Team
Oleg Sukhov photo

Oleg Sukhov

Reporter

Oleg Sukhov is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He is a former editor and reporter at the Moscow Times. He has a master's degree in history from the Moscow State University. He moved to Ukraine in 2014 due to the crackdown on independent media in Russia and covered war, corruption, reforms and law enforcement for the Kyiv Post.

For media & speaking inquiries:
press@kyivindependent.com

Articles

President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin, Germany, on April 14, 2026.

Concerns mount as Zelensky turns sanctions into tool for punishing critics, former allies

by Oleg Sukhov
When President Volodymyr Zelensky slapped sanctions on ex-lawmaker Boryslav Bereza on July 7, many were left wondering what, if anything, linked him to Russia or posed a threat to Ukraine's national security. Bereza has never publicly expressed any sympathies for Russia and has been a pro-Western politician and blogger throughout his entire career. Sanctions, which were introduced by Ukraine when Russia started its war in 2014, were initially intended as a tool for fighting Moscow and its prox

Who is Vadym Iermolaiev, the sanctioned tycoon injured in the Monaco attack?

by Oleg Sukhov
Editor's note: A Ukrainian military intelligence officer has confessed to killing a woman suspected of attempting to assassinate businessman Vadym Iermolaiev in Monaco, the Prosecutor’s Office and the Security Service (SBU) said on July 7. Read about it here. Ukrainian businessman Vadym Iermolaiev, who faced an assassination attempt in Monaco on June 29, is little-known nationwide but wielded immense influence in the city of Dnipro. Iermolaiev is controversial. He has renounced his Ukrainian

The problem at the top of Ukraine's judiciary

by Oleg Sukhov
"Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes" is an idiom often attributed to American statesman Benjamin Franklin. In Ukraine, another certainty has emerged over the years: society's persistent demand for judicial reform — and the judiciary's equally persistent resistance to it. Following the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution, Ukraine's highest court was expected to become a flagship of the country's Western-backed reform agenda. Instead, the Supreme Court has become mired in controve
A worker inspects a combat drone at a Fire Point secret production facility in Ukraine on Aug. 18, 2025.

Explainer: What’s the corruption controversy around drone maker Fire Point?

Ukrainian drone maker Fire Point has been described as a crucial supplier for the country's army and contributor to the country's war effort. At the same time, the company has found itself at the center of Ukraine's largest corruption scandal — a $100 million scheme centered around the state nuclear monopoly Energoatom and defense procurement. This has prompted calls for auditing the company's contracts and owners and nationalizing it, as well as reviewing the rules of defense procurement. Fi