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Russian President Vladimir Putin, during the Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kazan, Russia, on June 18, 2026.
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A predetermined vote in an increasingly unpredictable Russia

by Karol Luczka

In Russia, where elections offer little real uncertainty, the Kremlin still stages the ritual of competition — a carefully managed exercise designed not to choose leaders but to reinforce President Vladimir Putin's claim to legitimacy. With the upcoming parliamentary elections set for Sept. 20, the first since the start of the all-out war against Ukraine, the Kremlin's political wing is tasked with a risky endeavour — mustering up high numbers for Putin's United Russia party in a country stuck

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Friday, July 3

Ukraine strikes Russia's Saky air base in occupied Crimea for second time in a week, SBU says

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said on July 3 it had struck two Russian military air bases in occupied Crimea overnight, damaging or destroying at least seven military aircraft in its second reported attack on the Saky air base within a week. According to the SBU, Ukrainian drones struck seven hangars at the Saky air base where Russia stores Su-30SM, Su-30, and Su-24 fighter and bomber aircraft. The agency said the strike destroyed or damaged at least seven aircraft. The SBU also reported hi

‘We created a unique system for the defense sector:’ Full interview with Ukraine's central bank governor

For four years, Ukraine’s central bank has faced full scale-invasion, bouts of inflation, and the relentless task of keeping Ukraine’s financial system afloat through it all. But under Governor Andrii Pyshnyi’s tenure, which started in late 2022, the bank has also overseen the monumental rise of Ukraine’s mil-tech sector, progress towards privatization Ukraine’s massive state-owned banks, and — slowly but surely — alignment with EU regulation, which the bank aims to complete by the end of 2027.

Andriy Pyshnyi, Ukraine Central Bank Governor in Kyiv, Ukraine, in a photograph posted on 4 June 4, 2026.

How European machinery helped build Russia's deadly missiles

Customs records obtained by the Kyiv Independent reveal that specialized metalworking equipment manufactured in Germany, Italy, Spain, and other EU countries continued reaching Russian metallurgical plants during the war through a Turkish intermediary.

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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