Team

Toma Istomina
Deputy Chief EditorToma Istomina is the deputy chief editor of the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked for the Kyiv Post from 2017-2021, first as a staff writer, later taking editor roles. For co-founding the Kyiv Independent, Toma was selected as one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in 2022. She holds a master’s in international broadcasting from Taras Shevchenko University.
Articles

What Russian bombardment feels like in Kyiv
The Kyiv Independent staff documented what it feels like to live and sleep in Kyiv, Ukraine, as Russia intensifies its drone and missile attacks on the city. Filmed over several weeks in June and July, our journalists take shelter in bathrooms, basements, and parking garages as explosions ring out overhead.

Dare to Ukraine | Lviv, the ultimate first stop to experience Ukraine
For the first episode of “Dare to Ukraine,” we journey to Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine, known for its magnificent architecture, lively streets, and delicious cuisine. Join our host, Masha Lavrova, as she uncovers the many layers of this captivating city.

Ukraine released its military losses. Why now?
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?

Volker: West has made a lot of mistakes in Russia-Ukraine war
The West doesn’t spend enough time analyzing its miscalculations in the Russia-Ukraine war, Kurt Volker, a former U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations, said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent.
“We have made many mistakes, from just before Russia's invasion and throughout. The biggest mistake was holding back on types of military assistance out of fear,” he said.
Volker served as the U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations in 2017-2019, during former U.S. Pre

Ex-US special representative for Ukraine: Putin would escalate if he could
The White House's strategy to avoid escalation by setting limits on military supplies for Ukraine does not work, as Russian President Vladimir Putin would "escalate today if he could," Kurt Volker, a former U.S. special representative for Ukraine, told the Kyiv Independent during a press conference on Feb. 23.

Estonian PM: ‘Our taxpayers shouldn’t pay for damages caused by Russia’
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Estonia has been one of Ukraine’s most reliable allies since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
A small Baltic country of just 1.3 million people that also shares a border with Russia, Estonia has provided assistance to Ukraine worth nearly 500 million euros, or more than 1.4% of its GDP, making it one of the leading supporters by GDP share.
In a recent show of support, during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit

Ex-Estonian president: If NATO ambiguous about conditions for Ukraine, Russia won’t know what to prevent
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Former Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid has been among the most vocal supporters of Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, just four months after her term came to an end.
From public talks at global conferences to behind-the-scenes advocacy, Kaljulaid has been rallying for international aid for Ukraine, as well as for the country’s integration into both the European Union and NATO

Governor: 1 killed, 1 injured in Russian shelling of Kharkiv Oblast
Russian forces shelled a village in Kharkiv Oblast on Aug. 1, killing an elderly woman and injuring a man, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 13 – How, and why, Russia kidnaps thousands of Ukrainian children
Episode #13 of our weekly video podcast “This Week in Ukraine” is dedicated to a massive Russian scheme to kidnap tens of thousands of Ukrainian children, place them in re-education camps, and give them up for adoption to Russian families.

Ombudsman: ICRC refuses to disclose number of Ukrainian POWs it visited
Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) refused to disclose the number of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian captivity it visited.

Ukraine’s envoy to UN: Entire world complicit in allowing Russia’s unlawful behavior for 30 years
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
NEW YORK CITY – Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya learned of Russia’s all-out war against his country in the middle of a UN Security Council session.
When Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine and rockets started raining down on Ukrainian cities around 5 a.m. Kyiv time, it was late evening in New York, where the UN is headquartered.
Kyslytsya quickly changed his prepared statement, tel

Mayor: Russian shelling of Mykolaiv kills 3, injures 4.
According to Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych, three people were killed and another four were wounded in a Russian attack on the city on June 4. According to preliminary data, three high-rise buildings were damaged.

Lavrov: Putin, Erdogan tentatively agree on unblocking Ukrainian ports
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the two leaders agreed during a phone call on May 30 that as soon as Turkey clears the Ukrainian ports of mines, cargo ships will be able to leave. Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s ports prevents the export of about 22 million tons of grain, creating a threat of famine in countries dependent on the grain, according to Ukrainian officials.

CNN: EU officials renew efforts to agree on Russian oil embargo after deadlock.
CNN reported citing undisclosed sources that EU officials resumed talks on a Russian oil embargo after negotiations had hit a dead end on the weekend, delaying the sixth round of sanctions against Russia.

SBU confirms Kramatorsk train station was attacked from Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) spokesperson Artem Dekhtiarenko said on May 21 that the SBU “got indisputable evidence” that Russia was behind the attack on the Kramatorsk railway station that killed 61 and injured 121 people on April 8. The SBU established that a missile was launched by the Tochka-U ballistic missile system from the territory in Donetsk Oblast which has been occupied by Russia since 2014.
Editors' Picks

‘Neither side wasted time' — Ukraine's economy minister on minerals deal negotiations with Trump’s ‘business-oriented’ administration

Russia increasingly targets Ukraine's cities with cluster munitions, raising civilian toll

As US aid to Ukraine dries up, new platform connects American investors with Ukrainian startups
