TORTURE CULTURE: Investigating Russia’s use of torture throughout history

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Tuesday, February 24, 2026
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Team

Anastasiia Verzun photo

Anastasiia Verzun

Editorial Assistant

Anastasiia is an editorial assistant at the Kyiv Independent. Anastasiia is an alumnus of Ukrainian Leadership Academy Mariupol 2022 and holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Kyiv National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture. Before joining the team, she studied at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. She also worked at the NGO Kriegsbilder, organizing screenings of Ukrainian cinema and curating music and cultural events that advocate for and promote Ukrainian culture.

a.verzun@kyivindependent.com
For media & speaking inquiries:
press@kyivindependent.com

Articles

Antonina Rybalenko is seen in the apartment on the Left Bank of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 27, 2026.
War

As Kyiv's social services strain to meet needs this winter, volunteers step in

by Anastasiia Verzun
Valentyna Popova, an 85-year-old retired mathematician, lives in an apartment block on Kyiv’s east bank that is only minutes away from a city-installed "Invincibility Point," an emergency winter heating hub offering warmth, a place to charge devices, and sometimes tea or hot meals. She, however, is unable to reach the hub. While her flat is on the ground floor, mobility issues keep her inside, forcing her to rely entirely on volunteers stepping in to support residents that fell through the crac
Politics

Rage, panic, and a glimmer of hope in Ukraine as corruption scandal unfolds

by Chris York, Yuliia Taradiuk, Asami Terajima, Anastasiia Verzun
Ukraine is being rocked by the biggest corruption scandal of President Volodymyr Zelensky's term. In the halls of power in Kyiv, the mood is one of dread and uncertainty about what to expect next. "It's a huge blow, but the worst part of it is that I'm not sure that we are at the end of it, it might still be unfolding," a pro-government Ukrainian lawmaker speaking on condition of anonymity told the Kyiv Independent. "What I would recommend the president to do right now is to take serious acti

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