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Tim Zadorozhnyy

Reporter

Tim Zadorozhnyy is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. He studied International Relations and European Studies at Lazarski University and Coventry University and is now based in Warsaw. Tim began his journalism career in Odesa in 2022, working as a reporter at a local television channel. After relocating to Warsaw, he spent a year and a half with the Belarusian independent media outlet NEXTA, initially as a news anchor and later as managing editor. Tim is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

t.zadorozhnyy@kyivindependent.com
For media & speaking inquiries:
press@kyivindependent.com

Articles

Politics

Why Zelensky's letter wasn't about Putin as Kremlin rejects meeting

by Tim Zadorozhnyy, Martin Fornusek, Chris Powers
President Volodymyr Zelensky's letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin was never meant only for the man whose name was written at the top. According to a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the planning, the message was aimed at a much wider audience, including Putin's inner circle, Russian elites increasingly weary of the war, and even ordinary Russian citizens. The letter, sent on June 4, marked the first direct outreach from Zelensky to Putin since 2022. In it, the Ukrainian presiden
A builder works at an underground school construction site in Shyroke, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 15, 2024.
KI Disinfo Check

Russia is flooding Ukraine with fake migrant stories — and it's working

by Tim Zadorozhnyy, Martin Fornusek
Claims of an alleged migrant "influx" have become increasingly common in Ukraine in recent months, in what experts describe as a coordinated disinformation operation. The central theme in these claims is that foreign labor migrants are allegedly arriving in Ukraine to replace the country's population while Ukrainian men continue fighting at the front. The claims have spread quickly across social media and Telegram channels, and even appeared in mainstream reporting. Although Ukrainian media o
Bohdana self-propelled howitzer at Russian positions in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on May 31, 2026
Politics

Why Ukraine is talking about ending 'hot phase' of Russia's war before winter

by Tim Zadorozhnyy
Kyiv hopes U.S.-mediated peace talks with Moscow could yield results before winter as Ukrainian officials grow concerned about shortages of anti-missile systems and signs Russia may be preparing a new mobilization. President Volodymyr Zelensky told lawmakers from his Servant of the People party in late May that Kyiv sees what he described as a realistic opportunity to end the war, according to two people familiar with the matter. Head of Zelensky's office, Kyrylo Budanov, later publicly echoed
Politics

Exclusive: How US envoy's preplanned trip caused a diplomatic scandal in Kyiv and Brussels

by Tim Zadorozhnyy, Chris Powers
The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on May 28 that the U.S. embassy was the only foreign mission to evacuate Kyiv following Russian threats of a major strike. "What we heard from Ukraine yesterday was that all the embassies stayed, except one, so that also takes courage from those embassies, but yes, all the Europeans stayed, America left," Kallas told reporters. The claim was false, soon denied by Washington, and retracted by Brussels, fueling confusion over what actually happened. As t
Politics

Are foreign embassies evacuating from Kyiv after Russian threats?

by Tim Zadorozhnyy
No foreign embassies in Kyiv have decided to evacuate staff following Russian threats of new attacks on the Ukrainian capital, the Kyiv Independent has learned. The development comes after the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a public warning about a new wave of long-range attacks on Kyiv, including strikes targeting what Moscow called Ukraine's "decision-making centers." Russia urged foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave the city. At a United Nations meeting in New York on May 26, n
Trump (R) and President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. on Dec. 28, 2025.
Politics

Exclusive: Zelensky sends Trump urgent letter warning of Ukraine's critical missile defense shortages

by Tim Zadorozhnyy
President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump warning about Ukraine's worsening shortage of air defense systems, particularly anti-ballistic missile capabilities, the Kyiv Independent has learned. The appeal comes as Russia intensifies mass aerial attacks on Ukraine and publicly threatens a new wave of long-range strikes on Kyiv, including attacks on what Moscow described as Ukraine's "decision-making centers." "When it comes to air defense against missiles, we rely
Ukrainian soldiers prepare an "Evanger" UAV for launch in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Sept. 24, 2025.
Europe

How Ukraine's strikes inside Russia became a headache for its NATO allies

by Tim Zadorozhnyy, Martin Fornusek, Chris Powers
As Ukraine expands its long-range drone campaign deep inside Russia, Moscow appears to have found a way to turn some of those attacks into a problem for Kyiv. Russia has begun jamming Ukrainian drones and redirecting them toward neighboring NATO countries, particularly the Baltic states and Finland, creating a growing security and political challenge for some of Ukraine's closest allies. Several Baltic officials and public figures who spoke to the Kyiv Independent warned that if the incidents

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