Russia-Ukraine War

PMCs legally don't exist in Ukraine. They're booming anyway
War

PMCs legally don't exist in Ukraine. They're booming anyway

by Polina Moroziuk

Across Ukraine, dozens of private firms train drone operators, clear minefields, maintain military hardware, and teach foreign clients how to fight a modern war. Some go as far as calling themselves private military companies. Yet, in the eyes of Ukrainian law, they do not exist. Ukrainian legislation prohibits armed formations outside state control and has never recognized PMCs, even as most of the activities associated with them carry on under ordinary licenses, permits, and commercial contr

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Russia's foreign election meddling has a losing record. Experts explain why

President Vladimir Putin has never lost an election in Russia. Outside Russia's borders, however, the Kremlin has been learning a different lesson. From Moldova to Hungary — and, more recently, Armenia — Moscow has poured money and political capital into influencing elections abroad. Yet, time and again, the candidates and forces it favored have fallen short. Some of Russia's traditional allies have drifted away from Moscow, embracing pro-Western governments, or have become far more resistant

About War

The Kyiv Independent's coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, after eight years of aggression against Ukraine that began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and fighting in Donbas. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties and displaced millions of Ukrainians. NATO and Western allies have provided military aid to Ukraine while the conflict continues across fronts in Ukraine’s south and east.

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