While Ukraine Burns the Russian Empire Capital, Robots Go Wild at Its Economic Forum Opening

Technical glitches overshadowed the opening of Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) as highly publicized welcoming robots malfunctioned across the venue, Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communications Spravdi reported on June 3.

The promotional automatons, designed to greet international attendees and showcase domestic technological development, instead suffered a series of operational failures during the opening day of the high-profile event.

According to reports shared by Spravdi on X, the robots repeatedly interrupted their scheduled programming to pressure guests into installing a Russian state-linked application named “MAX,” which Spravdi called a “Kremlin’s spyware app.”

Aside from the digital promotional loops, the machines' physical performance quickly deteriorated. Several units reportedly entered catatonic states, freezing entirely in the middle of crowded conference walkways. Other units began suffering systemic speech errors, including multiple machines that repeatedly and inexplicably boasted about owning a luxury Birkin bag to confused delegates.

It’s not the first time Russian robotics initiatives have suffered high-profile operational failures. During a previous technology presentation in Moscow, Russia’s first AI-equipped humanoid robot, Aidol, walked onto the stage to the theme song from Rocky before losing its balance and toppling forward. Staff immediately covered the machine with a cloth to remove it from public view.

Despite the mechanical collapse, developers defended the prototype—which relies on 77% domestically sourced components and operates entirely offline—characterizing the incident as a real-time learning experience exacerbated by sensitive lighting conditions and calibration errors.

The technological mishaps frequently culminated in physical failures, with multiple machines losing balance and falling over on the exhibition floor. The widespread malfunctions disrupted the prestige atmosphere the Kremlin typically attempts to cultivate at the forum, which has faced isolation from major Western investors over the last four years, Spravdi wrote.

Read more

Category

War in Ukraine

Ukraine Hits Oil, Naval, and Missile-Linked Targets Across Russia in Sweeping Deep Strike Campaign

Jun 03, 2026 14:05

The commencement of the SPIEF coincided with severe operational disruptions across the host city following a Ukrainian long-range drone strike. It was reported that thousands of residents had experienced widespread mobile internet outages that disabled transit payment systems, mobile applications, and state-approved web resources.

Leningrad region authorities restricted digital connectivity in response to an aerial threat targeting the JSC Petersburg Oil Terminal—a primary Baltic energy export hub. While regional governor Alexander Drozdenko claimed air defense forces intercepted 50 drones, localized footage confirmed large fires at the oil facility.

Support our team with a one-time or monthly donation

Every day we bring reporting shaped by frontline realities. Your help makes us stronger.

SUPPORT