Trump denies reports on his envoy waiting for Putin, calls media 'sick degenerates'
"The fake news, as usual, is at it again!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Why can't they be honest, just for once?"
Asami Terajima
Articles
‘I can’t sit and watch it’ – US volunteers join Ukrainian army after Trump’s sharp policy turn
Editor’s note: Soldiers interviewed for this article are identified only by their first name, callsign, or nickname due to security reasons. William, a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran, has come to Ukraine to join the Ukrainian military in its fight against Russian aggression just days after his contract with
'There will still be war' — Ukraine's soldiers on ceasefire proposal, Russia, and Putin
The "ball is in (Russia's) court," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 11 after Kyiv and Washington emerged from talks in Saudi Arabia in agreement over a ceasefire proposal. After the negotiations with Washington, Ukraine announced that it was ready to accept a 30-day-long ceasefire if
Losing foothold in Kursk Oblast would be 'politically significant,' experts say
As Russian troops are set to push Ukrainian soldiers out of Kursk Oblast, experts say Kyiv's withdrawal from the region could be "politically significant." Ukraine's seven-month-long hold of a small portion of Russia's Kursk Oblast might be ending. On March 12, Russian troops entered the town of Sudzha, which served
‘He betrayed every one of us’ – US soldiers in Ukraine speak out after Trump’s military aid halt
Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. American volunteer soldiers fighting in Ukraine say that they feel “betrayed” by their own country after the U.S. halted military aid and stopped
‘US sided with Russia, North Korea & Iran’ – Ukraine reacts to Trump's military aid freeze
Even in a country grimly accustomed to negative news, the headlines that Ukraine woke up to on March 4 still came as a shock — the U.S. is freezing military aid. "It hurts to watch it unfolding," Volodymyr Dubovyk, the head of Odesa National University's Center for International Studies, told
Making sense of Trump’s plan – if there is one – to end Russia’s war in Ukraine
After pledging for months to swiftly end Russia’s war in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump has started to take first steps toward peace negotiations this week. After holding a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 12, Trump declared that Ukraine peace talks were to start
‘A push for Ukraine’s capitulation’ – Baltic, Eastern Europe react to Trump’s rush to negotiate peace with Putin
Editor's note: The article was updated on Feb. 14 to include the Latvian Foreign Ministry's comments. European nations, particularly Ukraine’s neighbors and the Baltic states, were stunned when the U.S. President Donald Trump suddenly announced the start of peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the
Europe to take helm in Ramstein, as US vacates its leading role
The U.K. is set to gather the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Feb. 12, taking over the role the U.S. had assumed at the start of the all-out war. With U.S. President Donald Trump pulling his country out of established international agreements and formats, it's now up
Transfer of Ukrainian Air Force personnel to infantry continues despite scandal
The Ukrainian military command's plan to throw high-skilled Air Force personnel into the infantry was said to be halted when the practice gained nationwide attention, followed by a condemnation from President Volodymyr Zelensky. Soldiers, who spoke to the Kyiv Independent on conditions of anonymity, say, however, that nothing has changed,
Potential encirclement in Velyka Novosilka prompts questions about last-ditch withdrawal strategy
Thrusting forward with their vast manpower advantage, Russian troops are gradually penetrating Ukrainian defenses on the western edge of Donetsk Oblast and are close to capturing Velyka Novosilka. Located about 15 kilometers east of the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the vital road-junction village was once home to around 5,000 people.
In photos: Grinding war in Donetsk Oblast through the lens of photojournalist-turned-soldier
When Oleg Petrasiuk began taking photos in 2009, photography was only meant to be a side gig to earn some money while in college. Eventually, it became his life’s work. After Russia launched its all-out war against Ukraine, Petrasiuk was drafted to serve in Ukraine’s Armed Forces. He
'Absurd phenomenon' — The manpower issue threatening to weaken Ukraine's Air Force
Critically lacking manpower on the front lines where Russia continues to use its vast manpower advantage to make grinding advances, Ukraine has been scrambling specialists into the infantry in an effort to replenish losses. Criticized widely by soldiers and experts for a “wasteful” use of specialist troops that have spent
Ukraine’s new Kursk push brings minor gains, raising concerns over limited resources
Since the new push in Russia’s Kursk Oblast in early January, Ukraine has made small gains and managed to capture the first North Korean prisoners of war in the area but experts have raised concerns about Kyiv’s use of limited resources while fierce battles rage elsewhere. The assessment
Ukraine ends year battered, with Russian troops pushing north, east, and south
The entire year 2024 saw Ukrainian troops on the back foot, losing territory to the advancing Russian troops in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast and eastern Donetsk Oblast. Russia captured Avdiivka — an industrial city in Donetsk Oblast — in February, kickstarting Moscow's offensives all across the region. Taking advantage of a poorly conducted
North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast boost Russia's manpower, despite vulnerabilities
North Korean troops fighting in Kursk Oblast are especially vulnerable to drones but still managed to help Moscow advance a few kilometers in the partially Ukrainian-occupied region in southwest Russia, according to Western military experts analyzing open-source data. The assessment of drone vulnerability differs from an on-the-ground testimony obtained by
‘Destroying us little by little:’ Ukrainian troops worried about fate of Kursk operation
Editor’s note: Ukrainian soldiers featured in this story are identified by first name only since they spoke without authorization from their command. Nearly four months after Kyiv launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, some Ukrainian soldiers are increasingly pessimistic about the costly operation. “Aviation is
1,000 days of full-scale war: Reflections from the Kyiv Independent team
As we mark 1,000 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, members of the Kyiv Independent’s staff have paused to reflect. These reflections offer a glimpse into the profound impact of war — not only on a nation’s struggle for survival but on those who bear
Zelensky presents resilience plan: 'Ukraine may need to outlive someone in Moscow to achieve all the goals'
The individual points were focused on the country's unity, front-line situation, arms, finances, energy, security, communities, human capital, cultural sovereignty, and veterans, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on his Telegram channel.
UN watchdog confirms riot control agent used on Ukraine battlefield
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed on Nov. 18 that a riot control agent known as CS has been used in Ukraine, as evidence mounts that Russia has scaled up its attacks using chemical weapons in recent months.
Ukrainian soldiers react to Trump's victory: 'This could be a disaster,' others say Biden was 'impotent'
Donald Trump claimed victory in the U.S. presidential elections on Nov. 6, bringing additional uncertainty for many Ukrainian soldiers who already struggle to see the future of the war. Though doubt looms over Trump's moves in the coming months, his warm relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his
Russia’s use of unidentified gas surges on the front line, Ukraine lacks detectors
Russia is increasingly deploying unidentified gas in its latest chemical warfare tactic against Ukrainian troops, who are losing ground across the hotspots of the eastern front line. Ukraine is currently unable to identify the majority of the gas used on the battlefield, compared to previous months when it could diagnose
Ukraine hopes Washington will support Kyiv's NATO bid after elections, as opposition in Europe persists
The desire to receive an official invitation to NATO tops President Volodymyr Zelensky's victory plan. While acknowledging that membership itself is a matter for after the war, Zelensky urged allies to send an invitation before U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office in January. The president also said that Ukraine
Kamyshin: Drone and missile deep strikes into Russia — Ukraine has know-how, needs money
Ukraine says it has the know-how to produce more much-needed drones as well as missiles for strikes deep into Russia, and all it needs is financial backing from Western allies. “We’ve got all the knowledge, we've got all the capabilities in place,” Alexander Kamyshin, advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky
North Korea has sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia, Western source says
As Russia and North Korea deepen military ties, Western diplomats and experts stress that it shows Moscow's increasing need for resources to continue waging its costly war in Ukraine.
Russia’s Toretsk offensive: Another Donbas town could fall as West delays weapons talks
Russia’s invading army is racing against the weather clock, trying to seize yet more towns in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region before the ground gets muddy this autumn and temperatures later plunge. The coal mining town of Toretsk is on the verge of falling to Moscow’s forces, an
As signs of talks about West Germany model for Ukraine peace emerge, experts weigh in on feasibility
Ukraine is seeking membership in the NATO military alliance as a part of its plan to end Russia’s war, and recent reports suggest a West Germany model is seriously being discussed among Kyiv and its allies. During a September visit to the U.S., Head of the Presidential Office
Ukraine scrambles for resources before uncertain US elections, Russian stockpiles not unlimited
Kyiv’s efforts to secure as many resources as possible from Western allies to tip the scale of Russia's war in its favor will face a critical moment next weekend as leaders of more than 50 countries meet for the final talks on arming Ukraine before the upcoming U.S.
Biden-Zelensky talks: Ukrainian soldiers want firepower to win but question if US wants Russia defeated
As President Volodymyr Zelensky kicked off a visit to the U.S. this week in a bid to secure more firepower for his army, Ukrainian soldiers on the ground monitored the news with half-hearted hope, questioning whether Kyiv’s top Western ally would provide enough to help them defeat Russia.
Zelensky comes to US in attempt to boost firepower, pitch victory
President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to be the latest world leader to nudge his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in a face-to-face meeting into providing Kyiv with more firepower — key to a potential Ukrainian victory — and the crucial right to use it against Russia’s invading forces without restrictions. The
Sweden takes step toward supplying Ukraine with Gripen fighter jets
Weeks after Ukraine received its first batch of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets from European allies and more than a year after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the start of test trials on Sweden’s prestigious Gripen multipurpose variants, Stockholm signaled that their possible transfer to Ukraine remains on the
What the fall of Pokrovsk would mean for Russia's war in Ukraine
As Russian troops approach Pokrovsk, fear mounts over a possible loss of what had long been a key logistic hub tucked away in safety in Donetsk Oblast. The war has arrived in Pokrovsk, once home to 60,000 people, with the Russians estimated to be about eight kilometers away. Thousands
Editors' Picks
Despite Russian-backed Georgescu barred from presidential race, Romania's far-right still aim to win
Investigation: We tried to buy American chips as a Russian defense manufacturer — and it worked
‘We will adapt’ — Ukraine’s soldiers say after US intel cut
