Team

Kateryna Hodunova

News Editor

Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

k.hodunova@kyivindependent.com

For media & speaking inquiries:
press@kyivindependent.com

Articles

War

2 Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian forces after flag-raising operation in Kostiantynivka, Skelia confirms

by Polina Moroziuk, Kateryna HodunovaJuly 20, 2026

In an official statement, the Skelia Assault Regiment said it was seeking to establish all the circumstances surrounding the incident and that details of the operation in the city could not be disclosed.

War

Ukraine hits Russian oil depot, logistics facilities in Moscow Oblast, 6 Black Sea vessels, Zelensky confirms

by Dmytro Basmat, Kateryna HodunovaJuly 20, 2026

"This war must be brought to an end, and that is only possible by increasing the pressure on the sole cause of this war – Russia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

War

Russia bolsters 'shadow fleet' defenses at expense of front-line drone units, military says

by Kateryna HodunovaJuly 18, 2026

Ukrainian forces struck 13 more Russian vessels over the past day, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said on July 18.

War

Russian attacks kill 11, injure 62 across Ukraine over past day; foreign civilian vessel damaged in Odesa port

by Kateryna HodunovaJuly 18, 2026

Russian forces launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, two Oniks anti-ship missiles, three Kh-59/69 guided missiles, and 90 long-range drones against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said.

War

2 Russian logistics centers, oil depot hit as Kyiv launches hundreds of drones towards Moscow

by Dmytro Basmat, Kateryna HodunovaJuly 18, 2026

"These are Russian logistics facilities, specifically warehouses used to supply war materiel: navigation equipment, components for drone production, and other supplies for the Russian army," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Video

Ukraine protests Zelensky’s decision to fire defense minister

by Kateryna Denisova, Kateryna HodunovaJuly 17, 2026

The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Denisova and Kateryna Hodunova speak with military analyst Mykola Bielieskov and opposition lawmaker Inna Sovsun about the conflict between Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, why Zelensky sided with Syrskyi, and what the shake-up could mean for Ukraine’s military, domestic politics, and war against Russia.

War

Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl Oblast, vessels in Black, Azov seas, among other targets, General Staff says

by Kateryna HodunovaJuly 17, 2026

Ukraine struck two tankers, including a gas carrier, as well as a tugboat in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov overnight on July 17.

War

Ukrainian drone units strike over 1 million targets since start of 2026, including nearly 200,000 Russian troops, ministry says

by Kateryna HodunovaJuly 17, 2026

Ukrainian forces are using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strike around 90% of Russian targets, according to the Defense Ministry.

War

Russian Tu-95 bomber suffered 'critical damage' in strike on Engels air base, Zelensky says

by Kateryna HodunovaJuly 17, 2026

"We are increasing the price Russia pays for its aggression against our country and our people," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

War

Russian attacks kill 7, injure 67 across Ukraine over past day as Odesa targeted again amid tourist season

by Kateryna HodunovaJuly 17, 2026

Russian forces launched a Kh-31P anti-radiation missile, seven Kh-59/69 guided missiles, and 130 Shahed-type attack drones against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said.

War

Ukraine’s most effective defense minister? What Fedorov got right, and what his dismissal risks reversing

by Asami Terajima, Kateryna Hodunova, Jimmy Rushton, Polina Moroziuk, Francis FarrellJuly 17, 2026

Among those gathered in Kyiv on July 16 to protest the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov were members of Ukraine's military voicing fears that the controversial decision could seriously hinder the country's war effort. "People who are actually trying to bring our victory closer keep getting removed or replaced," Serhii, a 43-year-old veteran protesting alongside active-duty soldiers, told the Kyiv Independent. President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision a day earlier to dismiss Fedoro

War

Ukrainian drones strike 12 Russian 'shadow fleet' vessels in Black Sea as Crimea comes under large-scale attack

by Volodymyr Ivanyshyn, Kateryna HodunovaJuly 17, 2026

Nine dry cargo ships, one oil tanker, one gas carrier, and one tugboat were hit in the Black Sea during the attack, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said.

War

Ukraine repatriates over 500 bodies that Russia claims belong to Ukrainian soldiers

by Kateryna Hodunova, The Kyiv Independent news deskJuly 16, 2026

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs) has not specified how many civilians and military personnel were among the 501 repatriated bodies.

War

Zelensky rejected push to fire Syrskyi as commander-in-chief, Fedorov reveals

by Asami Terajima, Tania Myronyshena, Kateryna Hodunova, Jimmy RushtonJuly 16, 2026

Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he suggested "drastic personnel decisions," which involved replacing both Syrskyi and General Staff Chief Andrii Hnatov, both of whom are criticized by younger soldiers and commanders for their top-down, Soviet-era command culture.

Politics

'Utterly baffling': Ukrainians outraged, call for protest after Zelensky ousts Fedorov

by Jared Goyette, Kateryna Hodunova, Yuliia Taradiuk, Asami Terajima, Anna FratsyvirJuly 15, 2026

This is a developing story and is being updated. President Volodymyr Zelensky's dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister has drawn a wave of criticism from soldiers, veterans, and civil society figures, who argue Ukraine is losing one of its most effective wartime officials without an adequate explanation. Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran who was a leading organizer of last summer's mass protests against a law curbing the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, called fo

Editors' Picks

Analysis: Why many Ukrainians feel Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi must go

Kateryna Hodunova

Articles

2 Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian forces after flag-raising operation in Kostiantynivka, Skelia confirms

Ukraine hits Russian oil depot, logistics facilities in Moscow Oblast, 6 Black Sea vessels, Zelensky confirms

Russia bolsters 'shadow fleet' defenses at expense of front-line drone units, military says

Russian attacks kill 11, injure 62 across Ukraine over past day; foreign civilian vessel damaged in Odesa port

2 Russian logistics centers, oil depot hit as Kyiv launches hundreds of drones towards Moscow

Ukraine protests Zelensky’s decision to fire defense minister

Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl Oblast, vessels in Black, Azov seas, among other targets, General Staff says

Ukrainian drone units strike over 1 million targets since start of 2026, including nearly 200,000 Russian troops, ministry says

Russian Tu-95 bomber suffered 'critical damage' in strike on Engels air base, Zelensky says

Russian attacks kill 7, injure 67 across Ukraine over past day as Odesa targeted again amid tourist season

Ukraine’s most effective defense minister? What Fedorov got right, and what his dismissal risks reversing

Ukrainian drones strike 12 Russian 'shadow fleet' vessels in Black Sea as Crimea comes under large-scale attack

Ukraine repatriates over 500 bodies that Russia claims belong to Ukrainian soldiers

Zelensky rejected push to fire Syrskyi as commander-in-chief, Fedorov reveals

'Utterly baffling': Ukrainians outraged, call for protest after Zelensky ousts Fedorov

Editors' Picks

Analysis: Why many Ukrainians feel Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi must go

We're ready to make any Russian move cost far more than it's worth — NATO military chief in exclusive interview

How Zelensky turned one of his biggest victories into one of his biggest blunders

Ukraine's pornography ban fuels corruption. Legalization could boost war funding