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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.

For media & speaking inquiries:
press@kyivindependent.com

Articles

What the US midterms could mean for Ukraine

by Martin Fornusek
For months, Ukraine has faced mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, as he seeks to secure political gains ahead of the November midterm elections. With both chambers of Congress at stake on Nov. 3, the key question is how heavily Republicans will lose — and whether the scale of any setback will be enough to shift Washington's foreign policy. The vote comes at a low point in U.S.-Ukraine relations. Trump drew fire from U.S. lawmakers, Kyiv, and European capitals for allowing Russ

Fact check: Inside Russia's campaign to undermine France's pro-Ukraine candidates

by Martin Fornusek
With the French presidential election months away, Russia's disinformation machine works to ensure no pro-Ukraine candidate enters the Elysee Palace. Viginum, the French agency that counters foreign interference, has already detected hundreds of disinformation operations targeting the vote, whose outcome will have major ramifications for Ukraine and Europe. Moscow-linked campaigns have spread false claims that center-left Raphael Glucksmann helped set up torture prisons in Ukraine, that Presid

Ukrainians fled west for safety. Now Russian drones are following them

LUTSK, VOLYN OBLAST — Andrii Mazur has spent 24 years with Ukraine's State Emergency Service in Volyn Oblast, but during all that time, nothing has compared to the situation that has unfolded in recent weeks. He and his team have been dispatched to disaster areas eight times in seven days, operating round the clock as swarms of Russian jet-powered drones bombard Western Ukraine. "Above all, we fear for our colleagues on site, as nothing outweighs the worth of a human life," he told the Kyiv In