Investigations

An illustration of a man talking to a woman on an online dating site.

Investigation: The romance scam tricking men into ‘rescuing’ Ukrainian women from Russian occupation

by Linda HouraniOctober 16, 2026

Stefan, a 48-year-old Austrian national whose name has been changed at his request, had been looking for a Ukrainian partner. Having previously dated a Ukrainian woman, he said he was drawn to what he viewed as the importance of family in Ukrainian culture. He met "Alona Panchenko," who claimed to be from the Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on the international dating website Christian Cupid. Soon after they matched, she suggested moving their conversation to email.

Investigation: Rising hate against Ukrainians in Central Europe part of a coordinated campaign

by Danylo MokrykOctober 30, 2026

Investigation: Western machinery at the heart of Russian arms producers like Kalashnikov

by Alisa YurchenkoSeptember 21, 2026

Investigation: Inside Russia's FSB prison system in Crimea

by Olesia BidaSeptember 11, 2026

Poster for Last Seen in Crimea, new the Kyiv Independent documentary

Last Seen in Crimea: Kyiv Independent documentary investigates Russia's secret detention system for Ukrainian civilians

by Kyiv IndependentOctober 13, 2026

Investigation: How EU machinery keeps feeding Russian missile makers

by Alisa YurchenkoJune 19, 2026

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

by Jimmy RushtonApril 24, 2026

Watchdog calls for EU sanctions on raw glycerin exports to Russia after Kyiv Independent investigation

by Lucas TonksApril 23, 2026

NewsLetters

News Feed

Saturday, November 7

12:04 AM

Russian ballistic missiles slam Kyiv, damage Northern Bridge, injure at least 6 people

Among the five injured in the city of Kyiv is a 14-year-old girl, and two people have been hospitalized, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

05:01 AM

Ukraine strikes Oryol factory with Neptune missile, reportedly Saratov Oil Refinery in mass attack on Russian regions

Ukraine struck various sites in the Russian regions of Oryol, Saratov, and Rostov, hitting an oil refinery among several targets overnight on Nov. 7, monitoring channels reported.

09:30 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,604,110 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

The number includes 2,280 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

12:52 PM

Death toll from Russian strike on Komyshuvakha rises to 55 as search operation enters 6th day

The strike was the deadliest Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia Oblast since the start of the full-scale invasion.

02:04 AM

Musk reposts tweet calling Starlink service for Ukraine 'mistake'

"In hindsight, it was a mistake for SpaceX to send (Ukraine) thousands of free Starlink dishes and millions of dollars a month in free service at the beginning of the war," the post reads.

Friday, November 6

11:19 PM

Midterm elections 'doubled' Ukraine's chances of getting US military aid, official says

"In general, we are more optimistic for cooperation between the U.S. and Ukraine," David Arakhamia, head of Zelensky's parliamentary faction, told reporters on Nov. 6.

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War

100 days in, what changed for Ukraine's soldiers under Commander-in-Chief Drapatyi?

Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi marked 100 days as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in late October, as Ukraine regains ground in the northern part of Donetsk Oblast and seeks to improve defensive positions before winter. Drapatyi, one of Ukraine's most popular generals, was appointed in July with high expectations that he would deliver much-needed reforms to the armed forces. His promotion to commander-in-chief came after President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed his unpopular pr

War

Editors' Picks

Fact check: How clashes over fake hostages near Kyiv fueled Russian disinformation blitz

Investigations

Investigation: The romance scam tricking men into ‘rescuing’ Ukrainian women from Russian occupation

Investigation: Rising hate against Ukrainians in Central Europe part of a coordinated campaign

Investigation: Western machinery at the heart of Russian arms producers like Kalashnikov

Investigation: Inside Russia's FSB prison system in Crimea

Last Seen in Crimea: Kyiv Independent documentary investigates Russia's secret detention system for Ukrainian civilians

Investigation: How EU machinery keeps feeding Russian missile makers

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

Watchdog calls for EU sanctions on raw glycerin exports to Russia after Kyiv Independent investigation

More from Investigations

Investigation: Western companies miss deadline to exit Russia’s main drone production site

Investigation: Unmasking the anonymous hosts of 'Russians With Attitude,' a pro-war podcast popular with US far right

'He just wanted to go home' — Brazilian recruit’s death in Ukraine points to torture, abuse in foreign fighter unit

Investigation: How Russian drones exploit European technologies to strike Ukraine, and beyond

Investigation: European companies keep the motors of Russia's war machine running

Exclusive: American, European microchips found in Russia's latest missile-like drone

Investigation: Sick Ukrainian children exploited in fraudulent charity campaigns linked to US, Israel

Investigation: Secret visits to Moscow by China’s military expose deep defense cooperation, military procurement deals

NewsLetters

News Feed

Russian ballistic missiles slam Kyiv, damage Northern Bridge, injure at least 6 people

Ukraine strikes Oryol factory with Neptune missile, reportedly Saratov Oil Refinery in mass attack on Russian regions

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,604,110 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

Death toll from Russian strike on Komyshuvakha rises to 55 as search operation enters 6th day

Musk reposts tweet calling Starlink service for Ukraine 'mistake'

Midterm elections 'doubled' Ukraine's chances of getting US military aid, official says

Most Popular

100 days in, what changed for Ukraine's soldiers under Commander-in-Chief Drapatyi?

Pro-Russian Latvian moves to Russia, gets forcibly conscripted into the Russian army

Canadian service member faces court-martial for sharing sensitive information with Ukraine

Exclusive: Trump envoy's push to reopen Lithuanian ports to Belarus exposes rift in Washington

PrivatBank secures major victory in $3 billion battle against former oligarch owners

Editors' Picks

Fact check: How clashes over fake hostages near Kyiv fueled Russian disinformation blitz

Rescuers dig for bodies after Russia bombs village aid center to rubble, killing dozens inside

100 days in, what changed for Ukraine's soldiers under Commander-in-Chief Drapatyi?

From Oleshky to the White House: Who is Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's ombudsman?