America’s risky bet on Russia's closest ally | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines why the United States is re-engaging with Belarus — and what it could mean for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Team
Anna Belokur
Video CreatorAnna Belokur is a video creator at the Kyiv Independent, and is the writer and host of “Ukraine This Week” every Sunday. She has eight years of experience in nonprofits and newsrooms across Eastern Europe, most recently serving as a digital strategist at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Originally from the U.S., she is now based in Kyiv.
Articles
Russia's digital iron curtain is closing | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Russia’s escalates its crackdown on internet access and what it reveals about the Kremlin’s growing fear of dissent.
How AI is supercharging Russian propaganda | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines how artificial intelligence is changing the way we see and trust video. From viral clips of events that never happened to fabricated battlefield footage, AI-generated content is increasingly blurring the line between real and fake.
How the war in Iran benefits Russia | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines how the new war in the Middle East could strengthen Russia's ability to keep financing its invasion of Ukraine.
The world isn’t ready for drone warfare | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines how Russia and its allies have rapidly expanded the use of long-range attack drones — and why much of the world remains unprepared to defend against them.
Trump’s struggle to deliver peace | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur examines why U.S.-led peace negotiations have so far failed to end Russia’s war, one year after the now-infamous Oval Office clash between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.
How Ukraine stopped trending | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur examines how global support for Ukraine has shifted four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Ukraine and Russia in the Epstein files | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur examines how Ukraine appears in recently released Jeffrey Epstein files. The files reference flight arrangements for models linked to Kyiv agencies, a failed real estate deal in Lviv, and brief mentions of Ukraine’s 2019 presidential election.
Starlink’s dangerous power | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur examines SpaceX’s move to curb Russia’s illegal use of Starlink satellite internet — a technology that has been vital to Ukraine’s defense since 2022.
Where martial law meets the energy crisis | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur explains how martial law shapes daily life in Ukraine amid the country's harshest winter since the full-scale invasion.
Extreme winter grips Ukraine's front lines | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent's Anna Belokur reports on how subzero temperatures are shaping the war on Ukraine's front lines, as Russia continues assaults around Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and Lyman in Donetsk Oblast amid severe winter conditions.
Russia’s “all in” attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur breaks down Russia’s intensified winter assault on Ukraine’s energy grid, as sustained missile and drone strikes push the system to the brink.
Russia fires Oreshnik missile near NATO border | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur reports on Russia’s latest missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, including the use of an Oreshnik ballistic missile near NATO borders.
Global sport reopens doors to Russia | Ukraine This Week
In the first episode of Ukraine This Week in 2026, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur examines how international sports federations are gradually rolling back bans on Russian and Belarusian athletes as the Olympic year begins.
Ukraine This Year: a year of stalled peace and escalating war
In this year-end wrap-up of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur looks back at the moments that defined 2025, the fourth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine — from stalled peace efforts and escalating Russian attacks to mass anti-corruption protests and political upheaval at home.
Editors' Picks
Consolidation and capital: The new era of Ukrainian defense tech
Historian Serhii Plokhy on Russian imperialism, de-colonization, and why Putin is so obsessed with Ukraine
Counterattacking through the kill zone, Ukrainian troops brace for new Russian offensives
