Months after the Russian military retreated from Kyiv Oblast, a 21-year-old Russian soldier confessed to killing a civilian man in the then-occupied village of Andriivka on March 12 by order of his commander. Speaking to a journalist from Russia-focused investigative news site iStories, Daniil Frolkin confessed to committing atrocities during
Editor's note: The photos were provided by Alex Chan Tsz Yuk, a Hong Kong-based photojournalist, now covering the war in Ukraine. Heavy Russian bombardment continues to pummel eastern Donetsk Oblast nearly six months into the full-scale war. Russian forces have fired missiles and shells across the entire region, indiscriminately killing
Editor’s Note: The names of some of the people interviewed by the Kyiv Independent for this story have been changed to protect their identity as they have shared sensitive information that could place them and their families in danger. Three months after Russia’s brutal months-long siege of Mariupol
A series of loud blasts were heard from the direction of a Russian military airbase in the western part of occupied Crimea in late afternoon on Aug. 9, according to multiple media reports. Shortly after the explosions took place, videos of black smoke rising above what is believed to be
Ukraine and Russia on July 22 signed agreements to resume exports of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, a deal aimed at unblocking crucial grain exports and easing fears of a looming global food crisis. During a ceremony at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov
As Russia wages its war in Ukraine, it also continues to weaponize its energy resources, throwing the European continent into one of the worst energy crises in decades. After 10 days of waiting to see if Russia would resume gas supplies through the Nord Stream pipeline, the main route of
Delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey met with United Nations representatives in Istanbul on July 13 for the first time to discuss the safe export of grain, as Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports persists and fears of a global food crisis continue to mount. After much anticipation, Turkey’s
The stakes are becoming increasingly high for the companies that have refused to pull out of Russia following its brutal invasion of Ukraine. A quarter of the world’s 200 largest companies are at risk of having key assets seized by the Russian government, according to a new report from
Russian missile attacks hit several regions of Ukraine on the morning of July 11, killing dozens and damaging or destroying homes and infrastructure. Attacks were reported in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Odesa oblasts. In Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, Russian missile strikes resulted in a total of at least six
Leaders of the world condemned the July 8 assassination of Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving prime minister in Japan’s history. Abe was fatally shot during a campaign speech in Nara, a city popular with tourists near Kyoto. The gunman was arrested by the police and admitted to shooting the politician.
Mayor of Sloviansk Vadym Liakh on July 6 urged remaining residents to evacuate, as the city appears to be Russia’s next target in its plans to capture Donetsk Oblast and civilian evacuation becomes increasingly difficult. After seizing the city of Lysychansk on July 3, Ukraine’s last major stronghold
Early on the morning of June 26, Kyiv resident Bogdan Lega was awoken to the loud whistling sound of a missile flying toward his apartment. A split second later, the first missile struck the apartment building. Lega told the Kyiv Independent that the powerful blast threw him out of his
Ukrainian farmers begin the July harvest knowing there may be nowhere to store their grain or export it, as Russia’s naval blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports enters its fifth month. According to Ukraine's estimates, 22 million tons of grain already stockpiled across the country remain in their silos.
Russia will focus on capturing all of Donetsk Oblast after seizing Lysychansk in neighboring Luhansk Oblast, Governor of Luhansk Oblast Serhiy Haidai said on July 4. Ukrainian forces were forced to withdraw from Lysychansk, Ukraine’s last holdout in Luhansk Oblast, on July 3, after months of fierce fighting. Both
Russian forces have captured Lysychansk, the final Ukrainian holdout in Luhansk Oblast, after heavy fighting, both sides confirmed on July 3. The General Staff of the Ukrainian military reported in the evening that its troops were forced to withdraw from Lysychansk after fierce fighting, a significant victory for Moscow whose
Ukraine’s eastern city of Lysychansk is now the center of competing claims, with both Ukraine and Russia claiming to be in control of it. Lysychansk was the last major city under Ukrainian control in Luhansk Oblast before the contradicting statements appeared. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed on July
KHARKIV – Oleh Puteshenko walked through the ruins of his former workplace, a restaurant in Kharkiv, barely holding back tears. The 46-year-old, who used to work as a security guard, spoke proudly of the restaurant as he showed the terrace where he spent most of his days taking care of the
The death toll continues to grow after the Russian missile attack on the shopping mall Amstor in Kremenchuk, Poltava Oblast, on June 27. At least 20 people were killed in the attack, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office. At a briefing on June 28, Interior
A Russian missile strike hit a shopping mall in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk late in the afternoon on June 27, killing at least 20 people and injuring 59 others, Deputy Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko reported. Head of State Emergency Services Serhiy Kruk said that 25
Russian missiles hit a nine-story residential building and a kindergarten in central Kyiv early on June 26, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Rescuers have pulled out 25 residents from under the rubble at the apartment building in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi District so far, Klitschko reported. At least one person was killed
After weeks of bloody street fighting and months of withering bombardment, Sievierodonetsk is now “fully occupied” by Russian forces, its mayor, Oleksandr Striuk, said on June 25. With Ukrainian troops’ withdrawal from Sievierodonetsk, the fighting now shifts to neighboring Lysychansk, the last Ukrainian-held city in the region. Capturing Sievierodonetsk brings
Ukrainian troops were ordered to withdraw from Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai said on June 24. The city has been the scene of fierce fighting for the past several months, with Russian troops controlling most of it. According to the Kyiv Independent's sources in the military, as well as
European leaders granted Ukraine candidate status on June 23, in a historic step on the long and difficult path to EU membership for the war-torn country. The government heads holding a two-day summit in Brussels approved a recommendation from the European Council to endorse Ukraine as a candidate country. The
Ukraine’s parliament on June 20 passed a bill ratifying the Istanbul Convention, a key human rights treaty on preventing and combatting violence against women. The country came close to ratifying the Council of Europe convention in 2016 but failed after a majority in parliament voted against it. After years
Two months after President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that the "Battle of Donbas" had begun, shelling and rocket fire intensifies as fierce fighting continues across the region. "Russia wants to destroy every city in Donbas, (and) 'every' is not an exaggeration," Zelensky said in an evening video address on June 10.
In a 73-minute speech on June 17 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin lashed out at the U.S. for trying to “cancel” Russia, claiming it is a "fading world power" doomed to meet its imminent demise because of its “unipolar” policy. The speech was
Even as the battle for Sievierodonetsk enters its critical stages and Russian forces storm into the fiercely contested city, Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk said the evacuation of civilians still continues during every “quiet” moment. After more than a month of heavy fighting, Russian troops control about 80% of Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast
KHARKIV – Weeks after Denys Parkhomenko and his 55-year-old mother moved out of a subway car, it’s still hard for them to readjust to normal life. Moving out of one of Kharkiv’s underground metro stations has been especially hard for Parkhomenko’s mother, Svitlana, who can’t get used
At her first press conference as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink pledged to maintain Washington’s “steadfast commitment” to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty. Brink, who was nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden in late April and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate on May
Editor’s Note: Names of some people appearing in this article have been changed to protect the families of those escaping Russian occupation from possible retaliation. ZAPORIZHZHIA– Two sisters quickly packed their stuff and rushed out the door when Russian troops stormed into their hometown Enerhodar. They knew their lives
ZAPORIZHZHIA – A large white tent in a shopping center parking lot in Zaporizhzhia, welcomes hundreds of evacuees who left everything behind after Russian forces destroyed peace in their hometowns. Under the marquee, displaced people sit at long communal tables and silently gulp down warm meals prepared by volunteers. Still in
Russia fired a barrage of missiles on several regions across Ukraine on the evening of May 3 as heavy fighting intensifies in the east. Approximately 18 Russian missiles hit infrastructure sites across the country. Preliminary reports suggest that at least eight other missiles were downed by Ukraine's Air Defense, the
