Russia news

As Russia continues bombing Ukraine, international sports organizations embrace Moscow

by Chris PowersJuly 9, 2026

As Russia continues its war of conquest against Ukraine, causing thousands of deaths, international sports organizations are eyeing to welcome Russian athletes and teams back into international competition. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to lift its suspension on Russian participation on July 7, provoking angry reactions from Ukraine and across Europe. Russia had been banned from participating in Olympic sports since 2022, following the start of its all-out war, and was furt

Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin banned from leaving country

by Kate TsurkanJuly 16, 2026

Google Play removes Russia-controlled social media Max, VK

by Chris PowersJuly 16, 2026

Russia's nuclear fleet at 'full combat readiness,' Kremlin says

by Abbey FenbertJuly 16, 2026

Russia bolsters 'shadow fleet' defenses at expense of front-line drone units, military says

by Kateryna HodunovaJuly 18, 2026

Russian attacks kill 11, injure 62 across Ukraine over past day; foreign civilian vessel damaged in Odesa port

by Kateryna HodunovaJuly 18, 2026

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,427,410 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

by The Kyiv Independent news deskJuly 18, 2026

FIFA set to provide World Cup payments to Russian clubs owned by sanctioned oil, gas companies, investigation finds

by Dmytro BasmatJuly 18, 2026

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Saturday, July 18

03:24 PM

We're ready to make any Russian move cost far more than it's worth — NATO military chief in exclusive interview

NATO is facing its deepest identity crisis since the end of the Cold War. U.S. President Donald Trump's erratic relationship with Europe threatens to tear the alliance apart, and there are fears that the increasingly bellicose Russia may soon test the alliance's eastern frontier. The fast-paced military evolution of the Russia-Ukraine war also threatens NATO's long-maintained technological edge. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, an Italian admiral who has served as the chair of the NATO Military Committe

05:25 AM

2 Russian logistics centers, oil depot hit as Kyiv launches hundreds of drones towards Moscow

The latest attack on oil infrastructure in Russia's capital region comes exactly one month after Ukrainian forces launched their largest-ever drone attack on Moscow, striking the Moscow Oil Refinery on June 18.

12:42 PM

Russia bolsters 'shadow fleet' defenses at expense of front-line drone units, military says

Ukrainian forces struck 13 more Russian vessels over the past day, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said on July 18.

11:44 AM

Russian attacks kill 11, injure 62 across Ukraine over past day; foreign civilian vessel damaged in Odesa port

Russian forces launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, two Oniks anti-ship missiles, three Kh-59/69 guided missiles, and 90 long-range drones against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said.

09:05 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,427,410 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

The number includes 1,420 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

07:09 AM

FIFA set to provide World Cup payments to Russian clubs owned by sanctioned oil, gas companies, investigation finds

FIFA is set to disburse proceeds from the World Cup to a number of Russian football clubs owned by internationally sanctioned entities, including Russian oil and gas companies, an investigation by outlet Follow the Money published on July 18 found.

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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'Utterly baffling': Ukrainians outraged, call for protest after Zelensky ousts Fedorov

This is a developing story and is being updated. President Volodymyr Zelensky's dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister has drawn a wave of criticism from soldiers, veterans, and civil society figures, who argue Ukraine is losing one of its most effective wartime officials without an adequate explanation. Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran who was a leading organizer of last summer's mass protests against a law curbing the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, called fo

War

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President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, France, on July 13, 2026.

Russia news

As Russia continues bombing Ukraine, international sports organizations embrace Moscow

Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin banned from leaving country

Google Play removes Russia-controlled social media Max, VK

Russia's nuclear fleet at 'full combat readiness,' Kremlin says

Russia bolsters 'shadow fleet' defenses at expense of front-line drone units, military says

Russian attacks kill 11, injure 62 across Ukraine over past day; foreign civilian vessel damaged in Odesa port

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,427,410 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

FIFA set to provide World Cup payments to Russian clubs owned by sanctioned oil, gas companies, investigation finds

More from Russia

Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl Oblast, vessels in Black, Azov seas, among other targets, General Staff says

Ukrainian drone units strike over 1 million targets since start of 2026, including nearly 200,000 Russian troops, ministry says

EU sanctions Russian drone manufacturers after deadly attacks on Kyiv

Ceasefire as camouflage — How Russia weaponizes negotiations against Ukraine

Former Fedorov advisor accuses Syrskyi of deliberately weakening Ukrainian army in explosive livestream

Lindsey Graham's revised Russia sanctions bill gains filibuster-proof Senate support

Russian attacks kill 7, injure 67 across Ukraine over past day as Odesa targeted again amid tourist season

Ukraine’s most effective defense minister? What Fedorov got right, and what his dismissal risks reversing

NewsLetters

News Feed

We're ready to make any Russian move cost far more than it's worth — NATO military chief in exclusive interview

2 Russian logistics centers, oil depot hit as Kyiv launches hundreds of drones towards Moscow

Russia bolsters 'shadow fleet' defenses at expense of front-line drone units, military says

Russian attacks kill 11, injure 62 across Ukraine over past day; foreign civilian vessel damaged in Odesa port

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,427,410 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

FIFA set to provide World Cup payments to Russian clubs owned by sanctioned oil, gas companies, investigation finds

About Russia

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'Utterly baffling': Ukrainians outraged, call for protest after Zelensky ousts Fedorov

Russian Tu-95 bomber suffered 'critical damage' in strike on Engels air base, Zelensky says

Zelensky dismisses Defense Minister Fedorov, deepening turmoil in Ukraine's military leadership

Ukraine's Omega special forces say drone strike hit Russian Su-24 bomber in occupied Crimea

Ukrainian drones strike 12 Russian 'shadow fleet' vessels in Black Sea as Crimea comes under large-scale attack

Editors' Picks

How Zelensky turned one of his biggest victories into one of his biggest blunders

Zelensky dismisses Defense Minister Fedorov, deepening turmoil in Ukraine's military leadership

Ukraine's pornography ban fuels corruption. Legalization could boost war funding

What's behind Zelensky's surprise government reshuffle?