China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi cautioned on Sept. 28 against the escalation of the war in Ukraine, amid accusations from Kyiv that Beijing is supporting Russia. Kyiv has expressed skepticism towards Beijing's calls for negotiations, yet Wang reiterated China's willingness to assist in brokering a resolution. "The top priority is
A military aid package that includes ammunition, computers, and logistical supplies will arrive in Ukraine this week, the Lithuanian government announced on Sept. 28. Lithuania has emerged as one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters amid Russia's full-scale war. The Baltic nation has provided Ukraine with helicopters, drones, armored vehicles, and air
Leonid Loboyko, a judge on Ukraine's Supreme Court, was killed on Sept. 28 by a Russian drone strike in the village of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv Oblast. A Russian FPV drone struck a civilian vehicle on Sept. 28, killing the driver immediately, the Kharkiv Oblast regional prosecutor's office reported. The
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated. Russian air strikes on the village of Slatyne in Kharkiv Oblast on Sept. 28 killed three people and injured six others, regional authorities reported. Russia targeted Slatyne, a village 13 kilometers from the Russian border, with multiple air strikes
Russian troops appear to be preparing for assault operations in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where "the enemy is amassing personnel," the Ukrainian military's Southern Command spokesman Vladyslav Voloshyn said on Sept. 28. The statement comes as Russia continues to press forward on its offensives across the eastern front, primarily on
The Kremlin is facing a backlash from Russian military bloggers outraged at reports of specialist troops being sent to storm Ukrainian positions in order to maintain pressure on the front lines. Facing a shortage of manpower and a pressing need to maintain the grinding advances in eastern Ukraine, Russia has
Russian forces launched a double-tap strike on a hospital in the northeastern city of Sumy, killing 10 people and injuring 22, Ukrainian officials said on Sept. 28. The initial attack claimed one life and caused extensive damage to several floors of the hospital, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. The
Russia has lost 650,640 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Sept. 28. This number includes 1,470 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day. According to the report, Russia has
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed strong U.S. concerns to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sept. 27 regarding China's support for Russia's defense industry, saying that Beijing's claims of seeking peace in Ukraine "don't add up." During their meeting on the sidelines of the U.N.
More than 71,000 Russian soldiers have been confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine amid the full-scale war, according to a report by independent Russian media outlet Mediazona on Sept. 27. Mediazona, along with BBC News Russian, has been documenting the names of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine through
Paraguay formally signed the global peace summit joint communique on Sept. 27, becoming the 95th country to add their signature onto the final communique, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced. Switzerland hosted Ukraine's global peace summit on June 15-16, with representatives of around 100 countries and organizations in attendance. Seventy-eight states and
Ukraine has launched uResidency, a program enabling foreigners to start a business in the country remotely, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Sept. 27 at the Lviv IT Arena, according to a Kyiv Independent journalist reporting from the event. The program offers foreign entrepreneurs favorable conditions for conducting business,
Key developments on Sept. 27: * Trump meets with Zelensky, says his views on ending the war 'as soon as possible' have not changed * Crimean bridge defenses being bolstered by underwater drone traps, according to reports * US intelligence warns of risks in permitting Ukraine's long-range strikes, NYT reports * Ombudsman denies reports
Former Zhytomyr Mayor Serhii Sukhomlyn has been appointed head of the Agency for the Restoration and Development of Infrastructure, he announced on Facebook on Sept. 27. Sukhomlyn became mayor of Zhytomyr in November 2015 and resigned at his own request in early September 2024. Before Sukhomlyn, Mustafa Nayyem headed the
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect comments made by President Volodymyr Zelensky during his evening address. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said everything possible must be done to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Zelensky made the remarks on Sept. 27 after meeting
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sept. 27 at Trump Tower in New York City. Zelensky has been in the U.S. since Sept. 22, engaging in a series
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed below are those of the author(s) and signatories and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Dear U.S. President Joe Biden, As Ukrainian cities continue to be targeted by Russian missiles and drones, bringing death and devastation to
In a meeting with a top Russian militant, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko admits to a decade-long cooperation with occupied Donetsk and complicity in hosting abducted Ukrainian children. The U.S. condemns Belarusian state-owned TV channel for broadcasting “repentance” of U.S. citizen turned Belarusian political prisoner Yury Ziankovich. Far-right German
A Russian assault near the village of Pishchane in Kharkiv Oblast was repelled, and dozens of vehicles damaged and destroyed, the Achilles drone strike battalion of Ukraine's 92nd Separate Special Forces Brigade claimed on Sept. 27. Commander Yurii Fedosenko said Moscow's forces had attempted to advance toward Kolesnykivka and Kruhliakivka
Russia is attempting to bolster defenses around the Crimean Bridge using underwater drone traps, it was reported on Sept. 27. According to the Crimean Wind Telegram channel, the metal structures have been put in place using barges and a floating crane for the last month. An unverified photo accompanying the
A top aide of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has criticized Ukraine's resistance to Russia's full-scale invasion, calling it "irresponsible" and suggesting his country would have advised against fighting back if it had been asked. Balazs Orban – no relation to the prime minister – made the comments when discussing Hungary's anti-Soviet
Kyiv did not conduct a Qatar-brokered "exchange" of children with Moscow, Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Sept. 27. Lubinets refuted an AFP report citing an unnamed Qatari official who claimed nine children and one adult had allegedly returned to Ukraine, while four children "will be reunited with their families
Editor's note: This story is being updated. A Russian missile struck a district police department in the city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Governor Serhii Lysak reported on Sept. 27. One woman was killed and at least six men were injured, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed eight people and injured at least 49 others over the past day, regional authorities said on Sept. 27. Ukrainian forces downed 24 out of 32 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. One more drone was "lost," and another entered Romanian airspace,
LATEST: Crimean bridge defenses being bolstered by underwater drone traps, according to reports. Russia is building a new but unidentified structure near the Crimean Bridge, Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said on national television on Sept. 26. The purpose of the construction is not yet currently known for certain, Pletenchuk said,
Russia has lost 649,170 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Sept. 27. This number includes 1,370 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day. According to the report, Russia has
The Kremlin on Sept. 26 emphasized that President Vladimir Putin’s revisions to Russia’s nuclear weapons doctrine should serve as a warning to Western nations, making clear that involvement in attacks on Russia would carry serious repercussions. A day earlier, Putin announced that Russia could respond to conventional missile
U.S. intelligence agencies have cautioned that Russia may respond with increased force, potentially including lethal attacks on the U.S. and its allies, if Ukraine is allowed to use long-range missiles supplied by the U.S., U.K., and France for strikes deep into Russian territory, the New York
Earlier on Sept. 26, Trump shared a screenshot of a message purportedly from Zelensky on Truth Social.
U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a joint press conference in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 26, ahead of their in-private meeting. Zelensky has been in the U.S. since Sept. 22, where he has held a series of high-level meetings
U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin received a Zoom call from an unknown person claiming to be former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the New York Times (NYT) reported on Sept. 26, citing a letter from the Senate security service and its undisclosed sources. The senator's office received an email from a
The U.K. Defense Ministry announced on Sept. 26 that it will provide Ukraine with 16 AS90 self-propelled artillery howitzers instead of 12. The announcement comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky continues his visit to the U.S., where he hopes to gain support for his recently announced "victory plan." The
(Updated: )
