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Russian police officers guard the entrance to Penal Colony No. 2, in Pokrov, Russia, on April 6, 2021.
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The Russian opposition group helping find Ukrainian civilians captured by Russia

by Kate Tsurkan

When Ukrainian citizens are captured and disappeared into Russian prisons, their families and government often have no way to reach them, let alone help. Yet, behind the scenes, a network of pro-democracy Russians — some in exile, others still inside the country — work alongside Ukrainian officials to make sure no one is forgotten. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, the Free Russia Foundation’s “Poshuk.Polon” (“Search.Captivity”) project has worked to track down, document, and a

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Ilya Yashin launches a party for a Russia that doesn't exist

The unnamed project, lacking a defined team or political platform, seeks to offer an alternative to the Kremlin at a time when Russia's opposition operates largely from abroad and remains fractured, with its ability to influence domestic politics remaining low.

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv’s negotiating team heads to US for planned meeting this weekend

Key developments on March 19: * Ukraine’s negotiating team heads to US for planned meeting this weekend, Zelensky announces * Major Russian air defense factory in occupied Crimea reportedly hit in Ukrainian strike * Russian losses surge, Ukrainian commander claims hundreds of soldiers 'picked off' by drones * Ukraine edges closer to budget oblivion as Orban refuses to budge on 90-billion loan President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 19 that a Ukrainian negotiating team is heading to the

Russia uneasy as Trump's envoy quietly courts Moscow's closest ally

In early February, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) released a report that barely made headlines. Yet for those paying close attention to Belarus and the region, the document carried a revealing signal about the Kremlin's concerns. The report claimed that Western governments were attempting to weaken the alliance between Minsk and Moscow — and ultimately stage political change in Belarus. According to the SVR, the West was allegedly trying to build a new Belarusian opposition movem

U.S. President Donald Trump’s representative John Coale in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 11, 2025.

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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Key developments on March 17: * Ukraine targets Moscow with drones for 4th consecutive day, launching at least 40 in latest strike * 'No region can feel safe' — Russia's ex-Defense Minister Shoigu raises alarm over Ukraine's drone strikes * Russia slams 'EU warmongers' for not backing Trump's war against its ally * 201 Ukrainians now in Middle East helping counter Iranian drone attacks, Zelensky says Russian air defenses intercepted 206 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight on

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