Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved his flagship foreign policy conference - the Valdai Forum - from Sochi to Moscow over security concerns related to Ukrainian drones. This was reported to the “Financial Times“ by four sources familiar with the matter, News.bg reports.
According to the sources, the 120 guests at the conference were notified of the new venue last month. Two of them added that the change was made at the insistence of President Putin's security service.
The forum participants are expected to hear statements from high-ranking state officials, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Alexander Novak, responsible for the country's energy sector, and Maxim Oreshkin, Putin's chief economic adviser. As is tradition, Putin will hold a lengthy question-and-answer session on the last day.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, and the Valdai Club did not respond to requests for comment.
Putin visits Sochi less and less
The publication notes that Putin has not visited Sochi since last year's Valdai Club conference in early October, and has been there only twice in the past two years. This sharp drop contrasts sharply with 2021, when he visited Sochi 24 times.
“The move signals growing concern in the Kremlin that Putin could be at risk from Ukrainian medium- and long-range drones. Relying largely on its own technology, Kiev has struck energy and logistics infrastructure as far away as Novy Urengoy, a city just south of the Arctic Circle and more than 3,000 km from Ukraine,“ the publication notes.
This year, Putin has spent most of his time in Moscow, St. Petersburg and at his residence on Lake Valdai in northern Russia.