Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing the second-biggest test of his presidency — and it may prove even trickier than leading the country's resistance against Russia. But it is this challenge that will determine whether he goes down in history as simply a brave man or a principled leader truly worthy of this country. As Ukraine is entering its toughest winter ever, Zelensky needs to urgently right several wrongs, or it could cost the country its very existence. A recent corruption

As the Kyiv Independent celebrates another year of fearless journalism and community support (join our sprint to reach 25,000 paying members by 2025), we thought it was time to pull back the curtain and share a few things you might not know about us. From our name choice to Nobel “nominations” – here are 25 facts that make the Kyiv Independent who we are. 1. Born out of independence — literally The Kyiv Independent was founded by a team of journalists who got fired from another Ukrainian public

The Kyiv Independent marks its 4-year anniversary and launches its biggest membership drive

A few weeks ago, U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg gently berated Europe for not standing on its own two feet on the global stage and in confrontation with Russia. "I don't think the Europeans know how good they are, you're really good at what you do, and you don't need the United States with you in an alliance, you can handle things on your own," he told the Warsaw Security Conference. "It's like when my kids were ready to ride bicycles, they started with training wheels — you don't need any t

The Kyiv Independent is excited to introduce its 2025 Holiday Gift Guide — a handpicked selection of over 90 meaningful gift ideas from more than 75 Ukrainian brands.

We've been here before. Multiple times. Not even that long ago. President Donald Trump has appeared to be on the verge of taking a decisive step that could genuinely put pressure on Russia to make it end its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and then the phone rings. "Hey Don, it's Vlad — wanna chat?" And puff, just like that all the momentum disappears and Russia is allowed to carry on its war unabated. The latest installment of this particular Groundhog Day unfolded last night when Trump anno

The Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigation Unit has completed a new investigation into the treatment of Ukrainian children in the Russian-occupied territories.

The Kyiv Independent is pleased to announce its first ever live event in New York City, where the team will share stories from the life of a newsroom in times of war.

This month marks one year of the Kyiv Independent’s Explaining Ukraine weekly newsletter on Ukrainian history, literature, and culture, written by culture reporter Kate Tsurkan.

The Kyiv Independent is proud to announce the U.S. premiere of its first full-length documentary, “Can You Hear Me? The Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics,” hosted in collaboration with the Embassies of Sweden and Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent editor-in-chief Olga Rudenko has been honored with the 2025 Freedom Fighter Award by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).

The Kyiv Independent’s defense industry reporter Kollen Post took part in the IT Arena conference in Lviv on Sept. 25–26.

The Kyiv Independent is proud to share that, with the support of its readers, its e-store has raised $7,900 for the non-profit organization East SOS that helps rebuild homes and lives devastated by Russia's invasion, donating 100% of the profit from the sales of its 603,628 km² T-shirt. The Kyiv Independent's 603,628 km² T-shirt is a design representing every square kilometer of Ukrainian territory. The team hopes to see every single one flourishing — rebuilt and safe from Russian aggression.

The Kyiv Independent has launched a new newsletter — “One story from Ukraine” — designed to bring readers essential stories from Ukraine directly to their inbox.

The Kyiv Independent's team visited London to moderate panels at the Ukraine Freedom Summit.