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Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, on May 21, 2026.
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Russia's recruitment system nears breaking point, forcing debate over forced mobilization

by Martin Fornusek

As Russian battlefield gains slow and recruitment drive falters, Ukraine is warning that the Kremlin may finally reach for the measure it has long resisted — a forced mobilization. According to Kyiv, Moscow is preparing to call up tens of thousands of fresh soldiers to offset its climbing battlefield losses. But analysts believe Russia would only take that gamble in case of an imminent front-line collapse, or a sweeping pivot to a war economy — one that could signal preparations to push the co

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As Patriot missiles run low, Ukraine scrambles for alternatives under Russian missile fire

Russia fired 34 ballistic missiles at Ukraine during the June 15 overnight attack that set part of Kyiv's historic Pechersk Lavra compound aflame. Kyiv's Patriot batteries shot down 15 of the 19 ballistic missiles fired at the capital, along with five out of six 3M22 "Zirkon" hypersonic cruise missiles, according to local monitors. The attack laid bare the problem now driving Ukraine's air defense scramble: Patriot remains the only proven Western-supplied system Kyiv has against Russian ballist

Exclusive: European Parliament to scrutinize its most pro-Russian member

A special committee of the European Parliament is set to investigate its pro-Russian Luxemburger, Fernand Kartheiser, for potential breaches of parliamentary rules linked to his ties to Russia, according to a letter first seen by the Kyiv Independent on June 15. The news comes shortly after Kartheiser visited the economic forum in St. Petersburg and subsequently sent to fellow members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and their staff a so-called St. Petersburg declaration, the backers of which

'One of the holiest places' — Why Kyiv's ancient Pechersk monastery is so important for Ukraine

The Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of Orthodox Christianity's oldest and most sacred monasteries, was among the targets in Russia's latest overnight attack on June 15. Images of the religious site in flames sparked outrage and horror throughout Ukraine and the world. "(T)he roof of one of the holiest places in the Christian world — the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra — is burning," Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, wrote on X o

Ukraine war latest: Russian double-tap strike kills 4 rescuers in Kharkiv amid large-scale attack on Ukraine

* Russian double-tap strike kills 4 rescuers in Kharkiv amid large-scale attack on Ukraine * Soldiers who decline new contracts will keep serving until demobilization, Defense Ministry says * From propagandists to energy revenues, EU hits Russia with new sanctions over Ukraine strikes * Russian Tu-22M3 bomber crashes during landing in Irkutsk Oblast * Zelensky reveals G7 sidelines meeting offer to Putin, says Russia again refused talks A Russian double-tap strike killed five people, includ

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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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