Putin says Russia will bolster air defenses in response to Ukrainian drone attacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, looks at President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua, right, while speaking to representatives of international news agencies as General Director of the Russian news agency TASS, Andrey Kondrashov, left, sits near on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo, Pool hide caption toggle caption Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo, Pool ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia will strengthen its air defenses to counter recent Ukrainian drone attacks, which have reached deep inside his country and cast a cloud over his showcase economic forum in his hometown of St. Petersburg. Speaking in response to a question from The Associated Press during a meeting with heads of international news agencies, Putin acknowledged the damage from Ukrainian drone attacks. "To our regret, some of them break through," Putin said of the drone strikes. "Russia has an air defense system, we need to improve it, strengthen it, and we will do that." The wide-ranging media session came on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, his annual showcase for investment. Hours before the forum opened Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone attack set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and also hit a nearby naval base. …