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smoke rising from oil storage tanks at the Tuapse oil refinery in Tuapse, Russia, on April 16, 2026.
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The oil spill in Tuapse and the lessons Russia didn't learn

by Karol Luczka

While the human toll of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine remains its most devastating consequence, another aspect of Russia’s onslaught is often overlooked: Moscow’s war on ecology. Responding to Russia's growing air attacks against Ukraine, over the past 10 days, Ukrainian forces carried out a multitude of drone strikes targeting an oil refinery in Russia's port city of Tuapse. Tuapse, on the Black Sea, has served as a primary point for Russia's oil exports, the proceeds of which are then

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Ukraine's culture minister on why culture 'needs KPIs' to succeed

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country's culture has finally received the attention it had previously lacked. But Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna aims for more than mere survival — she envisions a cultural sphere that thrives and becomes a major economic driver for Ukraine. In a conversation with the Kyiv Independent, Berezhna explains why culture needs measurable goals to succeed both nationally and internationally, how her experience in law, economics, and go

Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 21, 2026.

About Russia

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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