Dominika Ozynska

How did an Egyptian student end up fighting in Ukraine? A Russian passport, military benefits, and a fast track to citizenship convinced Egyptian student Mohamed Salah to sign a contract with the Russian army.

In this interview, the Kyiv Independent's Martin Fornusek speaks with Martin Sklenar, former Slovak defense minister, about the likelihood of a Russian attack on NATO, Europe's military readiness, U.S. troop reductions, defense spending, and the growing debate over conscription.

The Kyiv Independent's Martin Fornusek speaks with Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of the NATO Military Committee, at the 2026 NATO Summit about the lessons NATO is drawing from the war in Ukraine and how the alliance is preparing for the future of warfare.

The Kyiv Independent asked people on the streets of Kyiv how they assess the military leadership shakeup, what changes they expect under Drapatyi's command, and whether they believe Fedorov should continue shaping Ukraine's defense policy.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on why Europe should learn from Ukraine's battlefield innovation, Kyiv's future in NATO, the prospects for peace negotiations with Russia, and Europe's evolving relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

We visited a prisoner-of-war camp in western Ukraine to speak directly with Russian POWs captured on the battlefield.

The Netherlands has spearheaded Western support for Ukraine. The 18-million-strong NATO country was among the first to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets — the country's first Western warplanes — alongside Patriot launchers, artillery, and more. Now, the new Dutch government led by Rob Jetten signals that its military stocks have reached their limits. But, as the prime minister explains, this only means that the focus must shift — toward non-military support, joint defense production, and

ANKARA, Turkey — Despite all expectations, Ukraine seems to be leaving the NATO summit in Ankara with a major win. The alliance itself, less so. Alongside an allied pledge of $80 billion in defense aid for 2026, President Volodymyr Zelensky has also secured an apparent green light from U.S. President Donald Trump to produce Patriot missiles, sorely needed amid increasingly deadly Russian attacks. As the two leaders met in the Turkish capital on July 8, Trump nonchalantly added several more co

Dutch PM Rob Jetten told the Kyiv Independent his defense minister's remarks — that the Netherlands had reached its limit on military aid to Ukraine — were a call for other allies to step up support.

Customs records obtained by the Kyiv Independent reveal that specialized metalworking equipment manufactured in Germany, Italy, Spain, and other EU countries continued reaching Russian metallurgical plants during the war through a Turkish intermediary.