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Russian police officers guard the entrance to Penal Colony No. 2, in Pokrov, Russia, on April 6, 2021.
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The Russian opposition group helping find Ukrainian civilians captured by Russia

by Kate Tsurkan

When Ukrainian citizens are captured and disappeared into Russian prisons, their families and government often have no way to reach them, let alone help. Yet, behind the scenes, a network of pro-democracy Russians — some in exile, others still inside the country — work alongside Ukrainian officials to make sure no one is forgotten. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, the Free Russia Foundation’s “Poshuk.Polon” (“Search.Captivity”) project has worked to track down, document, and a

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A pro-Kremlin blogger lashed out at Putin; he ended up in a psychiatric ward

A prominent pro-Kremlin blogger known for his aggressive attacks on Russia’s opposition abruptly turned against President Vladimir Putin publishing a series of scathing critiques. A day later, he was allegedly admitted into a psychiatric hospital in St. Petersburg. The blogger, Ilya Remeslo, had built his public profile by targeting the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his allies, often filing complaints and supporting legal cases against them. His sudden reversal — and the speed wit

Russia uneasy as Trump's envoy quietly courts Moscow's closest ally

In early February, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) released a report that barely made headlines. Yet for those paying close attention to Belarus and the region, the document carried a revealing signal about the Kremlin's concerns. The report claimed that Western governments were attempting to weaken the alliance between Minsk and Moscow — and ultimately stage political change in Belarus. According to the SVR, the West was allegedly trying to build a new Belarusian opposition movem

U.S. President Donald Trump’s representative John Coale in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 11, 2025.

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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Key developments on March 17: * Ukraine targets Moscow with drones for 4th consecutive day, launching at least 40 in latest strike * 'No region can feel safe' — Russia's ex-Defense Minister Shoigu raises alarm over Ukraine's drone strikes * Russia slams 'EU warmongers' for not backing Trump's war against its ally * 201 Ukrainians now in Middle East helping counter Iranian drone attacks, Zelensky says Russian air defenses intercepted 206 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight on

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