The Kyiv Independent Live in London: 
Vladimir Putin
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Friday, October 2
Belarus tests a new path back to the West
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has worked his way out of Western isolation before. Now, he seems to be launching yet another attempt. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sept. 21 announced a "massive" potash deal with Belarus, and only days later, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski held talks with his Belarusian counterpart in the first ministerial meeting in seven years. Belarus has faced international isolation since the heavily disputed 2020 presidential elections, which Lukashe
Russian strike kills 1, injures 2 in Kyiv as Southern Bridge hit again overnight
Kyiv has faced repeated Russian attacks in recent days. A large-scale Russian missile and drone attack beginning on Sept. 30 killed four people and injured at least eight, while also damaging residential and energy infrastructure in the capital.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,537,390 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
The number includes 1,520 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Ukrainian forces reportedly strike oil facilities in Russia's Volgograd, Samara regions
Ukrainian drones previously struck the Samara station in April, causing a large fire and damaging five crude oil tanks, each with a capacity of 20,000 cubic meters, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine told the Kyiv Independent at the time.
Russia to conscript 120,000 men, again promises they won't be sent to fight in Ukraine
Putin repeatedly said in interviews in early March 2022 that conscripts were not being asked to participate in the invasion and would not be sent to fight. Only days later, Russia’s Defense Ministry to acknowledged that some conscripts had been deployed to Ukraine and captured.
Ukraine prepares sanctions on 20-plus Russian oligarchs in response to EU delistings
"We fought until the last moment, both publicly and privately, to prevent this from happening," Sybiha said. "You removed two oligarchs, and we will add twenty."
About Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin is Russia's president, a position he has held since 2012 and previously from 2000 to 2008, following his tenure as prime minister from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012. Born on October 7, 1952, Putin served as a KGB officer before entering politics in the 1990s and consolidating authoritarian control over Russia's political system.
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Compared to the most recent figure from July 2026, the decree increases total staff by only around 15,500, is the fourth such incremental raise announced this year.
