Investigations

Investigation: A secret program, 'suicidal' missions, and death, torture in occupied Ukraine
Investigations

Investigation: A secret program, 'suicidal' missions, and death, torture in occupied Ukraine

by Jimmy Rushton

A Western-funded classified program supported a "non-violent resistance" initiative inside Russian-occupied Ukraine for more than three years that encouraged civilians to engage in "suicidal" activities despite credible reports of the deaths, torture, and imprisonment of activists, the Kyiv Independent can reveal. Russian-occupied Ukraine is one of the most heavily surveilled and most repressive territories in the world, and some of the activities Yellow Ribbon and its sister initiative Zla Mav

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Tensions mount in both Kyiv, Moscow ahead of Russia's Victory Day Parade

Editor's Note: Read the latest developments on Victory Day and Trump's surprise 3-day ceasefire. Tensions have been mounting this week ahead of Russia's Victory Day celebrations on May 9, with an apparent uptick in Ukrainian drone attacks prompting a flurry of speculation, ceasefire proposals, and threats of strikes and counterstrikes. What’s happening this weekend? If you take the rhetoric at face value, possibly a Ukrainian strike on Russia's most important parade of the year, and a massiv

Russian cadets walk past police guarding Manezhnaya Square in Moscow, Russia, on May 8, 2026.

How Ukraine defends Black Sea coast from Russian drones and mines

The Kyiv Independent’s Kollen Post and Nick Allard embed with sailors of the Ukrainian Navy operating small mine-clearing vessels off the coast of Odesa. Using sea drones and sonar systems, these crews identify potential explosives and secure maritime routes — often under the threat of Russian drone and missile attacks.

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