Top stories in Russia on August 26, 2026

1. Zelensky awards Elon Musk Ukraine’s Order of Freedom — one of the country’s highest honors (4 outlets, 3 countries)
2. Russians Are Rushing for Cash. Should the Kremlin Be Worried?
3. Zemfira wrote one of Russian pop’s most devastating songs about the war. She turned 50 this week in Paris, where her 2025 setlists had room for the newer songs, never ‘It’s midnight in Mariupol.’