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Explainer: What's behind the standoff between Ukraine's two intelligence agencies?
Politics

Explainer: What's behind the standoff between Ukraine's two intelligence agencies?

The violent standoff between Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) and the military intelligence agency (HUR) on Sept. 2 exposed two dysfunctions of Ukraine's law enforcement and security system. One is the long-running conflict between the two intelligence agencies: although competition among secret services is common worldwide, shootouts that result in injuries are far more troubling than a routine institutional rivalry. The conflicts between Ukraine's two security agencies "have gotten out of co
How Kyiv residents cope with constant drone attacks
Video

How Kyiv residents cope with constant drone attacks.

In this video, the Kyiv Independent’s Zhenia Doluba speaks with Kyiv residents about how they are coping with Russia’s relentless attacks and the growing exhaustion caused by the significantly increased number of air raid alerts.
'Hanging by a thread' — Kyiv under psychological siege amid ceaseless strikes
Kyiv

'Hanging by a thread' — The psychological toll of Russia's aerial onslaught

After more than a week of relentless Russian strikes and near-constant air raid alerts, some Kyiv residents are being pushed to the brink of mental exhaustion. In the capital, every day since Aug. 27 has brought hours of sirens, sleepless nights, and the anticipation of another attack — a sustained pressure the experts say is Russia's deliberate tactic of terror. "This past week, with all the constant anxiety, my mental health has been hanging by a thread," said Kateryna Soniuk, a Kyiv residen
Ukraine's army chief Drapatyi on his vision for Ukraine's military
Opinion

Ukraine's army chief Drapatyi on his vision for Ukraine's military

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces — the President of Ukraine — and the Minister of Defense have entrusted me with command of Ukraine's military, the Armed Forces. I assume this duty with the understanding that the next stage of this war requires more from us: to command the Armed Forces in the war today while ensuring that they emerge from it stronger. We must both fight and become better every day, adapt, and thereby ensure our advantage. Every decision taken jointly with the
How education in Ukraine treads the line between preparedness and militarization

How education in Ukraine treads the line between preparedness and militarization

"I liked flying drones the most," 16-year-old Anna Andreeva  says. "We had simulators, and we could even fly them in the corridors between classes." Andreeva is among the first students to finish the redesigned Defense of Ukraine course, a two-year subject that becomes compulsory for all 10th and 11th graders in September 2027. Instead of weekly classroom lessons, students spend a full day a month, six to eight hours, at specialized training hubs learning tactical medicine, navigation, drone o
Kyiv warns of new Russian northern offensive — could it happen?

Kyiv warns of new Russian northern offensive — could it happen?

Four-and-a-half years after Russian troops poured across the Belarusian border in a failed attempt to seize Kyiv, Ukrainian officials are warning it could happen again. Russia's political leadership has tasked its military with preparing several possible scenarios for an operation toward Kyiv and Chernihiv, Ukraine's Presidential Office said on Aug. 28. It comes after Belarus' exiled opposition warned in June that Minsk was preparing to enter the war. But while neither Ukrainian officials nor
Ukraine war latest: Fallout from 'disgraceful' HUR, SBU shootout deepens with more FSB accusations, denials

Ukraine war latest: Fallout from 'disgraceful' HUR, SBU shootout deepens with more FSB accusations, denials

Key developments on Sept. 3: * Fallout from 'disgraceful' HUR, SBU shootout deepens with more FSB accusations, denials * Russia strikes Coca-Cola plant, injures 6 in eighth straight day of attacks on Kyiv * Moscow airports cancel flights after Zelensky's 'closed skies' warning * Russian commander shot just days after being linked to strike on Kyiv children's hospital Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) deputy commander Stepan Kaplunov has denied allegations of contacts with Russia's Federal Secu
Ukrainians know another hard winter is coming. Their government isn’t ready

Ukrainians know another hard winter is coming. Their government isn’t ready

On the last day of summer in Kyiv, the city’s residents, young and old, made the most of the hot weather by sunbathing on the sandy banks of the Dnipro River, even as dozens of drones were being shot down overhead. But as the sun sets on the final warm weeks, memories of last winter — when homes went weeks without heat and electricity in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius — are setting in. Ukraine has yet to fully repair the damage Russia inflicted, while Moscow is likely to escala