In the heart of Kharkiv, Kharkiv Theater for Children and Youth performs in bomb shelters under constant threats of Russian attacks. The Kyiv Independent visited one of the theater's performances in late June to meet the dedicated actors and their no less dedicated audience.
Olena Makarenko is a Kyiv-based journalist and documentary filmmaker. Since November 2015, Olena has been covering the events in Ukraine for foreign audiences. She has authored two short documentaries: “The Court” (2018) about establishing the Anti-Corruption Court in Ukraine and “Life-Long City” about an activist in Kryvyi Rih.Read more
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that a united NATO, bolstered by strong U.S. leadership, is essential to counter Putin's ambitions and safeguard Ukraine's sovereignty, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Russia criticized a newly announced 100-year partnership agreement between Ukraine and the U.K., rejecting any cooperation between the two nations in the Azov Sea.
President-elect Donald Trump has expressed interest in visiting China shortly after assuming office, potentially within his first 100 days, sources familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
A Russian missile strike on Kyiv early on Jan. 18 damaged Ukraine's oldest McDonald’s, located near the Lukianivska metro station in the city's Shevchenkivskyi district. Open since 1997, this is the first McDonald's restaurant in the country.
"We're the largest NATO partner in Europe. We'll obviously have a role to play," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Jan. 18 when asked about the possibility of sending troops to monitor a ceasefire in Ukraine.
"If students cannot pass the exam ... if they refuse to take the military oath, they will not be able to study in higher education institutions in the future," Deputy Defense Minister Serhii Melnyk said.
Ukrainian forces launched an aerial attack against a Russian-occupied refractory plant in the embattled city of Chasiv Yar, confirming earlier reports that Ukraine had withdrawn from the site.
The company allegedly shipped a large-scale batch of stainless steel profiles to Russia after the full-scale invasion. These products were used to outfit the Russian Institute for Nuclear Research, the SBU said.
The engineer allegedly led a network of agents who tracked the movement and positions of Ukrainian troops in order to coordinate Russian aerial attacks, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said.
These included K-51 and RG-VO munitions, anti-riot weapons that are prohibited for use in warfare, and ammunition loaded with chemicals of "unspecified type."
"Changing the commander at a critical moment is a direct threat to the unit's combat capability and undermines the trust of the fighters," the statement read.
Ukrainian law enforcement officers charged former lawmaker and businessman Vadym Novynskyi with high treason and incitement to religious hatred in absentia, the State Bureau of Investigation said.
Former Ukrainian pro-Russian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev published a two-hour propaganda interview on Jan. 17, marking his first public appearance after almost three years of Russia's full-scale war.
Ukrainian forces attacked oil depots in Russia's Tula and Kaluga oblasts overnight on Jan. 18, according to the General Staff and a Kyiv Independent's source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR).
Russia launched an attack on Kyiv early in the morning on Jan. 18, killing three people and injuring three others, Kyiv city military administration head Tymur Tkachenko reported.
Russia launched 39 drones, including Shahed-type, and four ballistic missiles of either the Iskander-M or the North Korean KN-23 model overnight, the Air Force reported.
Sanctions imposed by the outgoing U.S. administration against Antal Rogan, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's cabinet chief and overseer of the secret service, have only strengthened Rogan's position, Orban said during a state radio interview on Jan. 17.
A fire erupted at an oil depot in the town of Uzlovaya in Russia's Tula Oblast following a Ukrainian drone attack on the facility overnight on Jan. 18, regional Governor Dmitry Milyaev said.
Journalists have identified the names of 88,726 Russian soldiers who died during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to a joint investigation by BBC Russia and Mediazona.