strikes on apartment buildings across the country.

This handout photo taken and released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on April 29, 2026, shows a firefighter at the site of a Russian strike on a residential building in Shostka, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

Russia fired a record number of long-range attack drones at Ukraine in April, AFP analysis of data published by Kyiv's air force showed.

Russia fired record number of drones at Ukraine in April: AFP analysis

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he was in Jordan as part of a whirlwind tour of the Middle East, during which he has signed defence agreements with Gulf states. &quot;Today in Jordan. Security is the top priority and it is important that all partners make the necessary efforts toward it. Ukraine is doing its part. Important meetings ahead,&quot; Zelensky said on X. The visit comes after Ukraine -- which has sought to leverage its expertise in downing Russian drones to help Gulf nations -- agreed to cooperate on defence with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian anti-drone experts have been deployed to all three countries since Iran responded to US-Israeli aerial bombardments that began more than one month ago. A Ukrainian team is also in Jordan, a senior official told AFP earlier this month on the condition of anonymity, without elaborating. Ukraine uses a mix of cheap drone interceptors, electronic jamming tools and anti-aircraft guns to down Russian drones. It has proposed swapping its interceptors for the expensive air-defence missiles that US allies in the region are currently using to down Iranian drones.

Middle East

Volodymyr Zelensky visits Jordan as part of a Middle East tour, securing defence cooperation deals with Gulf states and offering Ukraine’s anti-drone expertise amid regional tensions.

Ukraine's Zelensky says visiting Jordan for 'security' talks

KYIV: Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have signed an air defence agreement during President Volodymyr Zelensky&#39;s visit to the kingdom facing Iranian drone attacks, two senior officials told AFP on Friday. Kyiv has sought to leverage its expertise in downing Russian drones to help Gulf nations, which are being attacked with the same kind of Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia fires on Ukraine. &quot;The point of the agreement is that Ukraine will support them in developing all the necessary components of air defence, which they currently lack,&quot; one official said of the document which, according to another was signed on Thursday. Both spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity. Kyiv has been using a mix of cheap drone interceptors, electronic jamming tools and anti-aircraft guns to down Russian drones fired at its cities on a nightly basis for four years. It touts its anti-drone defences as the best in the world. Ukraine has proposed swapping its interceptors for vastly more expensive air-defence missiles that Gulf countries are using to down Iranian drones. Ukraine says it needs more of them to fend off Russian missile attacks. The deal signed between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia &quot;is not only about interceptors as such, but about building a system, integrating it with other air defence components, Ukrainian experience in its use, AI, and all the other elements of data analysis needed to counter Shaheds and other drones,&quot; one of the officials said. Zelensky confirmed on social media that both countries had &quot;reached an important arrangement&quot; on defence cooperation and that he had met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit. &quot;We are ready to share our expertise and systems with Saudi Arabia,&quot; Zelensky said, adding: &quot;Saudi Arabia also has capabilities that are of interest to Ukraine, and this cooperation can be mutually beneficial.&quot; He did not disclose what exactly has been agreed as part of the deal. Zelensky also met with Ukrainian anti-drone experts that have been deployed to the country since US and Israel launched strikes on Iran that spurred retaliatory drone and missile attacks from Tehran. &quot;Even in such a short time, Ukrainian experts were able to share extensive expertise,&quot; Zelensky said. &quot;Ukraine&#39;s expertise is unique, and recognised as such, and that is why everyone is so interested in our technologies and experience.&quot;

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have signed a defence cooperation deal focused on air defence, with Kyiv offering anti-drone expertise developed against Russian attacks as Riyadh faces Iranian drone threats, in a partnership Zelensky said could benefit both countries.

Ukraine, Saudi signed air defence deal: senior officials to AFP

GENEVA: Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet Tuesday in Geneva for fresh US-brokered talks seeking to end the four-year war, hours after both sides launched a fresh wave of long-range strikes. US President Donald Trump is seeking to position himself as peacemaker of the conflict unleashed when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but previous rounds of talks mediated by the White House have yielded no breakthroughs. Before the meetings began Ukraine accused Russia of undermining peace efforts by launching 29 missiles and 396 drones in attacks that authorities said killed one, wounded others and cut power to tens of thousands. &quot;The extent to which Russia disregards peace efforts: a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine right before the next round of talks in Geneva,&quot; Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media. He repeated Ukraine&#39;s call for allies to exert greater pressure on Russia to negotiate in good faith by applying more sanctions on Moscow. The talks, which the Kremlin said will be held behind closed doors and with no media present, come after two earlier rounds held this year in Abu Dhabi. &quot;Ukraine better come to the table, fast,&quot; Trump told reporters ahead of the negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his team had already arrived in Geneva on Monday, while a source with the Russian delegation confirmed Tuesday that their team had touched down in the Swiss city in the early hours. Russia meanwhile claimed to have repelled more than 150 Ukrainian drones mainly over southern regions and Crimean peninsula, occupied by the Kremlin in 2014. Officials said an oil depot in southern Russia caught fire. &nbsp;Sticking points&nbsp; The war has spiralled into Europe&#39;s deadliest conflict since World War II, with hundreds of thousands killed, millions forced to flee their homes in Ukraine and much of the eastern and southern part of the country scarred by war. Russia occupies around one-fifth of Ukraine -- including the Crimean peninsula it seized in 2014 -- and areas that Moscow-backed separatists had taken prior to the 2022 invasion. It wants Ukrainian troops to withdraw from swathes of heavily fortified and strategic territory as part of any peace deal. Kyiv has rejected this deeply unpopular demand, which would be politically and militarily fraught, and has instead demanded robust security guarantees from the west before agreeing to any proposals with Russia. Russia&#39;s better-resourced army has been making steady gains across the sprawling front line in the eastern and southern Ukraine in recent months. But Ukrainian forces have recently made significant battlefield gains, recapturing 201 square kilometres (78 square miles) last week, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War. The counterattacks likely leveraged Russian forces&#39; lack of access to Starlink, which has disrupted communications, the ISW said. The territorial gain is concentrated mainly around 80 kilometres east of the city of Zaporizhzhia, a region that Moscow claims is part of Russia, and where its troops have made significant progress since last summer. The centrally located region hosts Europe&#39;s largest nuclear power plant, which Russia currently controls -- another sticking point in negotiations. For the talks in Geneva, the Kremlin has reinstated nationalist hawk and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky as its lead negotiator. &quot;This time, we plan to discuss a broader set of issues, focusing on key ones related to the territories and other demands,&quot; a spokesperson for President Vladimir Putin told reporters, including AFP, explaining the personnel change. Kyiv&#39;s team will be led by national security chief Rustem Umerov, while the White House is expected to dispatch Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Negotiating teams from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, in an effort to bring an end to the four-year long war between their countries.

Moscow, Kyiv meet for US-brokered talks after fresh attacks

KYIV: Ukraine said on Tuesday that Russia was undermining peace efforts by launching dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones ahead of talks in Geneva aimed at ending Russia&#39;s four-year invasion. &quot;The extent to which Russia disregards peace efforts: a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine right before the next round of talks in Geneva,&quot; Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 29 missiles and 396 drones in attacks that local officials said targeted critical infrastructure.

The Ukranian FM has lamented Russia's attack ahead of peace talks

Russia 'disregards peace efforts' with overnight attack before talks: Ukraine FM

MUNICH:&nbsp;US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was set to address European leaders on Saturday as they try to step up their autonomy in defense while salvaging transatlantic ties badly strained under President Donald Trump. Bruised by Trump&#39;s designs on Greenland and his often hostile comments about America&#39;s traditional bedrock allies, European leaders gathered at the Munich Security Conference have pledged to shoulder more of the burden of shared <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/in-show-of-support-canada-france-open-consulates-in-greenland" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">NATO defenses</a>. &lsquo;Right time&rsquo;&nbsp;Key leaders have pushed the message that this is essential for Europe to counter a hostile Russia, with NATO chief Mark Rutte saying that &quot;a strong Europe in a strong NATO means that the transatlantic bond will be stronger than ever&quot;. &quot;This is the right time for a strong Europe,&quot; said French President Emmanuel Macron, who stressed on Friday that the continent was &quot;clear in the support of Ukraine&quot; and &quot;building its own architecture of security&quot;. &quot;This Europe will be a good ally and partner for the United States of America.&quot; &lsquo;A sleeping giant&rsquo;British leader Keir Starmer was expected to tell the conference that Europe is &quot;a sleeping giant&quot; and must rely less on the United States for its defense. &quot;I&#39;m talking about a vision of European security and greater European autonomy that does not herald US withdrawal but answers the call for more burden sharing in full and remakes the ties that have served us so well,&quot; he will say, according to his office. Conciliatory choice&nbsp;Rubio is seen as a more conciliatory choice of US envoy, a year after Vice President JD Vance used the same stage to attack European policies on immigration and free speech, shocking European allies. The Trump administration&#39;s new National Security Strategy similarly launched an unprecedented attack against Europeans, charging that the continent is threatened with &quot;civilizational decline&quot;. Ties plunged further last month when Trump stepped up threats to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, forcing European nations to stand firm in protest. Ukraine war in focus&nbsp;German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged a &quot;rift&quot; had opened up between Europe and the United States, fueled by culture wars, but issued an appeal to Washington: &quot;Let&#39;s repair and revive transatlantic trust together.&quot; &quot;In the era of great power rivalry, even the United States will not be powerful enough to go it alone,&quot; said the conservative leader, who has ramped up defense spending in the top EU economy. The high-powered Munich meeting of government leaders, diplomats, defense and intelligence chiefs comes shortly before Russia&#39;s full-scale war on Ukraine is set to enter its fifth grueling year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been in Munich since Friday and meeting multiple allies, was expected to address the meeting on Saturday.&nbsp; No Russian officials have been invited. &lsquo;Get moving&rsquo;&nbsp;At the White House on Friday, Trump urged him to &quot;get moving&quot; to end the war.&nbsp; &quot;Russia wants to make a deal... He has to move,&quot; the US leader said. A German government source said Merz and Rubio met at the conference Friday and discussed &quot;Ukraine, the status of negotiations with Russia and further support for the country, particularly in terms of military aid&quot;. They also discussed Europe&#39;s role in NATO, and &ldquo;Rubio praised Germany&#39;s steps to strengthen the alliance&rdquo;, the source added. &lsquo;An aggressive Russia&rsquo;Macron said a new framework was needed to deal with &quot;an aggressive Russia&quot; once the fighting in Ukraine ends. Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky said he feared &quot;a new cold war&quot; between Europe and Russia in the coming decade, making reopening dialogue with Moscow essential. &quot;If it makes sense to talk, we are willing to talk,&quot; said Merz, but he also charged that &quot;Russia is not yet willing to talk seriously&quot;.

Americas

British leader Keir Starmer is expected to tell the conference that Europe is ‘a sleeping giant’ and must rely less on the United States for its defense.

Rubio at Munich security meet to address Europeans rattled by Trump

KYIV: Ukraine and Russia have conducted their first prisoner exchange in months, each releasing at least 157 people, both countries said Thursday, amid US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the war.&nbsp;The two sides have in the past conducted several rounds of prisoner swaps, one of the rare areas of direct cooperation between Ukraine and Russia amid the four-year war, but last month Kyiv accused Moscow of halting the exchanges.&nbsp;On Thursday, amid three-way talks in <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/ukraine-delegation-arrives-in-uae-for-russia-talks" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Abu Dhabi</a>, the countries swapped 157 captured soldiers and civilians each in an exchange mediated by Washington -- the first since October.&nbsp;&quot;Today&#39;s exchange came after a long pause, and it is critical that we were able to make it happen. I thank everyone who works to make these exchanges possible,&quot; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.&nbsp;Images he posted showed the released prisoners, their heads freshly shaven, wrapped in Ukrainian flags and smiling amid falling snow.&nbsp;Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said among the 157 Ukrainians released &quot;are seven civilians and those whom the Russians unlawfully convicted.&quot;&nbsp;Zelensky&#39;s aide Kyrylo Budanov said that in the group of the freed prisoners were 19 Ukrainians &quot;who were illegally sentenced, 15 of them to life imprisonment.&quot;&nbsp;Russia, who said the United States and United Arab Emirates acted as mediators for the exchange, announced earlier it had handed over 157 Ukrainian soldiers and that 157 Russian servicemen were returned.&nbsp;&quot;In addition, three Russian citizens, residents of the Kursk region... &nbsp;will be returned home,&quot; the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into Russia&#39;s western Kursk region in 2024.

Ukraine and Russia carried out their first prisoner exchange in months, releasing 157 people each during US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi. The swap included soldiers and civilians and was welcomed by President Zelensky on Thursday.

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