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

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Tuesday, November 10

06:25 PM

Ukrainian strikes cut Russia's oil refining capacity by 30%, Reuters reports

Over the past week, Ukrainian attacks disrupted operations or caused emergency situations at nine of Russia's 35 major refineries, according to Reuters.

05:59 PM

Russian companies seek foreign data center capacity after Ukrainian strikes

Ukraine's strikes added pressure to an already strained domestic data center market, where available cloud resources are nearly 90% occupied, according to Russian state-controlled media Kommersant.

05:45 PM

Lithuania to tighten checks on Russian grain shipments

If the declared origin is found to be fraudulent, "the shipment will have to be returned or destroyed."

10:40 AM

Ukraine, Russia, US conclude 1st day of trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, discuss 'humanitarian, de-escalation steps'

Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence chief Rustem Umerov earlier said that "the agenda includes key questions related to ending hostilities and moving closer to peace."

05:09 PM

The Kyiv Independent turns 5, makes 5 promises for the year ahead

The Kyiv Independent is celebrating its fifth anniversary by launching its biggest-ever membership campaign, with a goal of welcoming 5,000 new members worldwide to strengthen its journalism and support ambitious new initiatives in 2027.

Collage of photos of the Kyiv Independent team

04:57 PM

Exclusive: Zelensky’s ex-chief of staff Yermak ran 'troubling' back-channel with Trump's Susie Wiles

U.S. President Donald Trump's former Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had a "troubling" back-channel with Andriy Yermak, the controversial former head of the President’s Office, the Kyiv Independent can exclusively reveal. The back-channel began after Trump's inauguration in January 2025, when President Volodymyr Zelensky tasked Yermak with establishing contacts with high-level American officials. Yermak and Wiles spoke frequently in the following months, two Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Indepe

Andriy Yermak poses for a portrait in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 25, 2024.

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Vladyslav Samarsky at the Ukraine-Belarus border in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Oct. 31, 2026.

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

Ukrainian strikes cut Russia's oil refining capacity by 30%, Reuters reports

Russian companies seek foreign data center capacity after Ukrainian strikes

Lithuania to tighten checks on Russian grain shipments

Ukraine, Russia, US conclude 1st day of trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, discuss 'humanitarian, de-escalation steps'

The Kyiv Independent turns 5, makes 5 promises for the year ahead

Exclusive: Zelensky’s ex-chief of staff Yermak ran 'troubling' back-channel with Trump's Susie Wiles

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Russia to replace Norway in ice hockey championship as more countries vow to boycott games

Senator Blumenthal to introduce legislation supporting Ukraine, calls for new US negotiators, Starlink controls

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine hits key bridge on 'highway of death' linking mainland Russia to occupied regions

Musk reposts tweet calling Starlink service for Ukraine 'mistake'

Ukraine strikes Russia's second-largest oil refinery in overnight drone attack, Russian governor says

Editors' Picks

Neighbors from hell — How one Oleshky family survived living next to Russian soldiers

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?