Odesa Oblast: News

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Russia's defense giant quietly launches new cryptocurrency despite EU sanctions

A cryptocurrency associated with Russia's sprawling state defense corporation has quietly launched just as the European Union targets Russian crypto markets with further sanctions. Blockchain data reviewed by Kyiv Independent suggests that ruble token RubX, announced by Rostec last year, soft-launched on July 17. RubX later started offering swaps to the widely accepted dollar stablecoin Tether via Telegram on July 24. Cryptocurrencies have emerged as a key conduit for Russian importers to make

A view of the Moscow International Business Center, known as Moscow-City, in Moscow, Russia, on Oct. 6, 2025

Ukraine war latest: Heartbreak in Ukrainian village as Russian missile kills at least 6 family members

Key developments on July 30: * 'Almost nothing remained': Russian missile kills at least 6 family members in Ukrainian village * Ukraine hits one of Russia's largest Lukoil-owned oil refineries, General Staff confirms * 'The package won't arrive:' Blazes at Wildberries warehouses in Russia's Penza, Udmurtia amid more Ukrainian drone strikes * Assault regiment commander ordered troops to fire on retreating comrades, media investigation alleges A Russian ballistic missile killed at least six

Putin likes his worst option in Ukraine

If Russian President Vladimir Putin were to make a clear-headed assessment of the state of his war with Ukraine, he would seek a ceasefire. But his head apparently is not clear, because all signs point to him pursuing some kind of escalation. If he does indeed embark on such a course, he will make the situation worse for everyone, but primarily for himself. Since his August 2025 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Putin has been seeking to persuade the United States to force

ussian President Vladimir Putin meets in Moscow, Russia, on July 20, 2026

About Odesa Oblast

The region in Ukraine’s southwest covers 33,310 square kilometers (12,861 square miles) along Ukraine's Black Sea coast, with a population of approximately 2.4 million and Odesa city as its administrative center. Odesa Oblast borders Moldova to the west, and Romania across the delta of the Danube. Odesa Oblast serves as Ukraine's main maritime trade gateway and has faced repeated Russian missile and drone strikes targeting port infrastructure since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump took place in what Ukrainian officials described as a warm atmosphere, but it produced few results for Kyiv, people familiar with the discussions told the Kyiv Independent. The one breakthrough may have been persuading Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — Trump's two main envoys on Russia and Ukraine — to finally visit Kyiv after months of shuttling to Moscow. One U.S. official familiar with the planning cautioned that the tr

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