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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the nation in a state television broadcast in Tehran, Iran, on June 18, 2025.
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As Iran erupts, Washington threatens, and Moscow watches in silence

by Oleg Sukhov

Over the past several years, Iran has witnessed a number of popular uprisings, varying in both scale and demands. The ongoing mass protest movement that swept across the country in the closing days of 2025, however, is seen as the one that may actually topple the country’s autocratic regime. The Jan. 8 demonstrations in Iran were the largest in years and more violent than many previous protests. A number of buildings were set ablaze, while protesters have been clear in their demands — "Death t

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Embassies say they are staying in Kyiv despite energy crisis, extreme cold, Russian attacks

Foreign embassies based in Kyiv say they are not evacuating staff despite worsening power outages, damage to energy infrastructure, and forecasts of extreme cold, according to responses obtained by the Kyiv Independent. The statements come as Ukraine’s energy situation worsens amid repeated Russian mass strikes, with a state of emergency declared on Jan. 14 and weather forecasts warning that late January temperatures could drop below –20 degrees Celsius (–4 degrees Fahrenheit). Kyiv hosts the

A view of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 24, 2022.

Inside Ukraine's AWOL and military desertion crisis

Panic attacks have haunted Ukrainian serviceman Yaroslav since he returned home in the summer, leaving him gasping at night. Frustration with his commanders drove the 33-year-old to go absent without leave (AWOL), joining a growing number of Ukrainian soldiers who have left their units without permission. For Yaroslav, then a deputy platoon commander, it began with what he described as his leadership's "indifference" to soldiers' lives. Yaroslav said his command kept ordering missions that, in

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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