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Yulia Latynina in an unnamed location, on Feb. 9, 2013.
Russia

The Russian commentators living in Europe who justify Moscow's war against Ukraine

by Oleg Sukhov

Correction: Leonid Ragozin's travel data has been corrected. Latvia's decision last week to declare Russian-born journalist and blogger Leonid Ragozin persona non grata has drawn attention to a broader trend: Russians who once presented themselves as opponents of Vladimir Putin are now accused of echoing Kremlin narratives. Some now live in Europe, taking advantage of the freedom and security that their adopted countries provide to broadcast their views. Ironically, some of them blame the Eur

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Ukraine war latest: Drone strikes on Yandex data centers disrupt Russian court hearings, media reports

Key developments on Oct. 20: * Ukrainian strikes on Yandex data centers disrupt Russian court hearings, media reports * Ukraine's HUR claims 108 Russian soldiers killed, 29 captured in Sumy Oblast operation * Power outages in half of Ukraine's oblasts after Russian assault on power plants * Fire at oil pumping station in Russia’s Tambov Oblast after drone attack, monitoring channels say * Poland has no Patriot missiles left for Ukraine, Sikorski says * Russian drones strike Kyiv hospital,

As Trump turns toward Russia, Zelensky drops his restraint

President Volodymyr Zelensky has spent much of the past two years trying to win over Donald Trump. Flattery, constant meetings, and carefully calibrated concessions have become hallmarks of his dealings with the U.S. president. But the strategy has failed, prompting Zelensky to change course and adopt a more confrontational tone. "Frankly, Trump has crossed the Rubicon," a Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent, summing up the mood in Kyiv following Washington's latest deals with Moscow

President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 16, 2026.

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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