Team

Natalia Chekotun
Video ReporterNatalia Chekotun is a video reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a communications specialist with Doctors Without Borders and as a journalist at various TV channels, where she covered current affairs and human rights.
Articles

Famous Christmas carol you didn't know was Ukrainian
A simple 4-note motif, Carol of the Bells is one of the most iconic sounds of the Christmas season. But did you know it was born in Ukraine, with roots in ancient times? How did it reach the world and help Ukraine fight for independence?

Honoring Ukrainian soldiers killed by Russia's war
Cemeteries all across Ukraine are filled with the country’s flags, marking the graves of fallen Ukrainian soldiers who took up arms to resist the Russian invasion and paid the ultimate price. Join us in honoring their courage and dedication.

Should Ukraine draft women alongside men?
Almost 43,000 women are now serving in Ukraine's military, according to the country’s Defense Ministry. They volunteered to fight, as unlike with men, there is no obligatory conscription for women in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s most powerful oligarchs: Where are they now? (VIDEO)
Since Ukraine proclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, a large share of its industries has been controlled by oligarchs like Rinat Akhmetov, Victor Pinchuk, Petro Poroshenko, Ihor Kolomoisky, Viktor Medvedchuk and Dmytro Firtash.

How Moscow replaces Ukrainians with Russians in occupied territories
After Russia’s relentless attacks in 2022, the port city of Mariupol in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast was left in ruins. Yet this has not stopped Russians from buying up houses and flats in Mariupol, or even trying to exchange them for their property in Russia.

Could F-16s be a game changer for Ukraine?
Ukraine has been campaigning for F-16 fighter jets since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. But why are the F-16s so significant? Could they dramatically change the course of the war?

Ukrainian flag and emblem: Controversies and facts
Ukrainian flag — with blue on top and yellow on the bottom — is now recognized internationally. But has it always looked like this? In this video, we are digging into the history of Ukraine's flag and emblem.
Everything you didn’t know about Ukraine’s flagAt a small exhibit at the National History Museum in Kyiv on Ukraine’s flag, one notices something particular about the flags from the Soviet times and early days of independence: they’re homemade — sewn by hand with different fabrics of sligh

Why Ukraine is getting rid of Soviet remnants
Thirty-two years after Ukraine proclaimed independence, it replaced the Soviet emblem from the country's tallest statue, the Motherland Monument in Kyiv, with Ukraine’s coat of arms, the trident.

Art under attack: How Russia destroys Ukraine’s cultural heritage
Launched in February last year, Russia’s war against Ukraine has taken a toll on Ukraine’s culture. Russia has razed to the ground many museums and churches, destroying priceless works of art.

Cotton, raccoons, and washing machines: Understanding Ukrainian war memes
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war, Ukrainians have created a countless number of witty memes online. A jar of tomatoes, cotton, sunflower seeds, and a raccoon — these are just some of the objects that have been at the center of iconic war-related memes.

What is Russia’s Wagner Group and why does Moscow use it?
The Wagner Group — a Russian private military company owned by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin — has been at the forefront of Russia’s efforts to capture the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast. What is it, and why does Moscow use it?

How Russia steals Ukrainian history to justify its aggression
The fifth episode of "Ukraine's True History" explains how Russia stole Ukrainian history and uses it to justify its all-out war.
Editors' Picks

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