KI logo
Back
Team
Martin Fornusek photo

Martin Fornusek

Reporter

Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing 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

Politics

History haunting Ukraine-Poland relations, again

by Martin Fornusek
History is rattling Ukraine-Poland relations, yet again. The new round of historical grievances erupted in Poland when President Volodymyr Zelensky named a Ukrainian special forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) — an organization that fought for Ukrainian independence during and after World War II, but which evokes painful memories in Poland. In Ukraine, the UPA represents a historical struggle against Moscow's domination — a legacy that feels especially alive amid Russia's full
KI Disinfo Check

Here's what Candace Owens gets wrong on Russia

by Martin Fornusek, Jimmy Rushton
Candace Owens billed her trip to Russia last week as a family vacation. It turned into something far more useful for the Kremlin. The U.S. far-right conspiracy theorist — boasting 35 million followers across all social media platforms — ended up appearing at Russia's flagship economic forum, talking to Russian propaganda outlets, and praising the country's "traditional values" while dismissing Western coverage of it as lies. Her visit also exposed a fresh fault line within the MAGA movement, d
Politics

Why Zelensky's letter wasn't about Putin as Kremlin rejects meeting

by Tim Zadorozhnyy, Martin Fornusek, Chris Powers
President Volodymyr Zelensky's letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin was never meant only for the man whose name was written at the top. According to a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the planning, the message was aimed at a much wider audience, including Putin's inner circle, Russian elites increasingly weary of the war, and even ordinary Russian citizens. The letter, sent on June 4, marked the first direct outreach from Zelensky to Putin since 2022. In it, the Ukrainian presiden
A builder works at an underground school construction site in Shyroke, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 15, 2024.
KI Disinfo Check

Russia is flooding Ukraine with fake migrant stories — and it's working

by Tim Zadorozhnyy, Martin Fornusek
Claims of an alleged migrant "influx" have become increasingly common in Ukraine in recent months, in what experts describe as a coordinated disinformation operation. The central theme in these claims is that foreign labor migrants are allegedly arriving in Ukraine to replace the country's population while Ukrainian men continue fighting at the front. The claims have spread quickly across social media and Telegram channels, and even appeared in mainstream reporting. Although Ukrainian media o

Editors' Picks