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Chart of the week: What do Ukraine's front-line communities need?

Chart of the week: What do Ukraine's front-line communities need?

Get more news like this directly to your inbox every week by subscribing to our Ukraine Business Roundup newsletter. Kyiv-based humanitarians often tell the story of a United Nations convoy in late 2022 turning up with crates of food in recently liberated villages of eastern Ukraine, only to discover well-fed residents protesting that what they really needed was windows. Apocryphal or not, the anecdote invokes a widely held suspicion that humanitarian organizations are out of touch with what p
Ukraine war latest live: Russia seeks foothold in Pokrovsk, but no encirclement, Ukrainian military says
 (Updated:  

Ukraine war latest live: Russia seeks foothold in Pokrovsk — no encirclement, Ukrainian military says

Hello, this is Yuliia Taradiuk reporting from Kyiv on day 1,351 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story so far: Russian Forces are trying to gain a foothold in the industrial zone and residential buildings of the embattled city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, a soldier told Suspline on Nov. 5. "Archeologist," the soldier from the 25th Airborne Brigade, which is serving in the Pokrovsk area, said that Russia's goal is to close in from the south through Pokrovsk, bypass it, a
Kyiv has a plan to stretch finances in 2026 as Brussels drags feet
Finance

Kyiv has a plan to stretch finances in 2026 as Brussels drags feet

Get more news like this directly to your inbox every week by subscribing to our Ukraine Business Roundup newsletter. Ukraine is considering a cocktail of ideas to keep its finances afloat while it waits for Brussels to greenlight new aid, and a big drop in foreign aid in 2026 looms. Unspent funds from government ministries in 2025, ad-hoc government borrowing, and front-loading loans whose disbursements are currently scheduled throughout 2026 could contribute to a buffer early next year, a top
Returning home, photographer Yelena Yemchuk finds beauty in a country at war
Culture

Returning home, photographer Yelena Yemchuk finds beauty in a country at war

There was no doubt for photographer Yelena Yemchuk that upon returning to Ukraine, she would encounter the pain and loss that comes with the day-to-day reality of Russia's full-scale war — but she wasn't quite ready for how much love there was to go around, too. "It's this understanding of what life is, the understanding of what love is, the understanding of human relationships, and this appreciation for the moment," Yemchuk told the Kyiv Independent. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever e
Ukraine war latest: HUR releases combat footage from Pokrovsk, 'fierce battles' ongoing
 (Updated:  

Ukraine war latest live: HUR releases combat footage from Pokrovsk, 'fierce battles' ongoing

Hello, this is Chris York from a cloudy fall day in Kyiv on day 1,350 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story so far: Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) on Nov. 4 released footage of what is said was an ongoing special operation in the embattled city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast. The video shows both drone and on-the-ground footage of drone strikes, tanks, infantry, helicopters, and artillery, providing an insight into the scale of the battle to save the city from encr
Zelensky rejects ‘second-tier’ EU status, urges swift accession talks
Ukraine

Zelensky rejects ‘second-tier’ EU status, urges swift accession talks

BRUSSELS, Belgium — President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine will not accept a second-tier status in the European Union and must be treated as a full member of the bloc once it is invited. "If we speak about the EU membership, it has to be fully fledged (…) you cannot be semi-or demi-member of the European Union," Zelensky said in a virtual address at an Euronews enlargement summit, speaking from near wartorn Pokrovsk. "It seems to me that it is very important that we have at the same
How Europe plans to phase out Russian oil and gas, explained
Explainer

How Europe plans to phase out Russian oil and gas, explained

In the coming weeks, the EU will decide whether to phase out its remaining Russian fossil fuel imports by early 2027 — or give itself another year. Whichever deadline it sets, the bloc will face a difficult path to get there. It will have to overcome resistance from some capitals and secure new sources to replace the billion euros' worth of Russian oil and gas still flowing to the EU each month. The EU has made substantial progress in reducing its long-standing reliance on Russian energy since
EU to praise Ukraine's 'remarkable commitment' to membership bid but warn of backsliding on anti-corruption in key report

EU to praise Ukraine's 'remarkable commitment' to membership bid but warn of backsliding on anti-corruption in key report

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Ukraine has shown "remarkable commitment" to its bid for EU membership despite Russia's full-scale war, but must urgently reverse negative trends in the fight against corruption and step up rule of law reforms, the European Commission is expected to say in its draft enlargement report, seen by the Kyiv Independent. "Despite the very difficult circumstances the country finds itself in on account of Russia's war of aggression, Ukraine continued to demonstrate remarkable commit
'He left us too soon' — Ukrainian photographer and soldier Huzenko killed in Russian strike in eastern Ukraine
War

'He left us too soon' — Ukrainian photographer and soldier Huzenko killed in Russian strike in eastern Ukraine

Kostiantyn Huzenko, 28, a Kyiv photographer who documented the war and enlisted the 35th Marine Brigade in April 2024, was killed Nov. 1 in a Russian strike in eastern Ukraine, the media outlet Ukrainer reported. Just over two years after the full-scale invasion began, Huzenko joined the communications department of the 35th Marine Brigade, where he served as a photographer and press officer until his death. "What I want most is for us to survive — to survive as Ukrainians," Huzenko said in an
Popular Kyiv mall on lockdown as management dispute continues
Business

Popular Kyiv mall on lockdown as management dispute continues

One of Kyiv’s most popular malls has been shut down for four days amid a long-standing fight over the building's management, forcing hundreds of local and international businesses to temporarily close their doors. The shutdown is the latest chapter in a dispute over the mall’s management. State-owned banks Oschadbank and Ukreximbank — the legal owners of the Gulliver complex in downtown Kyiv — temporarily closed the mall on Oct. 31, citing a sewage problem that they blamed on the complex's mana