By Johan Ahlander and Simon Johnson STOCKHOLM, June 4 (Reuters) - After Ukraine said it will make the Gripen the backbone of its air force, the Swedish fighter jet is finally set to be tested in the role it was designed for: confronting Russia.

The size and regularity of Ukraine's drone attacks are steadily increasing.

June 4 (Reuters) - The Russian-installed management at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant accused Ukraine on Thursday of deploying more than 20 drones to attack a nearby thermal plant vital to supplying the facility with external power.

A massive black cloud rising above the St. Petersburg skyline from a Ukrainian drone strike set a gloomy tone for the opening of President Vladimir Putin’s annual showcase of Russia’s economic achievements.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published an open letter to President Vladimir Putin in which he proposed the leaders meet.

Ukrainian drone units have carried out a series of successful attacks on the Russian-occupied Donetsk Airport, sabotaging Moscow's attempt to turn the facility into a military base, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) reported on June 4.

Russia continues to attack civilian infrastructure in Dnipro and the region Russian forces struck Dnipro for the second day in a row. The latest attack hit a logistics company, causing a fire at the site.

Ukrainian long-range drones have struck an oil terminal in St. Petersburg, setting it ablaze, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukraine launched strategic strikes deep inside Russia as the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum got underway.