Kateryna Denisova

Another protest over President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to dismiss Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov while keeping Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi in office is scheduled to take place in Kyiv on July 20. One of the protest's organizers, veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi, told the Kyiv Independent the movement now has two clear demands: reinstating Fedorov as defense minister and removing Syrskyi as commander-in-chief. A decision on Syrskyi's dismissal is expected soon, possibly within days

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.

Ihor Klymenko is expected to replace Rustem Umerov, who has served as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council for the past year.

What was widely praised just months ago as one of President Volodymyr Zelensky's strongest personnel decisions may now be remembered as one of his most significant missteps.

The decision appears to have been made at the last minute, according to one official, who said reports of Vitalii Kim's expected appointment caught even his own team off guard.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has been offered the role of Ukraine's next defense minister, a lawmaker from the governing Servant of the People party told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.

Editor’s note: The two OnlyFans models interviewed for this article are referred to by pseudonyms for security reasons. Whenever there's a knock at Velma's door, she immediately fears it's the police. The young Ukrainian woman isn't a drug dealer or Russian spy, but instead a former adult OnlyFans model — a profession that is illegal in Ukraine under its strict anti-pornography laws. Velma initially started as a social media manager for an OnlyFans agency which manages the operations of the mo

While President Volodymyr Zelensky portrayed the reshuffle as a "change in political strategy," the actual reasons behind the move, which triggers the resignation of the entire cabinet, remain unclear.

As the Ukrainian government was engulfed in a major corruption scandal last November, the biggest one in years, a number of lawmakers from President Volodymyr Zelensky's party saw it as a do-or-die moment. The attention was fixed on one man: Andriy Yermak, the president's powerful chief of staff. For years, Yermak had accumulated influence to a degree that frustrated ministers, lawmakers, and even some members of the president's inner circle. Now, as investigators closed in and the political pr

A decision to replace a popular figure widely seen as competent would likely prove controversial with both Ukrainian politicians and wider Ukrainian society.

Editor's note: The story was updated after a person familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent that Yuliia Svyrydenko has not yet agreed to accept the post of an ambassador in Washington. Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi is set to become Ukraine's next prime minister, a Ukrainian official and a person familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. The expected appointment comes after Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko confirmed on July 12 that she would step down following President Vo

Yulia Svyrydenko, who replaced former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in July 2025, will now take on a new role leading cooperation with Ukraine’s key partners, Zelensky announced on social media.

Kyiv's Pechersk District Court on July 9 ordered two men suspected of killing Anastasiia Berezovska, a suspect in the attempted assassination of businessman in Monaco, into pretrial detention for two months without bail.

Prosecutor General's Office said on July 9 that the investigation and evidence collection are still underway.

Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv over 12 hours after the searches began, Oleksii Babenko, a young star in Ukraine's drone industry, said that Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations had carried out 70 searches, including at Vyriy Industries facilities, contractors' premises, and the homes of his own family members.