In episode 3 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” host Masha Lavrova discovers that village life is about more than chores — it’s about earning the trust of the community.

In episode 2 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” host Masha Lavrova faces her first full day of village life. With a surprise letter from producer Valeriia, she’s tasked with managing household chores, exploring a local greenhouse, and starting her own little homestead.

What’s it really like to live in a Ukrainian village during wartime? Masha Lavrova leaves the capital, Kyiv, and moves to a village to explore authentic Ukrainian rural life. She tries to survive for a month on a $500 budget — the average Ukrainian salary. Follow Masha’s bumpy journey to her new home in a village in Kyiv Oblast in the first episode.

When I came to Kyiv in 2013 to study journalism, nearly every conversation about the future among my fellow young Ukrainians eventually came down to one question: How to leave the country for a chance of a better life. Back then, there was no war, no daily attacks or funerals of friends killed by Russia. And yet I remember that time as more hopeless. It was the era of pro-Russian, autocrat-aspiring President Viktor Yanukovych, marked by widespread corruption and impunity poisoning the country.

When Sergiy Kyslytsya returned to Kyiv in February 2025 to take on the role of first deputy foreign minister after serving as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, he brought with him expertise essential to modern Ukrainian diplomacy. After five years in New York and earlier experience at Ukraine’s Embassy to the U.S., Kyslytsya has developed a deep understanding of the American political landscape — a vital asset as Ukraine works to keep Washington as its key ally. During his posting to

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.