KI short logo

Russia news

Russian President Vladimir Putin, during the Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kazan, Russia, on June 18, 2026.
Russia

A predetermined vote in an increasingly unpredictable Russia

by Karol Luczka

In Russia, where elections offer little real uncertainty, the Kremlin still stages the ritual of competition — a carefully managed exercise designed not to choose leaders but to reinforce President Vladimir Putin's claim to legitimacy. With the upcoming parliamentary elections set for Sept. 20, the first since the start of the all-out war against Ukraine, the Kremlin's political wing is tasked with a risky endeavour — mustering up high numbers for Putin's United Russia party in a country stuck

More from Russia

NewsLetters

News Feed

Wednesday, July 8

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,413,510 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

Russia has lost around 1,413,510 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on July 8. The number includes 1,260 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also lost 12,100 tanks, 24,903 armored combat vehicles, 117,574 vehicles and fuel tanks, 45,569 artillery systems, 1,918 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,478 air defense systems, 436 aircraft

Ukraine's 'long-range sanctions' bring war home for Russians as drone strikes cripple fuel supply

Russia's Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery had just restarted operations when Ukrainian drones hit it again. The facility — the fourth-largest oil refinery and the second-largest producer of gasoline in the country — had been struck by Ukraine on June 24, forcing operations to shut down. On July 2, Ukrainian drones paid another visit, forcing the facility to shut down once again. Gazprom's Omsk Oil Refinery, in Omsk, approximately 2,445 kilometers (1,519 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled

People queue to refuel their cars at a Lukoil petrol station in Moscow, Russia, on June 30, 2026.

Exclusive: Ukraine shipping giant is sinking amid allegations of mismanagement and corruption risks

Leaked internal documents obtained by the Kyiv Independent suggest one of Ukraine's largest state-owned shipping companies is being run into the ground and may be under the influence of external interests — offering a rare look at the governance failures that continue to plague the country's state-owned enterprises. In early May, the chairman of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company's (UDP) supervisory board sent a lengthy letter to Ukraine's parliament. In it, he sounds the alarm over a severe

cargo ship Algrace anchors on the Danube River near the port of Izmail, Odesa Oblast, Ukraine, on July 27, 2023

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.

Read more

Most Popular

Editors' Picks

News Feed