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Explainer: Why Russia’s nuclear industry has escaped major sanctions
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Explainer: Why Russia’s nuclear industry has escaped major sanctions

by Toby Woodall

Since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly threatened the use of atomic weapons, yet its much-prized nuclear industry has faced little in the way of meaningful sanctions. Russia's state atomic corporation, Rosatom, is a key part of the country's military-industrial complex — and is increasingly expanding its reach beyond nuclear weapons. By far the world's largest exporter of reactors and enriched uranium, it is a major player in the global civil nuclear indust

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European leaders present six-point security, recovery plan for Ukraine

In a joint statement issued Dec. 15, European leaders outlined a six-point security and recovery framework for Ukraine, committing to long-term military support, a European-led and U.S.-supported multinational force operating inside Ukraine, and legally binding measures to respond to any future attack.

‘No need to hold referendums’ — Amid U.S. pressure, Ukrainians reject territorial concessions

As U.S. pressure on Kyiv grows, Ukrainians oppose Russian demands. If concessions are put up for a vote, those who spoke with the Kyiv Independent said they would flat out deny the terms. Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that any territorial concessions to end Russia's all-out war, mentioned in a U.S.-backed peace plan, should be decided by the Ukrainian people, including through a referendum. This idea had been floated before. But like elections, holding a referendum is prohibited

Few politicians are interested in Anti-Corruption Court's effective work, court's head says

Few decision makers are interested in making the High Anti-Corruption Court actually work, Vira Mykhailenko, the court's head, said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent. Set up in 2019 as part of a Western-backed reform, the court was designed to rule on cases brought by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). The three institutions were created from scratch to fight top-level corruption instead of traditional courts and l

Vira Mykhailenko, head of Ukraine’s Supreme Anti-Corruption Court in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 31, 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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