Putin to confront weak economy at ‘Russian Davos’, under threat of Ukrainian drones

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia — Russia’s Vladimir Putin will address a flagship investment forum in Saint Petersburg on Friday, as the war in Ukraine drags the economy into stagnation and days after brazen Ukrainian drone strikes rocked his home city. Russia’s offensive has led to rising prices, tax hikes, two-decade-high borrowing costs, business shutdowns and labour shortages, putting the economy in its trickiest spot since the start of the war in 2022. Meanwhile, intensifying Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s vital energy infrastructure — oil depots, refineries, exporting hubs — are threatening to dent Moscow’s most important income stream. In a highly symbolic…