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The Kyiv Independent

The Kyiv Independent is an award-winning English-language media outlet that offers on-the-ground reporting from Ukraine. The publication has received international recognition for its coverage of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Articles

Editorial: Democracy won the day in Ukraine — but it will be tested again

by The Kyiv Independent
Today, Ukrainians have once again shown the world how to stand for democracy. The Ukrainian parliament voted on July 31 to restore the independence of anti-corruption investigative agencies — repairing the damage that same parliament had done one week ago. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the bill into law immediately after. This comes after a combined pushback from two directions: the streets of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, and high offices in Brussels. Last week’s attack on anti-cor

Our readers' questions about Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies, answered

by The Kyiv Independent
Editor's note: We offered members of the Kyiv Independent community to share their questions about a controversial bill that undermined Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions and the street protests that followed it this week. Our staff's answers to their questions are below. Join our community and get the chance to ask your questions directly to our team. What is NABU? And besides NABU, there is NAZK, SAPO, and VAKS — what are they and why were they created? Confused by all the acronyms in t
President Volodymyr Zelensky in Prague, Czech Republic, on May 4, 2025.

Editorial: Zelensky just betrayed Ukraine's democracy — and everyone fighting for it

by The Kyiv Independent
Editor’s note: This editorial has been updated to reflect the fact Zelensky signed the bill into law on the evening of July 22, as shown on the Parliament's website. Last week, we warned of a coming anti-democratic backslide. Now, we see it happening. A parliamentary vote, led by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s lawmakers, today took away the independence of Ukraine’s key anti-corruption bodies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Z

5 ways the New York Times fails its readers in its most recent piece about Russia’s war

by The Kyiv Independent
Editor's Note: This article was updated to include The New York Times' response to the criticism, sent to The Kyiv Independent via email. The New York Times' recent feature detailing Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast presents a vivid, harrowing account of civilian suffering. It also twists the narrative, stays mute on the factors that led to Ukraine's incursion into Russia two and a half years after the start of Russia's all-out war, doesn't mention the civilian toll of the ongoin

Our readers' questions about the war, answered. Vol. 8

by The Kyiv Independent
Editor's note: We asked members of the Kyiv Independent community to share the questions they have about the war. Here's what they asked and how we answered. Join our community to ask a question in the next round. Question: Is Ukraine formulating a plan to receive and house refugees from occupied territories? I would expect in that ceding territory many Ukrainians would want to leave Russian control. Answer: Handling internally displaced people (IDPs) has been a pressing issue for Ukraine eve

Kyiv Independent launches consultancy program, funding for independent regional media hit by US aid freeze

by The Kyiv Independent
The Kyiv Independent, in partnership with UNESCO and with the support of Japan, is launching a hands-on consultancy program for three regional independent media organizations in Ukraine that were severely affected by the U.S. aid freeze. This U.S. aid freeze affected organizations in Ukraine, including those providing humanitarian services, as well as independent media outlets covering Russia's war against Ukraine, leaving them without crucial funding. Smaller, local media outlets — often the

Editorial: What Steve Witkoff doesn’t get about Ukraine (and Russia)

by The Kyiv Independent
In any negotiation, one of the most powerful weapons is knowledge. In that regard, Steve Witkoff is willfully disarmed. And it’s playing just right for Russia. The interview that Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, gave to Tucker Carlson a few days ago revealed a truth that was perceived especially bitterly here in Ukraine: In the negotiation where everything is at stake, Ukraine’s most powerful ally is represented by a man who either knows next to nothing about Ukraine or woefully misunderstands

Editorial: A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasn’t Zelensky

by The Kyiv Independent
It’s time to say it plainly. America’s leadership has switched sides in the war. The American people have not, and they should speak up. In the past several weeks, the U.S. leadership has demonstrated explicit hostility towards Ukraine and aligned its rhetoric and policy with Russia. The animosity culminated today when U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at a meeting in the Oval Office. After a hostile meeting, Zelensky left t