The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko spent a day with an artillery crew from the 28th Mechanized Brigade in the front-line city of Kostiantynivka. Following the recent decision by the Pentagon to halt shipments of certain weapons to Ukraine, a looming shell shortage is once again on the horizon for Ukrainian forces.
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell explains a new modification of the standard first-person view (FPV) drone that already once transformed the way war is fought. Fiber optic cable now used to connect drone operators to FPVs ensures a perfect image and control experience all the way to the target — and cannot be spotted by enemy drone detectors.
Forged from the remnants of the Soviet Spetsnaz, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces have become a vital pillar of the country’s current defense, playing their role in some of the war’s most decisive engagements – from Kyiv to Donbas, and to Kursk Oblast in Russia.
On May 23, Ukraine and Russia began the largest prisoner exchange since 2014. Over three days, 1,000 prisoners of war (POWs) from both sides will return home in a deal agreed upon during direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul earlier this month — the first such talks between Moscow and Kyiv since 2022. The Kyiv Independent went to the site of exchange.
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrel provides an ultimate guide on how drones have changed the warfare in Ukraine — starting with an embed with a drone unit of the National Guard’s 14th Chervona Kalyna Brigade and providing even more insights with a step-by-step simulation on how fighting for an average village in Ukraine looks like now, three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko spent a day with one of Ukraine's most effective drone units, "Peaky Blinders." As Russian forces continue to push across the front line, Peaky Blinders are tasked with stopping Russian assaults near the embattled city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast.
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko spent a night at the stabilization point of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, one of Ukraine’s most battle-hardened units now fighting in Kharkiv Oblast. As drones reshape modern warfare, medics face mounting challenges: evacuations get harder and slower, turning survivable wounds into potentially fatal ones.
The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell sits down with retired U.S. Army officer and former Nebraska State Senator Tom Brewer in the front-line city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, to discuss U.S.-Ukraine relations under the Trump administration, why Nebraska is interested in Ukraine's post-war recovery and why it's important for U.S. politicians to visit Ukraine to counter myths by Russian propaganda.
Ukraine brought home another 277 soldiers in a major prisoner exchange with Russia ahead of the Easter holiday on April 19.
The Kyiv Independent attended a press conference with the captured Chinese prisoners of war on April 14 to learn more about their service in the Russian military — and has highlighted the key takeaways for you.
Amid the escalating geopolitical circus, Ukrainian soldiers fighting in between order and chaos assert that the only way to stop Russia remains on the battlefield. The Kyiv Independent spent two weeks in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors of the front line in Donetsk Oblast, speaking to infantry and artillery commanders, medics, and the civilians now coming into Russia's line of fire.
The Kyiv Independent team visited one of the last remaining operating mines in the Donbas region to highlight the resilience of the workers who continue their work despite danger and tough conditions.
After the Trump administration accused European allies of not pulling their weight in the support for Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent sat down with the EU's first-ever defense commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, to discuss whether Europe is ready to step up.
The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek speaks with former Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, at the 2025 Munich Security Conference as U.S. officials undermine Ukraine’s NATO prospects and territorial integrity ahead of peace negotiations with Russia.
This Sunday, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur breaks down U.S. President Donald Trump’s first official call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the controversial comments made by Trump’s team that may spell out an ominous warning for Ukraine. We’re also joined by our
The Kyiv Independent spent a night shift with a Vampire team fighting between Kurakhove and Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, the hottest part of the front line, on a mine-laying mission.
Ukrainian forces captured two North Korean soldiers as prisoners of war (POWs) in Russia's Kursk Oblast on Jan. 9. The Kyiv Independent's Anna Belokur breaks down everything we learned from the POWs' interrogation video released by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell sat down with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze to look back at 2024 and discuss the country’s support for Ukraine amid political uncertainty before the inauguration of Donald Trump in the U.S. and Russia’s gains on the frontline.
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell spoke with Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson about Europe’s security and Ukraine’s future as Sweden builds ties with Ukraine’s defense industry to boost production.
The Kyiv Independent's journalists Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko followed a group of Ukrainian military medics as they journeyed from the heat of battle in war-torn Ukraine to the serene forests of Sweden for a short mental health retreat.
Several months ago, most of these infantrymen were serving their sentences behind bars. Now, they are part of the 1st Separate Assault Battalion, known as "Da Vinci."
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko visited Pokrovsk and joined volunteers evacuating civilians from neighboring Selydove, stranded due to Russia’s rapid advance.
Capturing the major logistics hub of Pokrovsk is a key objective of Russia's ongoing offensive in Donetsk Oblast. The Kyiv Independent joined Ukrainian soldiers stationed in the sector as they are fending off constant Russian attacks.
At an undisclosed detention facility, the Kyiv Independent interviewed one contract soldier captured in Kursk Oblast. To convey a better idea of what the thoughts and motivations of the average Russian soldier are in 2024, we are publishing this interview in full.
The Kyiv Independent got exclusive access to the POWs captured during the Kursk operation and interviewed them about their motivations and experience of fighting for Russia.
The Kyiv Independent traveled into Russia’s Kursk Oblast with Ukrainian soldiers during the ongoing Ukrainian cross-border offensive in the area.
Watch our exclusive report from Ukrainian infantry positions near Toretsk as Russia continues its push in Donetsk Oblast.
The Kyiv Independent visited a tank company of Ukraine's 110th Mechanized Brigade serving in one of the most intense parts of the eastern front line.
The Kyiv Independent follows one couple who escaped from embattled Vovchansk after losing their house and former life.
The Kyiv Independent joined local police on their mission to evacuate civilians from Vovchansk on May 11 — the operation that was constantly interrupted by Russian launches of aerial gliding bombs.
CHASIV YAR, DONETSK OBLAST – In the small town of Chasiv Yar, just several kilometers away from the eastern front of Russia's war in Ukraine, a rare house has remained intact. Most of the residents have fled to safer areas. Vitalii, 74, has lived in Chasiv Yar his whole life. He
Zelensky recently announced that 31,000 Ukrainian troops have died in the war, after keeping this number a secret for more than a year. Why did he release them now? What do these numbers tell us? Why were they a secret? And what do we still not know?
