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The hidden cost of Putin’s war: A more dependent Russia
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The hidden cost of Putin’s war: A more dependent Russia

by Toby Woodall

Russian President Vladimir Putin has increasingly characterized his all-out war against Ukraine as a struggle for "sovereignty," yet what limited territorial gains Russia has achieved since 2022 pale in significance to the staggering dependence on China that has emerged. While the Kremlin had already been pursuing a "pivot to the East" for some time, this was never presented as the rapid wholesale embrace of Beijing necessitated by the protracted conflict. In fact, Western sanctions have left M

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Wednesday, March 4

Merz urges Trump to increase pressure on Russia

"Russia is playing for time here, and in doing so is also acting against the will of the American president. In today's talks, I called for increasing the pressure on Moscow," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on March 3 after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

To confront Iran, US must also confront Russia

No regime invokes international law more fervently than when it sees its power being challenged. The moment American and Israeli forces struck Iranian targets, officials in Moscow and Tehran rushed to rediscover the UN Charter, denouncing the operation as unlawful. Their sudden reverence for the "rule-book" is politically convenient — but it also forces a serious question: on what legal grounds can the use of force against Iran be justified? One of U.S. President Donald Trump's principal argum

What to do if you spot an Iranian Shahed drone

A feeling familiar to millions of Ukrainians was suddenly experienced across the Middle East over the weekend — the terror caused by Shahed drones flying overhead and smashing into buildings. Footage flooded social media as Iran launched drones and missiles in retaliatory strikes in response to the U.S.-Israeli bombardment that began on Feb. 28. "Welcome to the club, guys," Vladislav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president's representative on sanctions policy, told the Kyiv Independent when asked wha

An Iranian-made Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drone flies over Kermanshah, Iran, on March 7, 2024.

Ukraine War Latest: Ukrainian forces liberate 9 eastern settlements as Russian troops face Starlink disruptions

* Ukrainian forces liberate 9 eastern settlements as Russian troops face Starlink disruptions, Ukraine's military says * As Ukrainian regions start preparing for next winter, Kyiv lags behind * Zelensky floats swapping Patriot missiles for interceptor drones amid increased Iranian Shahed threat * At least 337 Ukrainian POWs 'brutally' executed by Russia, Ukraine's ombudsman says Ukraine has liberated nine settlements in the Oleksandrivka sector along the southeastern front line, Ukraine's A

Former Head of State Border Guard Serhii Deineko mobilized, media reports

Former Head of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, Serhii Deineko, has been mobilized and will lead the Luhansk Border Guard Detachment, Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske reported on March 3. Serhiy Deineko, who headed the State Border Guard from 2019 to Jan. 4, 2026, was charged last month in relation to a 204,000 euro bribery scheme. He was dismissed from the military last month. In 2023 border guards received at least 204,000 euros for facilitating the smuggling of cigarettes through the b

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The Kyiv Independent’s coverage of news on Russia. Spanning eleven time zones across Eastern Europe and Asia, Russia has an estimated population of 146 million people. Russia’s capital city is Moscow, which is home to almost one in 10 Russians. Russia’s official currency is the Russian Ruble.

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What an Iran oil spike would mean for Russia

The tanker "Eventin," part of Russia's "shadow fleet," off the coast of the island of Rügen, Germany, on March 24, 2025.

As markets opened on March 2, Russian officials were quick to frame the escalating Middle East crisis as an economic opportunity for the Kremlin. Within hours of the first U.S. and Israeli strikes, Russian Envoy Kirill Dmitriev quickly posted on X about crude potentially hitting "$100+" per barrel. Brent crude futures on the London ICE exchange initially had risen 13.04%, peaking at $82.37 per barrel — the highest level in over a year. Prices later eased to $79.38. The spike followed Iran's M

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