Team
Tania Myronyshena photo

Tania Myronyshena

Reporter

Tania Myronyshena is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has written for outlets such as United24 Media, Ukrainer, Wonderzine, as well as for PEN Ukraine, a Ukrainian non-governmental organization. Before joining the Kyiv Independent, she worked as a freelance journalist with a focus on cultural narratives and human stories. Tania holds a B.A. in publishing and editing from Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv University.

For media & speaking inquiries:
press@kyivindependent.com

Articles

Russia's increased army size 'largely aspirational,' experts say

by Tania Myronyshena
Russian President Vladimir Putin has increased the potential size of the country's armed forces, a move analysts say is tied to long-term military reforms aimed at strengthening Moscow's capabilities against NATO. According to a decree signed on March 4, the maximum number of Russian service members could reach 2,391,770 personnel. Of these, 1,502,640 will serve as active-duty troops — 2,640 more than before. But while the overall numbers are large, experts say they don't necessarily translate

Former Head of State Border Guard Serhii Deineko mobilized, media reports

by Tania Myronyshena
Former Head of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, Serhii Deineko, has been mobilized and will lead the Luhansk Border Guard Detachment, Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske reported on March 3. Serhiy Deineko, who headed the State Border Guard from 2019 to Jan. 4, 2026, was charged last month in relation to a 204,000 euro bribery scheme. He was dismissed from the military last month. In 2023 border guards received at least 204,000 euros for facilitating the smuggling of cigarettes through the b

'They are the same evil' — Ukrainian lawmaker appeals to Trump after Iran comments

by Tania Myronyshena
A Ukrainian lawmaker has urged Donald Trump to recognise that Russia and Iran "represent the same evil," after the U.S. president once again criticized Ukraine whilst commenting on the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Kyiv was among the first to publicly back the U.S.-Israeli war, arguing that Iran is a key Kremlin ally that has supported Russia's war against Ukraine, including by supplying Shahed drones used in attacks on Ukrainian cities. But in a post on Truth Social on March 2, Trum
A Ukrainian police officer secures the area at the site of an explosion that struck Lviv, Ukraine, on Feb. 22, 2026

With slow progress on battlefield, Russia shifts to terror and sabotage in Ukraine

by Tania Myronyshena
Over the course of 48 hours last week, three explosions targeting Ukrainian police officers in different cities raised the prospect of a chilling new front in Russia’s campaign of terror against civilians. On Feb. 22, two explosions hit the western city of Lviv near the Polish border after police responded to a call, killing a 23-year-old police officer and injuring 25 people. The next evening, an explosion occurred inside a police station in Dnipro, damaging the building. Later that same night
People put up portraits of missing or captured relatives and friends in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine, on June 10, 2025.

How Russia blackmails the desperate families of Ukrainian POWs

by Tania Myronyshena
Karina Remez knew her husband — 33-year-old Dmytro Remez — had been captured in 2022 while defending Mariupol. For years, there was no confirmed information about where he was being held. Then, in early February 2025, a man contacted her claiming he had shared a cell with Dmytro and had personal information to pass on. The initial questions soon escalated into direct blackmail. They demanded that she blow up a communications tower and provide Ukrainian military locations. To pressure her, they