Ukraine war briefing: Russia bans voting against the war

In Russia on 11 August 2026, the Supreme Court barred Russia’s last anti-war party from elections. The party said it would fight on, and the Telegraph described it as the only anti-war party allowed to run against Vladimir Putin. Zelensky said Russia plans mass mobilization after elections he called rigged.

Separately, US Marine veteran Robert Gilman arrived in the US after being freed from detention in Russia, where he had been held for more than four years. Trump said Putin freed him on a humanitarian basis without a prisoner swap. Zelensky also said Ukraine has given US negotiators proposals for ending the war, and warned that Russia’s reliance on North Korea puts Japan, South Korea and the Philippines at risk.