French point man for foreign trade, Laurent Saint-Martin, came to Kyiv during a turbulent time. As U.S. aid to Ukraine was drying up, President Donald Trump had made public his desire to get a hold of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in return for a new influx of American support. The idea of trading Ukrainian raw resources in exchange for aid was seen as a favorable scenario by Kyiv, desperate to keep the flow of military hardware into the country. Yet, the unilateral claim by Trump didn’t sit w

Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, acknowledged significant challenges within the French-trained 155th "Anne of Kyiv" Mechanized Brigade, including high desertion rates and poor organization, during a Jan. 6 press conference.

BILOZERSKE, Donetsk Oblast — Less than 30 kilometers north of embattled Pokrovsk, a market was in full swing in the town of Bilozerske. Meters away, however, a crowd has gathered in front of a building, nervously awaiting the doors to open. Tensions were visibly mounting as the doors remained closed and impatience settled. An umpteenth air raid siren reminded everyone about the never-ending threat from Russian drones and glide bombs in the area. Nobody seemed to care about a potential attack.

DONETSK OBLAST – Along a bumpy highway that used to link the cities of Pokrovsk and now occupied Donetsk, used to lie quiet and picturesque towns and villages whose names only locals would know. Yet – Novohrodivka, Selydove, Petrivka – are now well-known in Ukraine, stuck between the advancing Russian troops and their main goal – Pokrovsk. For the thousands of civilians living under the constant threat of Russian fire, life has become unsustainable, but leaving is not always an option. In Sel

Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent doesn't provide the full names of soldiers mentioned in the story to protect them and their families from persecution in Russia. They are identified by callsigns. KYIV OBLAST – In the early hours of March 12, Russian state media sounded the alarm. A number of Ukrainian military units consisting of Russian fighters reportedly attempted to cross from Ukraine into Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that it "thwarted Kyiv's attempt to make a breakthrou