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Kateryna Denisova photo

Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, and social issues. Kateryna began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Before joining the team, she worked at the NV media outlet. Kateryna also studied at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

For media & speaking inquiries:
press@kyivindependent.com

Articles

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. on Feb. 3, 2026.

Kyiv groans a collective ‘WTF?’ to Trump’s latest Putin comments

U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that his Russian counterpart "kept his word" by not launching mass missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure for a week has been met with bewilderment and dismay in Kyiv. "I believe this is either a mockery of our misfortune, a lack of understanding of the situation, or wishful thinking," Volodymyr Ariev, a lawmaker from the opposition European Solidarity party, told the Kyiv Independent. The confusing saga of a supposed truce on stri

How Ukraine appears in the latest Epstein files

The U.S. Department of Justice on Jan. 31 published over 3 million documents in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Some of them had a direct connection to Ukraine. The files linked to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein include email conversations with at least two modeling agencies in Ukraine, travel arrangements for women from Kyiv and Odesa, booking arrangements in the Hyatt hotel in downtown Kyiv allegedly involving the hotel's owner, a plan to purcha
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Jan. 21, 2026.

The illusion of a ceasefire in Ukraine

Under immense pressure by weeks of Russian missile strikes, blackouts, and freezing cold, Ukrainians may get a few days of reprieve — at least, according to Washington. Trump surprisingly announced on Jan. 29 that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed not to strike Ukrainian cities for a week, though Moscow said that this would concern only Kyiv, and last only until Feb. 1 — just before another cold snap. The halt on strikes — provided it would be prolonged — could indicate Russia is feeling

Zelensky picks a fight with Kyiv Mayor Klitschko as mismanagement, Russian attacks push city to the brink

Ukraine's capital Kyiv, home to over 3 million people, has rarely been prepared for winter. Frozen, icy sidewalks, bursting pipes, and year-long infrastructure collapse have been a key feature of the city under Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Now, following Russia’s Jan. 9 attack, Kyiv has been pushed into a humanitarian crisis, leaving residents without heating, hot water, and electricity through the coldest winter in years. President Volodymyr Zelensky has been open about who he holds to blame. Zel
Yuliia Tymoshenko in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 16, 2026.

Rise and fall of Yulia Tymoshenko, the 'founding figure of Ukrainian populism'

It’s hard to imagine Ukraine’s political scene without Yulia Tymoshenko. A veteran politician, Tymoshenko has held a variety of government posts, serving as the country’s prime minister twice, being defeated in a presidential runoff back in 2010, and leading the country's opposition at different times. On Jan. 14, Tymoshenko was charged with bribery — the third trial of her tumultuous 30-year political career. Tymoshenko, now the 65-year-old leader of the Batkivshchyna party represented by 25