After Ukrainian drone attacks on facilities in St. Petersburg on the opening day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russia's current response strategies require fundamental changes. Strike on St. Petersburg Oil Terminal Had Been Anticipated Ukrainian forces attacked the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal and a military vessel in Kronstadt with drones. Volodymyr Zelensky did not need a fortune teller to understand that the strike should come precisely on the opening day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address the forum tomorrow, and a burning terminal provides an ideal image capable of causing concern not only for him but also for the many guests attending the event. Bloomberg celebrated the development:

The folk ensemble Buranovskiye Babushki performed alongside a humanoid robot named Matilda during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), creating one of the event's most unusual and memorable moments. Forum organizers introduced two robots to the members of the ensemble during the event. After learning that one of the machines was named Matilda, the performers invited their mechanical companion to dance with them. Robot Matilda Joins the Folk Ensemble The robot accepted the invitation, and the spontaneous performance quickly attracted attention from forum participants. The encounter combined traditional Russian folk culture with modern technology, reflecting one of the themes frequently discussed at SPIEF — the interaction between innovation and society.

Russia may face several decades of conflict and geopolitical confrontation, experts assumed on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), while discussing principal threats that the country faces during the second quarter of the 21st century. During the session, titled "The Main Threats Facing Russia in the Second Quarter of the 21st Century," political analyst and Rosneft CEO adviser Andrei Bezrukov argued that modern warfare has fundamentally changed. Rather than focusing on territorial occupation and conquest, contemporary conflicts aim to exhaust opponents and undermine their resilience. Experts Warn of Long-Term Global Confrontation "What we see today is happening both on our fronts and in the Middle East — leaders and critical infrastructure are being targeted," Bezrukov said. In his view, Western countries seek to avoid a direct nuclear confrontation with Russia while gradually increasing pressure through a strategy he described as "boiling the frog slowly."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is prepared to begin direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin rather than wait for the United States to "resolve all conflicts in the world." According to Zelensky, Iran has become "the number one issue for the United States," while Ukraine currently remains "in the queue of those issues." "I truly believe that the United States is the strongest party capable of encouraging Putin to end the war," Zelensky said.

Russian tennis player Diana Shnaider defeated world number one Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka to reach the semifinals of Roland Garros, RIA Novosti reported. In the quarterfinal match, Shnaider won 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 after 2 hours and 12 minutes on court. It is the first time Shnaider will play in a Grand Slam semifinal. Her previous best result was reaching the fourth round of the US Open. At Roland Garros, the 22-year-old had never progressed beyond the second round before this year.

Russia is prepared to respond with nuclear means in the most severe scenarios involving threats to its territorial integrity, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. He urged observers to treat the signals embedded in Russia's doctrinal documents on nuclear use with maximum seriousness. According to him, opponents should not test Russia's readiness to defend itself by all available means. "The signal in these documents boils down to the fact that an attack on Russia, on its territorial integrity by aggressors, including those who may not possess such [nuclear] weapons, in the worst-case scenarios may lead to us responding with the use of these means,” Ryabkov said, according to Interfax.

The Kremlin has positively assessed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's visit to Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "Positively. We are always pleased to welcome guests," Peskov said when asked how the Kremlin views Schroeder's arrival in Moscow. Earlier, on the morning of June 2, German broadcaster NTV reported that Schroeder had arrived in Moscow. The channel's correspondent, Rainer Munz, said he had seen the former German chancellor at the Kempinski Hotel in the Russian capital.

One person was killed and several others were injured in attacks on Kuwait International Airport, while airport facilities sustained significant damage and flight operations were suspended, according to Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Both agencies accused Iran of carrying out the attacks. The strikes on Kuwait came after the United States and Iran exchanged attacks overnight. The U.S. military stated that it had disabled an empty oil tanker heading toward Iran's Khark Island and later carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island "in self-defense." The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at a U. S. vessel, the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as well as a U. S. airbase and helicopters in a Middle Eastern country.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was unable to release a dove of peace during a meeting with voters. Video footage of the incident was published by the Telegram channel Sputnik. Pashinyan tossed the bird into the air twice, but neither attempt was successful. The dove ultimately returned to its owner. Pashinyan Discusses Possible Visit to Russia Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan once again stated that he is prepared to visit Russia if he succeeds in retaining his position following the parliamentary elections.

The United States is exerting pressure on Russia and plans to increase that pressure further, including on Moscow's partners, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). "We can see that they plan to increase pressure on Russia — economic pressure, extraterritorial pressure — not only on Russia, but also on our partners," he said. SPIEF is being held at the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre from June 3 to June 6. The forum's programme focuses on shaping a new model of global development amid the transformation of the world economy.

The number of people killed in a drone strike on a commuter passenger bus in the Donetsk People's Republic has risen to eight. Regional head Denis Pushilin reported the updated casualty figure. The drone attacked the Moscow–Simferopol passenger bus in Yenakiyevo.

A drone operated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) struck a bus in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), regional head Denis Pushilin said on his Telegram channel. He specified that the tragedy occurred near the settlement of Yenakiyevo, close to Gorlovka. The strike drone targeted a scheduled passenger bus traveling on the Moscow–Simferopol route. According to preliminary information, seven civilians were killed in the attack. Another 11 people sustained injuries and are receiving the necessary medical assistance.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) struck St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region with drones in the morning of June 3. Authorities in St. Petersburg also reported a series of explosions in several districts of the city. According to local residents, loud blasts could be heard throughout the area. "According to reports on social media, sounds resembling powerful explosions were accompanied by noticeable vibrations that could be felt in buildings and even in furniture inside apartments," a local news outlet reported.

Russian and American experts met last week to discuss mutual irritants in bilateral relations, Alexander Gusarov, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's North Atlantic Department, said in an interview with International Affairs magazine. "The dialogue between the Russian Foreign Ministry and the U.S. State Department on eliminating 'irritants' has not stopped and continues on a regular, systematic basis at the level of experts. Incidentally, the most recent such meeting took place a week ago," Gusarov said. According to him, one of the key results of the talks has been the stabilization of the work of Russian and American institutions.

The authorities of Finland have confiscated Russian assets worth approximately €4 million. According to the Finnish public broadcaster Yle, Russia had transferred €3.7 million to Finnish authorities under a European Union cross-border cooperation programme. "The Enforcement Authority has confiscated Russian assets worth nearly €4 million… The claimant, as before, was the Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz and its subsidiaries," the authority said. Russia transferred the funds before the start of military operations in Ukraine, after which the programme was discontinued. The money remained on the balance sheet of the Finnish authorities.

The story of the "Russian institute" in Haifa unexpectedly raised a far more interesting question — who shapes public opinion in Israel, and with whose money? It appears that Israel's election campaign has begun before it has even been officially announced. And, as often happens during such periods, an old and familiar storyline has returned to the information space — Russian influence, the Kremlin, covert operations and, of course, Benjamin Netanyahu. The trigger was an investigation by OCCRP, which was later picked up by the Israeli project Shomrim. According to documents allegedly leaked from the Kremlin, the Russian Social Design Agency (SDA), described as the Kremlin's main executor of information operations in the West, developed a plan to create a fictitious research institute in Haifa that would produce analytical materials and promote a Moscow-friendly agenda in the Israeli media space.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have stepped up UAV strikes on Russian territory. The danger lies in the fact that Kyiv has moved their production into NATO's military-industrial complex, effectively becoming an unofficial participant in the alliance. Ukraine Enters Military-Industrial Complex of NATO Countries At the beginning of the year, the Kyiv regime reached an agreement with NATO countries — Belgium, Germany, Canada, Poland, Denmark, Norway and others — to move all major military production facilities from its territory into their jurisdictions. This was caused by the fact that Russia destroyed up to 50% of Ukraine's production capacity in 2025. At present, only small "garage" enterprises that equip drones remain in Ukraine, while large-scale production has been completely relocated abroad. Their products are delivered secretly and put into use immediately. This has produced results in terms of the scale and range of deployment, with a corresponding increase in damage and casualties in Russia.

A group of Russian fishermen endured an exhausting four-and-a-half-hour struggle with a giant mako shark before finally pulling the predator aboard their vessel in the Sea of Japan. The dramatic catch was captured on video and later shared on social media, where footage showed the fishermen battling the powerful fish as it repeatedly resisted their efforts to bring it closer to the boat. Despite the shark's strength and endurance, the crew eventually succeeded in landing the animal after hours of effort.

More than 46,000 women in Russia chose not to undergo abortions in 2025 after receiving pre-abortion counseling, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said during an international congress. According to the minister, counseling programs played a significant role in helping women reconsider their decisions and continue their pregnancies. Murashko presented the figures while outlining the results of the country's broader reproductive health initiatives and demographic support measures.

Residents of Russia's Trans-Baikal Territory woke up to winter-like conditions after a heavy snowfall blanketed parts of the region on the second day of summer. The snowfall struck the city of Petrovsk-Zabaykalsky, where roads, buildings, and open spaces quickly disappeared under a fresh layer of snow. The sudden weather change significantly reduced visibility and created difficult driving conditions. Forecasters warned that freezing temperatures could soon spread into neighboring Buryatia as the cold air mass continues moving across eastern Siberia.