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Inside Russia's 2026 parliamentary election: Banned opposition, rigging, and war
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Inside Russia's 2026 parliamentary election: Banned opposition, rigging, and war

by Oleg Sukhov

A parliamentary election kicked off in Russia on Sept. 18 in what is expected to be a rubber-stamp ritual intended to legitimize President Vladimir Putin's rule. The election will be held over several days and will be completed on Sept. 20. The voting is taking place amid growing frustration among Russians with the war as its costs mount, and Ukraine intensifies drone strikes on Russian territory. However, there is little opportunity for voters to express their discontent since anti-war parti

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Exclusive: Ukraine, Russia are done with Steve Witkoff. Trump sees no problem

Kyiv and Moscow are growing increasingly frustrated with the U.S.-mediated peace process — and with Washington's Envoy Steve Witkoff, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has emerged as a key peace negotiator, traveled to Russia and Ukraine in early September in an attempt to restart stalled negotiations. They left both countries with little to show for the effort. Behind the scenes, however, several separate efforts are

U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 6, 2026.

Ukraine war latest: Elite Russian drone unit pulls back from northern Donetsk Oblast amid Ukrainian offensive

Key developments on Sept. 18: * Russia pulls elite drone unit from northern Donetsk Oblast after losses from Operation Vivaldi, Ukraine's military says * Russia increasingly using repurposed S-400 training missiles to bombard Ukraine, Reuters reports * As elections get underway, Russia closes Sochi polling stations over drone threat * Ukrainian National Guard creates recruitment center for foreign volunteers, Ukrainian Prime Minister announces * Head of Ukraine's Eastern Operational Comman

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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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