Vladimir Putin

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How Russia bought influence over culture in the West

At 7 p.m. on Saturday, my phone lit up with a message from a colleague in Kyiv. It read: "The Lavra is bombed. It's on fire." The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, founded in 1051, is the most important religious and cultural site in Eastern Europe. For nearly a thousand years, it has survived invasions, occupations, revolutions, and wars. And today, it joins a growing list of Ukrainian cultural landmarks damaged by Russian missiles. According to Ukraine's Culture Ministry, this list has grown to 1,783 cul

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv targets Moscow for second day in a row following record drone assault

Key developments on June 19: * Kyiv targets Moscow for second day in a row following record drone assault; * Moscow Oil Refinery halts operations after largest-ever drone attack on Russian capital, General Staff says; * US senators propose using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's military; * Australia announces $70 million in arms funding for Ukraine through PURL initiative; * Western allies pledge $4 billion in military aid for Ukraine at Ramstein summit. Moscow came under attack

How Estonia prepares for possible Russian attack

The Kyiv Independent's Martin Fornusek travels across Estonia, from the streets of Tallinn to military exercises near the Russian border, to see how the Baltic country is preparing for potential threats.

About Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin is Russia's president, a position he has held since 2012 and previously from 2000 to 2008, following his tenure as prime minister from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012. Born on October 7, 1952, Putin served as a KGB officer before entering politics in the 1990s and consolidating authoritarian control over Russia's political system.

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