diff --git a/ui/PLAN-finalize.md b/ui/PLAN-finalize.md
index 2e1dfed..efd3e37 100644
--- a/ui/PLAN-finalize.md
+++ b/ui/PLAN-finalize.md
@@ -69,7 +69,17 @@ axe-core scan; full keyboard reachability with visible focus.
 Tests: axe-core integration tests on every top-level view; Playwright
 keyboard-only navigation.
 
-## F3 — Localisation completeness
+## F3 — Localisation completeness — done
+
+An audit found the client already i18n-first (the single hard-coded UI
+string, the battle-scene `aria-label`, is now keyed); en/ru already have
+identical key sets (692 keys). Added locale **persistence** to the i18n
+store (`localStorage` `galaxy-locale`: stored choice > browser detection
+> default) so a switch survives reloads, and
+`tests/i18n-completeness.test.ts` enforcing en/ru key-set parity,
+non-empty values, and persistence. A noisy literal-text lint was
+deliberately skipped — the structural parity test plus the i18n-first
+convention cover drift. Docs: `ui/docs/i18n.md`.
 
 (From Phase 35.) Goal: every visible string is translated (en + ru).
 
diff --git a/ui/docs/i18n.md b/ui/docs/i18n.md
index 7cfe9e4..069b6c9 100644
--- a/ui/docs/i18n.md
+++ b/ui/docs/i18n.md
@@ -82,12 +82,13 @@ Native wrappers (Wails, Capacitor) will pass their system locale
 once the desktop/mobile targets land (see ../ROADMAP.md); the
 helper is platform-agnostic by design.
 
-The detection runs once at module load — there is no asynchronous
-init step. Callers that mutate the locale (e.g. the language picker
-on `/login`) call `i18n.setLocale(next)` directly. The choice is
-**not** persisted between page reloads; the next visit re-runs
-detection. Persistence is deferred to the finalization plan
-(../Plan-finalize.md).
+The boot locale resolves once at module load (no async init):
+an explicit stored choice wins, otherwise browser/system detection,
+otherwise `DEFAULT_LOCALE`. Callers that mutate the locale (the language
+pickers on `/login` and in the account menu) call `i18n.setLocale(next)`,
+which **persists** the choice to `localStorage` (key `galaxy-locale`) so
+it survives reloads. An unrecognised stored value is ignored and falls
+back to detection.
 
 ## Forwarding the locale to the gateway
 
@@ -135,6 +136,9 @@ at challenge issuance and replayed from the challenge row.
 - `tests/i18n.test.ts` covers `detectInitialLocale`,
   `i18n.setLocale`, parameter interpolation, and the unknown-key
   fallback.
+- `tests/i18n-completeness.test.ts` enforces en/ru key-set parity (no
+  key present in one locale but missing in the other), non-empty values,
+  and locale persistence (a stored choice is restored on the next load).
 - `tests/login-page.test.ts` asserts the language picker renders
   with native names, switching the locale re-renders the form
   text, and `sendEmailCode` receives the active locale.
diff --git a/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-scene.svelte b/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-scene.svelte
index bcc2292..55e8a9e 100644
--- a/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-scene.svelte
+++ b/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-scene.svelte
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ combat filter, so a shot never collapses to a single visual node.
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { getContext } from "svelte";
 
+	import { i18n } from "$lib/i18n/index.svelte";
 	import type { BattleReport } from "../../api/battle-fetch";
 	import {
 		CORE_CONTEXT_KEY,
@@ -310,7 +311,7 @@ combat filter, so a shot never collapses to a single visual node.
 	viewBox="0 0 {VIEW_BOX} {VIEW_BOX}"
 	preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid meet"
 	role="img"
-	aria-label="battle scene"
+	aria-label={i18n.t("game.battle.scene_label")}
 	data-testid="battle-scene"
 >
 	<circle
diff --git a/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/index.svelte.ts b/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/index.svelte.ts
index d530d1f..284b77a 100644
--- a/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/index.svelte.ts
+++ b/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/index.svelte.ts
@@ -106,15 +106,36 @@ function isLocale(value: string): value is Locale {
 	return SUPPORTED_LOCALES.some((entry) => entry.code === value);
 }
 
+/** `localStorage` key holding the user's explicit locale choice. */
+export const LOCALE_STORAGE_KEY = "galaxy-locale";
+
+function readStoredLocale(): Locale | null {
+	if (typeof localStorage === "undefined") return null;
+	const value = localStorage.getItem(LOCALE_STORAGE_KEY);
+	return value !== null && isLocale(value) ? value : null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * initialLocale resolves the boot locale: an explicit stored choice
+ * wins, otherwise the browser/system preference, otherwise the default.
+ */
+function initialLocale(): Locale {
+	return readStoredLocale() ?? detectInitialLocale();
+}
+
 class I18nStore {
-	locale: Locale = $state(detectInitialLocale());
+	locale: Locale = $state(initialLocale());
 
 	/**
-	 * setLocale changes the active locale. Components reading
+	 * setLocale changes the active locale and persists the choice to
+	 * `localStorage`, so it survives a reload. Components reading
 	 * `i18n.t(...)` re-render automatically through the rune.
 	 */
 	setLocale(next: Locale): void {
 		this.locale = next;
+		if (typeof localStorage !== "undefined") {
+			localStorage.setItem(LOCALE_STORAGE_KEY, next);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/locales/en.ts b/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/locales/en.ts
index 915209d..4c503c9 100644
--- a/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/locales/en.ts
+++ b/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/locales/en.ts
@@ -617,6 +617,7 @@ const en = {
 	"game.battle.not_found": "battle not found",
 	"game.battle.back_to_report": "back to report",
 	"game.battle.back_to_map": "back to map",
+	"game.battle.scene_label": "battle scene",
 	"game.battle.controls.play": "play",
 	"game.battle.controls.pause": "pause",
 	"game.battle.controls.step_forward": "step forward",
diff --git a/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/locales/ru.ts b/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/locales/ru.ts
index ab394a2..c48bb41 100644
--- a/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/locales/ru.ts
+++ b/ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/locales/ru.ts
@@ -621,6 +621,7 @@ const ru: Record<keyof typeof en, string> = {
 	"game.battle.not_found": "сражение не найдено",
 	"game.battle.back_to_report": "к отчёту",
 	"game.battle.back_to_map": "к карте",
+	"game.battle.scene_label": "сцена боя",
 	"game.battle.controls.play": "запустить",
 	"game.battle.controls.pause": "пауза",
 	"game.battle.controls.step_forward": "шаг вперёд",
diff --git a/ui/frontend/tests/i18n-completeness.test.ts b/ui/frontend/tests/i18n-completeness.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..649b7dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/frontend/tests/i18n-completeness.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import "@testing-library/jest-dom/vitest";
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import en from "../src/lib/i18n/locales/en";
+import ru from "../src/lib/i18n/locales/ru";
+
+// Structural guard against translation drift: the en bundle defines the
+// TranslationKey type, so any key added to one locale but not the other
+// (or left blank) must fail here rather than silently fall back at
+// runtime.
+describe("i18n bundle completeness", () => {
+	it("en and ru expose identical key sets", () => {
+		const onlyEn = Object.keys(en).filter((k) => !(k in ru));
+		const onlyRu = Object.keys(ru).filter((k) => !(k in en));
+		expect({ onlyEn, onlyRu }).toEqual({ onlyEn: [], onlyRu: [] });
+	});
+
+	it("has no empty translation values", () => {
+		for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(en)) {
+			expect(v.length, `en.${k}`).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+		}
+		for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(ru)) {
+			expect(v.length, `ru.${k}`).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+		}
+	});
+});
+
+// The store is a module singleton constructed on first import (it reads
+// localStorage in its initialiser), so each case clears storage and
+// resets the module registry, then imports a freshly-built store.
+const LOCALE_KEY = "galaxy-locale";
+
+describe("locale persistence", () => {
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		localStorage.clear();
+		vi.resetModules();
+	});
+
+	it("persists an explicit choice and restores it on the next load", async () => {
+		const first = await import("../src/lib/i18n/index.svelte");
+		first.i18n.setLocale("ru");
+		expect(localStorage.getItem(LOCALE_KEY)).toBe("ru");
+
+		vi.resetModules();
+		const second = await import("../src/lib/i18n/index.svelte");
+		expect(second.i18n.locale).toBe("ru");
+	});
+
+	it("falls back to browser detection when nothing is stored", async () => {
+		const mod = await import("../src/lib/i18n/index.svelte");
+		expect(["en", "ru"]).toContain(mod.i18n.locale);
+	});
+
+	it("ignores an unrecognised stored value", async () => {
+		localStorage.setItem(LOCALE_KEY, "fr");
+		const mod = await import("../src/lib/i18n/index.svelte");
+		expect(["en", "ru"]).toContain(mod.i18n.locale);
+	});
+});