Team

Max Hunder
Business reporter, editorMax Hunder is a business reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He previously worked as a business reporter at the Kyiv Post focusing on infrastructure and energy. He is a graduate of Eton College and University College London, and has reported for international publications from London, Kyiv and Yerevan.
Articles

As their universities are shelled, fleeing foreign students wait days at borders
by Max Hunder
TYSA, Ukraine – Upon arrival at the Tysa border checkpoint between Ukraine and Hungary, one is struck by the shortness of the vehicle queue.
Fewer than a hundred cars stand in line, a sharp contrast to the 30-kilometer queues at some crossings into Poland.
However, to the side of the road stand two dozen international students, going nowhere.
Most of the foreigners came here for an inexpensive education at a European university, but are now left fleeing for their lives as the Russian army ind

First round of Ukraine-Russia negotiations inconclusive as casualties pile up
by Max Hunder
After five brutal days of fighting, the first round of talks between Ukraine and Russia ended inconclusively.
Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration, said that a number of core themes had been identified, and that the delegations would go back to their capitals for further discussion. The discussion mainly focused on stopping the fighting.
Negotiations were held on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border near the Prypyat River.
Podoliak said that the t

Kyiv City administration issues warning about painted markings on rooves.
by Max Hunder
The municipal body told citizens to check for and obscure any markings on the rooves of their bluidings. It is believed that some signs have been painted to guide Russian bombers.

Ukraine's military succesfully defending the area near Chernihiv.
by Max Hunder
Russian forces retreated, leaving behind armored vehicles and documents of Russian soldiers, Ukraine's Defence Ministry said.

BREAKING: German economy minister orders Nord Stream 2 certification halt
by Max Hunder
German economy minister Robert Habeck has ordered the country's energy regulator to halt the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in response to Russia's military escalation in eastern Ukraine, Spiegel reports.
The decision comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized occupied Ukrainian territories in Donbas as independent states, and began to move regular Russian troops into them.
According to Spiegel, Habeck sent a letter on Tuesday to the Federal Network Agency order

Zelensky to consider severing diplomatic relations with Russia.
by Max Hunder
Ukraine’s foreign ministry asked the president to consider the move after Russia recognized occupied territories in eastern Ukraine as independent states.

Ukraine calls for "harsh sanctions" against Russia for recognizing occupied territories as independent states.
by Max Hunder
The move blatantly defies international law and escalates the situation, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement. "The time has come to act in order to stop Russian aggression and restore peace and stability in Europe."

Kyiv-Mohyla students seek to oust education minister over independence clash
by Max Hunder
“Kyiv-Mohyla (Academy) has always been an independent university. It has always defended its position.”
Andrii Latsyba, a second-year law student at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, says these words with a calm, unwavering determination.
He is one of the leaders of a several hundred-strong student strike movement at Ukraine’s oldest university, ongoing for two weeks and sparked by what those taking part see as an attempt by the education ministry to erode the university’s autonomy.
The conflict stems

Russian parliament votes to recognize Donbas militant ‘republics’
by Max Hunder
Russia’s parliament voted on Feb. 15 to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognize Russian-occupied territories in Donbas as independent states.
Altogether, 351 of 450 lawmakers voted for the bill, which was tabled by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
Since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine in 2014, the Kremlin has been insisting that the Russian-led militants in the region are independent of Moscow.
The proposal will now be submitted for Putin's approval. He is unlikely t

Ukrainian government puts up $590 million in aircraft insurance to keep air traffic going amid war threat
by Max Hunder
Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry announced a $590 million fund to insure aircraft flying through the country’s airspace, amid reports that global insurers were suspending coverage due to the threat of a large–scale Russian attack.
The money will be taken from the state budget and placed on an escrow account, to be used for “guaranteeing the safety of flights through Ukraine for insurance companies, reinsurers, leasing companies and airlines.”
Interfax reported earlier that British reinsurance

KSE professor: Russian naval blockade would cost Ukraine $25-170 million per day.
by Max Hunder
According to Prof. Oleg Nivievskyi, 60% of Ukraine's exports travel through the Black and Azov seas, routes which Russian naval exercises scheduled for 10-20 Feb. are poised to disrupt.

Ukrainian foreign ministry denies Zelensky-Baerbock meeting cancelled over Nord Stream 2.
by Max Hunder
A ministry spokesman told UNIAN that the meeting's cancellation was not intended to send "a political signal."

Reznikov: 140,000 Russian troops now on Ukraine's borders.
by Max Hunder
Ukraine's Minister of Defense stated on Feb. 7 that there are currently 140,000 Russian land, air, and sea troops deployed along Ukraine's borders with Russia and Belarus.

Diia platform adds place of registration, criminal records, building permits.
by Max Hunder
Government officials unveiled new features for the Diia e-governance platform at a summit on Feb. 8. Users will soon be able to change their registered address online in one day, and have building permit applications reviewed instantly.

Kremlin denies promising no further military maneuvres near Ukraine to Macron.
by Max Hunder
Following the French president's Feb. 7 meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow, French officials told Reuters that Russia agreed not to conduct any further military exercises near Ukraine's border.
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