Dominic Culverwell

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Dominic Culverwell

Business Reporter

Dominic is the business reporter for the Kyiv Independent, reporting on Ukrainian companies, investment, energy, corruption, and reforms. Based in Kyiv, Dominic joined the Kyiv Independent team in 2023, having previously worked as a freelancer. He has written articles for a number of publications, including the Financial Times, bne IntelliNews, Radio Free Europe/Liberty, Euronews and New Eastern Europe. Previously, Dominic worked with StopFake as a disinformation expert, debunking Russian fake news in Europe.

d.culverwell@kyivindependent.com

For media & speaking inquiries:
press@kyivindependent.com

Articles

Business

Philip Morris suffered $16 million in damages after Russian strike on Kharkiv factory

by Dominic CulverwellFebruary 27, 2026

Flames burned through 5,000 square meters of the factory, and nearly a month after the Jan. 30 attack, the company is still assessing the full extent of the damage.

A general view of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant is seen in Varash, Rivne Oblast, Ukraine, on Sept. 10, 2023.

Business

Despite wartime reforms, Ukraine’s state-owned company clean-up still misses the mark

by Dominic CulverwellFebruary 27, 2026

Ukraine’s reset of its state-owned companies has won back some of the trust from Western partners after the country’s worst wartime corruption scandal, but critics warn it doesn’t do enough to address the main issue — government interference. State-owned companies, which in Ukraine dominate the energy, banking, and infrastructure sectors, have often become battlegrounds for control of their resources. The country's reformers and international partners favor independent supervisory boards to mit

War

Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant left with just 22 reactor operators, far below safety levels

by Dominic CulverwellFebruary 23, 2026

The plant, legally owned by Energoatom, once employed 159 licensed specialists — the only people authorized to directly operate the plant’s six nuclear reactors, which, prewar, provided over a fifth of Ukraine’s electricity.

Politics

Ukraine refutes Slovakia's claim it cut emergency electricity supplies

by Tim Zadorozhnyy, Dominic CulverwellFebruary 23, 2026

However, Ukraine's state grid operator, Ukrenergo, said it received a notice from Slovakia's energy regulator about new flexible price conditions for emergency imports, Vitaliy Zaichenko, Ukrenergo's CEO, told the Kyiv Independent.

War

Ukraine hits Russian planes, ships in Crimea, artillery in major strikes on occupied territories

by Dominic Culverwell, The Kyiv Independent news deskFebruary 21, 2026

The final extent of the damage on the Crimean Peninsula is still being assessed, the General Staff said.

Politics

Ukraine condemns Hungarian, Slovak 'ultimatums' amid energy dispute

by Dominic Culverwell, The Kyiv Independent news desk, Lucy PakhnyukFebruary 21, 2026

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as "ultimatums and blackmail" from Hungary and Slovakia after the two countries threatened to halt emergency electricity supplies.

War

Ukraine returns 2 children from Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast

by Dominic Culverwell, The Kyiv Independent news deskFebruary 21, 2026

The children were returned under the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, which finds and returns Ukrainian children from occupied territories and Russia, alongside the Save Ukraine organization.

War

Russia injures at least 15 in missile and drone attacks across Odesa, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson

by Dominic CulverwellFebruary 21, 2026

The main target was Odesa Oblast, where two people were injured after drones tore into houses and a four-storey apartment block, the emergency services reported on Feb. 21.

War

Ukraine confirms Flamingo strike on key Russian ballistic missile factory

by Abbey Fenbert, Dominic CulverwellFebruary 21, 2026

The Votkinsk Plant is a strategic, state-owned defense enterprise and one of the most important missile factories in Russia. It produces Iskander ballistic missiles — used in attacks against Ukraine — and nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Business

Ukraine's leading postal service breaks into US market with UPS partnership

by Dominic CulverwellFebruary 18, 2026

Customers will be able to send packages up to 30 kilograms to Ukraine via 6,000 UPS Store locations across the U.S., Nova Poshta said in a press release on Feb. 18.

Business

Russia launched more attacks on Ukraine's Naftogaz facilities in 2025 than in previous 3 years combined

by Dominic CulverwellFebruary 17, 2026

The most difficult period was October, when Russia struck the company 25 times and took out nearly 60% of Ukraine’s gas production.

Business

DTEK to spend $355 million restoring 4GW of power generation destroyed by Russia before next winter

by Dominic CulverwellFebruary 17, 2026

DTEK has set aside 150 million euros from its own pockets, but needs help from partners to close the rest by the end of the year.

Business

'We will take action' — Ukraine ramps up fight against illegal gas dealers with online chat bot

by Dominic CulverwellFebruary 16, 2026

Members of the public, businesspeople, and journalists will be able to upload information about dodgy dealings in the fuel market to the a chat bot called StopShadowBot on the popular messaging app Telegram.

Business

Europe, NATO should prepare for Russian strikes on power grid, Ukraine energy CEO warns

by Dominic CulverwellFebruary 11, 2026

"Learn from us and don't underestimate the threat coming from Russia," Maksym Timchenko, the head of DTEK, said.

Employees repair sections of the heat and power plant damaged by Russian air strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 4, 2026.

Business

Ukraine moves its power grid underground to shield it from Russian attacks

by Dominic CulverwellFebruary 10, 2026

So far, Ukraine has secured one substation in an underground concrete bunker with a second one underway, Vitaliy Zaichenko, CEO of Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s state-grid operator, told the Kyiv Independent.

Editors' Picks

Explainer: Russia disrupts Ukraine peace talks with timed false accusations

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