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Martin Fornusek

Assistant Editor

Martin Fornusek is an assistant editor at the Kyiv Independent. Until recently, Martin held the role of foreign affairs reporter specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, focusing on developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

m.fornusek@kyivindependent.com
For media & speaking inquiries:
press@kyivindependent.com

Articles

Russia

No, Ukraine's strikes on Yandex data centers didn't cripple Russian influence ops

by Martin Fornusek
Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian data centers sparked viral claims about a sudden drop in Russian influence operations on social media — even as experts see no evidence to support this. Kyiv struck data centers run by Yandex — Russia's "answer to Google" — in three different regions between Oct. 9 and 11, a response to Russian strikes against similar facilities in Ukraine. Yandex acknowledged the attacks, noting that its data center in Vladimir Oblast had to be shut down due to damage a
Europe

Latvia votes with Russia threat looming large

by Martin Fornusek
Latvia will elect a new parliament this weekend, in an election dominated by security concerns over the now emboldened Russia next door and a cost-of-living crisis shaping the domestic agenda. The Oct. 3 vote for the 100-member unicameral parliament — the Saeima — will be the second since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a war in which Latvia threw its full support behind Kyiv. It also comes as Western officials raise alarm over Moscow's escalating hybrid threat — a particul
Europe

The way out of Ukraine's deadlock with Magyar

by Martin Fornusek
Ukrainian officials had looked for a reset with Budapest after Viktor Orban's defeat. Instead, Hungary's new prime minister, Peter Magyar, has taken a hard line of his own. After a promising start, Budapest is yet again stalling Kyiv's EU bid until Ukraine puts into effect earlier agreements on the rights of its roughly 80,000-strong Hungarian community. As the standoff has dragged on, Magyar has raised the stakes: he skipped the Ukraine-hosted Carpathian summit, traded barbs with Ukrainian of
Politics

How Ukraine angered South Korea — and why it matters

by Martin Fornusek
Ukraine just angered another partner — one sitting on an arsenal of weapons that Kyiv wants. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Sept. 23 announcement at the U.N. General Assembly that Ukraine’s two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) were sent to South Korea was not well received in Seoul. "It was appropriate in every aspect not to disclose, considering the many problems it may cause when disclosed, and (we) had agreed to do so," South Korean President Lee Jae Myung responded, claiming that Kyiv

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