Russia's war in Ukraine is on the verge of escalating dramatically, with multiple reports, intelligence assessments, and a video suggesting North Korean troops could soon be fighting alongside Kremlin forces. While Pyongyang has long supplied Moscow with weaponry, the deployment of boots on the ground would mark a significant development
The bloodiest day for Moscow's forces was on May 13 when they suffered a reported 1,740 casualties.
Russia's war in Ukraine may have reached a new stage this week, with reports that North Korea has moved from supplying Moscow with weapons to sending its own troops. A Western diplomat familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 15 Pyongyang has sent 10,000 soldiers to
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.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include President Volodymyr Zelensky's Oct. 14 statements regarding North Korea. President Volodymyr Zelensky on Oct. 14 said that Russia plans to involve North Korea directly in the full-scale war against Ukraine over the coming months. Russia's plans for the fall and winter
"Such Soviet aircraft are used, in particular, to transport the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry," Ukraine's military intelligence said.
Lithuania announced this week it had blocked and fortified a bridge over the Nieman River linking it to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the latest in a series of escalations in the Baltic Sea region. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine exacerbated fears of a potential open conflict between Moscow and
Ukraine's independent media has taken great strides since the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2014, but concerns have been raised since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Russia's supply of ballistic missiles from Iran, confirmed last month by the U.S., is not expected to be immediately affected by escalating tensions in the Middle East, but two complicating factors could cause longer term issues. Iran launched its largest-ever aerial attack against Israel on Oct. 1, with nearly
For the first time since the full-scale invasion, Russia launched drone attacks on cities and towns across Ukraine on a daily basis for an entire month. According to Ukraine's Air Force, 1,339 Shahed-type kamikaze drones targeted the country in September, 1,107 of which were shot down, with some
September was the second-deadliest month for Russian forces fighting in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to figures released by Kyiv. Adding up, the daily reports from the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces show 38,130 Russian soldiers were reported as casualties last month. The figures
The Russian president insisted things are going according to plan, two years after annexing southeastern parts of Ukraine that his army still does not fully control.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russian forces had launched 73 Shahed-type drones against cities across Ukraine overnight, 67 of which were intercepted.
The Kremlin is facing a backlash from Russian military bloggers outraged at reports of specialist troops being sent to storm Ukrainian positions in order to maintain pressure on the front lines. Facing a shortage of manpower and a pressing need to maintain the grinding advances in eastern Ukraine, Russia has
Ukraine reportedly using two of the highly sophisticated German air defense systems.
Russia has secretly established a development and production program in China for attack drones to be used in the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Sept. 25 citing European intelligence sources and documents reviewed by the outlet. According to the report, Russia has flight-tested a new drone called the Garpiya-3
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva touted his peace plan jointly developed with China at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24, despite the proposal already being dismissed as "destructive" by Ukraine. Condemning the "invasion of Ukrainian territory," Lula said it was now "crucial" to create the conditions
The long-embattled town of Vuhledar, key to Ukrainian defenses in the southeastern part of Donetsk Oblast, is under threat of encirclement and is being "razed to the ground," according to reports on Sept. 24. Located 50 kilometers south of Pokrovsk, the strategic roadway junction, Vuhledar is often called a "fortress"
Kyiv says it was built deliberately low to the water in order to keep out international shipping.
In a post on Telegram, the SBU said the group had originally planned to seize administrative buildings and state institutions in the city at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Jamie Dimon said Russia is in cahoots with Iran and North Korea "working every day on how to make it worse for the Western world and for America."
Two influential and controversial U.S. figures stepped into the debate over Ukraine's potential long-range strikes on Russian territory by claiming such a move could result in "the end of the human species." In a joint opinion piece published on Sept. 17 by The Hill, Donald Trump Jr. and former
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least four civilians and injured at least 22 over the previous day, regional authorities reported early on Sept. 18.
“Russian intelligence is everywhere. And its propaganda is everywhere, not only in Estonia but all over the world,” Estonian President Alar Karis told the Kyiv Independent during an interview on the sidelines of the 20th annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) Conference in Kyiv. Russia has been actively meddling in the
Almost immediately after a reported second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, reports emerged of the suspect’s apparent support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Text messages shared with the Kyiv Independent and conversations with other foreigners living and working in Ukraine paint a picture, however, of
The Kyiv Independent contacted Ukraine's military intelligence for confirmation of who was behind the attack. It replied with a smiling face with sunglasses emoji.
In recent weeks, Ukraine’s hopes have been buoyed that its Western allies will finally allow their long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has been able to attack Ukraine with relative impunity from its positions behind the border, while the
Ukraine's hopes of being allowed to use Western-supplied long range missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory were put on hold once again on Sept. 13, after the leaders of the U.S. and U.K. stopped short of making the announcement Kyiv wanted. Anticipation had been high ahead of
A six-point peace plan jointly proposed by China and Brazil sparked a furious outburst from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week, who described it as "destructive." China and Brazil first put forward the plan in May, setting it up as an alternative to Ukraine's own efforts of initiating peace negotiations
The U.S. and U.K. may be on the verge of what could be a hugely significant move regarding the war in Ukraine, with reports suggesting both countries might soon allow Kyiv to use their long-range weapons to strike targets deep in Russian territory. U.S. President Joe Biden
In between claiming immigrants were eating pets, and insisting some U.S. states allow abortions to be performed after a baby is born, Donald Trump on Sept. 10 once again raised concerns about what his second term in office would mean for Ukraine. Speaking during the highly-anticipated presidential debate between
After months of contradictory reports, the U.S. on Sept. 10 confirmed that Iran had delivered ballistic missiles to Russia in what could prove a dramatic development for Ukraine. "We've warned Tehran publicly, we've warned Tehran privately, that taking this step would be a dangerous escalation," U.S. Secretary of
