00:13Russia wanted today to be its big moment. The champagne, the handshakes, the global optics of
00:20a country that is totally fine, thank you very much. Instead, it opened with black smoke over
00:26the Gulf of Finland. Today is day one of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum,
00:33SPIEF 2026, Russia's answer to Davos. 20,000 guests, diplomats, business leaders, delegations
00:42from over 130 countries. And the guest list, well, it's something. Candace Owens is there,
00:49Steven Seagal, obviously. And yes, Andrew and Tristan Tate have made the trip to St. Petersburg.
00:55Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is in attendance. Putin himself is expected to take
01:01the stage on June 5th. It was supposed to be Russia's grand showcase to the world,
01:07proof that the sanctions aren't working, the economy is humming, and the war is under control.
01:13Ukraine had other plans. In the early hours of this morning, a large-scale Ukrainian drone assault
01:20reached deep into Russian territory, over 1,100 kilometers from the front line. The target?
01:27The JSC Petersburg Oil Terminal, the largest oil transshipment complex in northwestern Russia,
01:34sitting right on the Gulf of Finland, roughly 17 kilometers from where the forum is being held
01:40right now. Drones hit it. A massive fire broke out. Thick black smoke billowed across the skyline.
01:47Independent geolocation confirmed it. Flights at St. Petersburg airports were briefly disrupted.
01:54Additional strikes reportedly hit targets across the Leningrad region,
01:58Kronstadt military base, and a weapons plant in Tambov oblast. Russia claims it downed dozens.
02:05Some reports say over 350 drones total across regions. Some got through. The fire was real,
02:12the smoke was real. The timing was very real. Ukrainian officials didn't try to hide what this
02:18was. This was not a coincidence. This was a statement. What Ukrainian voices have been calling
02:24long-range sanctions. A direct message to every delegate, every diplomat, every businessman sitting
02:32in that conference hall today. The country hosting this forum cannot protect its own skyline.
02:38Putin is set to speak on Thursday. He'll stand at that podium and tell the world that Russia is open
02:44for business, that it's strong, that the West's pressure has failed. And somewhere in the background,
02:50the cleanup crews will still be working. Russia wanted Spief 2026 to be its image rehab moment,
02:57a room full of allies, influencers, and dealmakers, all there to signal that the isolation isn't sticking.
03:04Instead, day one opened with a burning oil terminal, a smoke-filled horizon, and a reminder that Ukraine
03:11can reach anywhere it wants to reach. Candace Owens and the Tate brothers flew in for Russia's Davos.
03:18Ukraine sent a delegation too. Theirs made more of an impression.
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