
'Just a show for Putin' — Inside the 2026 St. Petersburg Economic Forum
Once billed as a rival to Davos, the forum now draws far-right influencers and conspiracy theorists.

Once billed as a rival to Davos, the forum now draws far-right influencers and conspiracy theorists.
The U.K. announced on June 12 that it will fully phase in its ban on diesel and jet fuel produced from Russian crude oil by Jan. 1, 2027, as part of broader efforts to cut off revenue streams funding Moscow's war against Ukraine.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ukraine have reached a staff-level agreement on the first review of Kyiv's four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program, potentially unlocking approximately $690 million in additional funding, the IMF announced on June 12.

Key developments on June 12: * Ukraine announces landmark military service reforms with record pay raise for infantry * Russian rubber plant, oil refineries struck by Ukrainian drones in latest overnight attack, military confirms * Ukrainian drone maker Skyfall partners with Airbus on defense innovation * Sumy hit by morning artillery bombardment as Russian strikes across Ukraine kill at least 6, injure 52 over past day * 'High probability' of Russian missile launch from Oreshnik site over

"We will open the cluster on fundamentals; the backbone of the accession process," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on June 12. "It covers the core values and principles on which the EU is built, from the rule of law to strong democratic institutions."

As Ukraine and Moldova move closer to the European Union on June 15, Russian opera star Anna Netrebko will take the stage at the Philharmonie Luxembourg next door. The contrast reflects a growing, worrying trend across Europe where some of the Russian cultural figures once boycotted after 2022 for their views are steadily being normalized again. Ukraine's embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg published a press release on June 10, expressing concern over Netrebko's planned performance. "For many y

"Partnering with Airbus, we are developing the next generation of technologies to establish a multi-layered air shield that will bolster the protection of Ukrainian skies and European airspace," Skyfall CEO Mykolaiv Makovieiev said.

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.

The attack on Cheboksary was part of a broader Ukrainian assault that also struck the Kuibyshev oil refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast, as well as two oil infrastructure facilities in Russia's Vladimir Oblast.