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Two mononuclear ruthenium complexes [RuL(pic)₃] (1) and [RuL(bpy)(pic)] (2) (H₂L=2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid, pic=4‐picoline, bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine) have been synthesized and fully characterized. Both complexes could promote water oxidation chemically and photochemically. Compared with other known ruthenium‐based water oxidation catalysts using [Ce(NH₄)₂(NO₃)₆] (Ce^IV) as the oxidant in solution at pH 1.0, complex 1 is one of the most active catalysts yet reported with an initial rate of 0.23 turnover s⁻¹. Under acidic conditions, the equatorial 4‐picoline in complex 1 dissociates first. In addition, ligand exchange in 1 occurs when the Ru^III state is reached. Based on the above observations and MS measurements of the intermediates during water oxidation by 1 using Ce^IV as oxidant, [RuL(pic)₂(H₂O)]⁺ is proposed as the real water oxidation catalyst.