Episode #9 of our weekly video podcast “This Week in Ukraine” is dedicated to the incursion into Belgorod Oblast in Russia by Russian volunteer units fighting on the side of Ukraine. Host Anastasiia Lapatine is joined by the Kyiv Independent senior editor Oleksiy Sorokin. Listen to the audio version of
“This Week in Ukraine” is a video podcast hosted by the Kyiv Independent’s reporter Anastasiia Lapatina. Every week, Anastasiia sits down with her newsroom colleagues to discuss Ukraine’s most pressing issues. Episode #2 is dedicated to Ukraine’s attempts to eradicate the influence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine "won't hand over Bakhmut." "We will fight as long as we can," he said during a joint press conference with European Union leadership. According to Zelensky, Russia will soon launch a major offensive in the east and northeast, targeting cities like Bakhmut and Lyman. The
For Ukraine, the story of 2022 is the story of war. Russia's war against Ukraine started in 2014 in Crimea and Donbas, but it turned into a full-scale invasion in 2022. This year, the war has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee their homes. Russia has bombed
Passing checkpoint after checkpoint, Ukraine's government quarter is a reminder the country is an active warzone. In the heavily secured district, Ukraine's top officials continue to lead the country during Russia's full-scale invasion, now in its tenth month. Among them is Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, 37. Amid the chaos
The possibility of a renewed Russian invasion from Belarusian territory is once again in the news. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko announced on Oct. 10 the creation of a joint regional military command with Moscow. The Belarusian Defense Ministry followed with a statement that 9,000 Russian troops would be stationed
As Russian President Vladimir Putin makes his last-ditch attempt to break European support for Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv on Sept. 15, saying that the EU will always stand by Ukraine’s side. “Putin has always tried to divide us wherever there might have been
Almost exactly 200 days into Russia's all-out war, the world's top diplomats, politicians, economists, and political scientists gathered in Kyiv for a discreet and heavily guarded event. In the basement conference room of a hotel in central Kyiv, Ukrainian leadership and top officials from the U.S., U.K., Latvia,
President Volodymyr Zelensky took part in the 17th annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) conference where he spoke about the country's EU membership, the Russian-orchestrated energy crisis, and what Ukraine needs to win the war. The president emphasized that there are "three fundamental conditions for achieving peace – weapons, ammunition, finances," adding
From day one of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Latvia has been among Ukraine’s most outspoken supporters. Having been occupied by the Soviet Union, Latvia has been open about considering Russia as a threat to its own security. And Latvia was making it clear it will do everything it can
As Russian forces continue to bombard Donetsk Oblast in an attempt to capture and destroy the region, Ukrainian authorities are forcing the remaining civilians to evacuate. The city of Toretsk, with a pre-war population of 70,000, has been at the war's front since 2014. Located only 10 kilometers from
Each year, on Aug. 23, Ukraine celebrates the Day of the National Flag. According to the official version of the events, a group of Soviet Ukraine lawmakers, from the pro-independence Democratic Bloc, brought the historic blue and yellow flag into parliament on Aug. 23, 1991. The group demanded the Communist
Oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, once deemed the most powerful businessman in the country, was allegedly stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship, according to Ukrainian media and several top officials and politicians. The news was first reported on July 20 by Ukrainska Pravda, citing its sources in the presidential administration. What first seemed
Oleksandr Klymenko, detective at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, was proclaimed the winner after receiving the highest score back in December.
Editor's Note: Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and Security Service Head Ivan Bakanov were fired by parliament on July 19, 10 hours after the article was published. President Volodymyr Zelensky dropped major news on a typically slow Sunday evening, removing from office two of his staunchest allies – Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova
Here's what we know so far about Zelensky's biggest reshuffle of top officials in two years.
