Russia news

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the nation in a state television broadcast in Tehran, Iran, on June 18, 2025.
Russia

As Iran erupts, Washington threatens, and Moscow watches in silence

by Oleg Sukhov

Over the past several years, Iran has witnessed a number of popular uprisings, varying in both scale and demands. The ongoing mass protest movement that swept across the country in the closing days of 2025, however, is seen as the one that may actually topple the country’s autocratic regime. The Jan. 8 demonstrations in Iran were the largest in years and more violent than many previous protests. A number of buildings were set ablaze, while protesters have been clear in their demands — "Death t

News Feed

Does Russia or China actually threaten Greenland? Experts say Trump's warnings don't match reality

President Donald Trump has been fixated on controlling Greenland, suggesting that U.S. ownership of the island is crucial in blocking Russian and Chinese expansion. "If we don't go in, Russia's going to go in, and China's going to go in," Trump said. The White House reinforced that message on Jan. 14, posting an image on X that cast the island as facing a stark choice — alignment with the U.S. or with a Russia-China bloc. Greenlandic and Danish officials have rejected that premise outright, r

Ukrainian sanctions target Russian sports ahead of Winter Olympics

"Our country reminds the world before the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics that sport is not outside of politics. After all, the sanctioned individuals openly support aggression, war crimes, and occupation, thus destroying the principles and values ​​of the Olympic movement."

Rise and fall of Yulia Tymoshenko, the 'founding figure of Ukrainian populism'

It’s hard to imagine Ukraine’s political scene without Yulia Tymoshenko. A veteran politician, Tymoshenko has held a variety of government posts, serving as the country’s prime minister twice, being defeated in a presidential runoff back in 2010, and leading the country's opposition at different times. On Jan. 14, Tymoshenko was charged with bribery — the third trial of her tumultuous 30-year political career. Tymoshenko, now the 65-year-old leader of the Batkivshchyna party represented by 25

Yuliia Tymoshenko in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 16, 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.

News Feed