When Ukraine was the third-largest nuclear power
For the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum, The Kyiv Independent’s Daria Shulzhenko visits a former Soviet-era nuclear missile silo in south Ukraine.
Daria Shulzhenko
Articles
Children who lost parents in Russia’s war share dreams, hopes in letters to St. Nicholas
For children around the world, the winter holidays are about gifts and a joyful time with their families. But for some Ukrainian children, the season is bittersweet, as it highlights the absence of one or both parents killed by Russia’s full-scale invasion. Nearly 1,800 Ukrainian children have become
‘It’s excruciating’ – Ukrainians describe surviving Russian attacks that cost them health, loved ones, and homes
WARNING: This article contains descriptions of graphic scenes. Anna Kotova was chatting with her sister on a video call, admiring her image on the screen. It was her 19th birthday, and for the first time in a while, she was feeling good about how she looked. “I used to dye
Russian troops kill 2 civilian women, injure man in Donetsk Oblast's Toretsk, prosecutors say
According to the report, at around 6 p.m. on Nov. 21, Russian soldiers entered an apartment in a residential area of Toretsk and "deliberately" opened fire with automatic weapons on three civilians.
Russia recruits hundreds of Yemeni mercenaries to fight in Ukraine, FT reports
Russia has recruited hundreds of mercenaries from Yemen to fight in its war against Ukraine, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Nov. 24.
Russia attacked Ukraine with over 800 KAB bombs, 460 drones, 20 missiles this week, Zelensky says
Over the past week, Russia has launched over 800 KAB-guided aerial bombs, nearly 460 attack drones, and more than 20 missiles, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 24.
Panic grips Kyiv as embassy closures and Telegram rumors fuel fears of imminent attack
Ukrainians woke up on Nov. 20 to a message that a number of foreign embassies were closing their Kyiv offices — a stark reminder of the departure of foreign diplomats from Kyiv days before the start of the all-out war. The U.S. Embassy in the capital said it had received
This is what Ukrainians in Kyiv think about Trump’s election victory
As Donald Trump triumphs in the U.S. presidential election, Ukrainians brace themselves for what it means for their nation.
These Ukrainian women down Russian drones
The Kyiv Independent joined one such unit that refers to themselves as the Witches of Bucha, after a suburb in Kyiv Oblast where they are based. Since all of them are volunteers, these women combine their combat duties with civilian lives.
What we know about Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna who died in Russian captivity
Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, 27, was about to be released from Russian captivity and returned home, when the news of her death broke out on Oct. 10, shocking Ukraine and the world. Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 while reporting in Russian-occupied territory. More than half a year later, Russia's Defense
Defense in Zakarpattia teenage sexual assault case seeks dismissal
After over a year of court hearings, attorneys defending three Ukrainian teenagers convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Zakarpattia Oblast have asked the court to close the case against them.
Zelensky to present 'victory plan' at upcoming Ramstein meeting
On Oct. 2, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. had reviewed Ukraine's victory plan and identified "a number of productive steps."
Stoltenberg suggests Ukraine could be granted NATO membership even with territories occupied by Russia
As of late August, Russia was in control of around 27% of Ukrainian territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
African POWs on how they ended up fighting for Russia
In this exclusive interview, the Kyiv Independent interviews Somali and Sierra Leonean prisoners of war who fought for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
‘A wave of lawlessness’ – returning from war in Ukraine, Russian convicts commit crimes at home
Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions. Several months after Russian Sergei Kozlov, an assault fighter of the infamous Wagner Group, returned home from the war in Ukraine, he violently killed his 18-year-old partner Daria, who was pregnant with his child. She was beaten to death, suffering a traumatic
From strangers to friends: How Ukrainians meet and bond during wartime train travel
For the past eight years, Anton Lytvynov, a stage director at Lviv National Opera, has celebrated New Year in Kyiv with his three friends – Sandra, Mykhailo, and Volodymyr. However, on Dec. 31, 2022, work commitments kept Lytvynov in Lviv longer than he had expected. Determined to reunite with his closest
How Western aid transforms the life of small community in Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast
Editor's note: This story was sponsored by U-LEAD (Ukraine – Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development Program), a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union and its member states Germany, Poland, Denmark, and Slovenia, to support the establishment of a transparent, accountable and responsive multi-level governance system in Ukraine. KULYKIVKA,
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine building underground weapons factories; Ukrainian drones hit Russian ammunition warehouse
Key developments on Sept. 7-8: * Russian offensive near Pokrovsk reportedly slowing down * Zelensky: Ukraine building underground weapons factories * Ukrainian drones hit ammunition warehouse in Russia's Voronezh Oblast * Death toll of Russian Sept. 3 attack on Poltava rises to 58 * Russian drone violates Romanian airspace during Sept. 8 attack on Ukraine
220 people remain hospitalized after Russian attack on Poltava, Zelensky says
Two hundred and twenty people remain hospitalized following the Russian attack on Poltava on Sept. 3, with some in critical condition, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address.
Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast town kills 1 person, injures 13
Russian forces launched a multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) attack on a residential area in the town of Derhachi in Kharkiv Oblast on the evening of Sept. 8, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
Russian POWs no longer allowed to call relatives, ombudsman says
Russian prisoners of war (POWs) held in Ukrainian camps are no longer allowed to make phone calls to their relatives, Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced on national television on Sept. 7.
Just hours after being woken by Russian missiles, Ukraine’s schoolchildren start the new year
On the morning of their first day of school, the sons of Anna Sushko, 6 and 7 years old, were at a bomb shelter in Kyiv, hiding from Russia’s missile attack. In the early morning of Sept. 2, when Ukrainian children and college students start their school year, Russia
Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian forces reportedly destroy another key bridge in Kursk Oblast, 'strengthen' positions
Key developments on Aug. 17-18: * Ukraine claims another key bridge destroyed in Kursk Oblast * Syrskyi says Ukrainian forces 'strengthen' their positions in Kursk Oblast * Belarus moved third of its army to Ukraine border due to what Lukashenko claims was misunderstanding * German Foreign Ministry refutes claims that Berlin will not provide
Ukraine aims to create buffer zone in Kursk Oblast, destroy as much Russian war potential as possible, Zelensky says
In his address, President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that the "coming weeks will be crucial for our diplomatic efforts with various partners in Europe, America, and the Global South."
Russian nuclear giant Rosatom directed additional income through Dutch subsidiary
Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear energy company, uses a Dutch subsidiary to move "hundreds of millions in profits," Dutch news outlet NOS reported, citing a report from Uranium One Cooperative.
Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast kill 4, injure 4 more
Russian troops attacked different settlements in Donetsk Oblast, killing four people and injuring four more on Aug. 18, Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported.
Military: Egyptians recruited by Russia fight in Kharkiv Oblast
Russia is known to have targeted men from countries including Cuba, Kazakhstan, Somalia, and Nepal to fight in its army.
Russia targets critical infrastructure across Ukraine, injures over a dozen civilians
According to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin, 15 people, including a child, were wounded in Kherson Oblast over the past day.
Air Force commander: Ukraine destroys over 8,000 Russian air targets since Feb. 24, 2022
According to the Aug. 4 report, Russia has lost 363 airplanes, 326 helicopters, and 13,103 drones.
Modern polyclinic sparks revival in small town near Dnipro
Editor's note: This story was sponsored by U-LEAD (Ukraine – Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development Program), a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union and its member states Germany, Poland, Denmark, and Slovenia, to support the establishment of a transparent, accountable and responsive multi-level governance system in Ukraine. PERESHCHEPYNE,
Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast kill 1, injure at least 9
As of 6:30 p.m. local time, one person was reported killed in a missile strike on Myrnohrad. Two more people are thought to be trapped under the rubble.
China, Russia begin joint military drills
The news comes days after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on July 11 said that China is a "decisive enabler" of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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