“Did the War End?” is the Kyiv Independent’s podcast that brings together three young Ukrainians exploring what it means to be a nation at war, speaking with experts and everyday Ukrainians to help them answer pressing questions. (Illustration: Karolina Gulshani)
Azovstal, a steel plant in now Russian-occupied Mariupol, has become a symbol of Ukraine’s fierce resistance to the Russian invasion. Thousands of Ukrainian fighters defended the plant with little to no resources, refusing to surrender for nearly three months.
In this episode of our podcast “Did the War End?” we hear from John Spencer, a leading expert in urban warfare studies, about what it took for Ukrainian soldiers to defend the plant, despite being drastically outnumbered. We also talk to two family members of Azovstal defenders who are now in Russian captivity about what life was like at the besieged plant.
In the first nine months of 2025, 18-year-old Ukrainians received Hr 181.9 million ($4.3 million) in government assistance to purchase books through the program, the Culture Ministry reported.
"What a change from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel The Hunt for Red October. Today, it seems more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
In Donetsk Oblast, volunteers from across the world serve in the International Battalion of Ukraine’s Azov Corps. On the battlefield dominated by drones, constant surveillance, and high-risk rotations, they navigate daily life and combat in one of the war’s most dangerous sectors.
The Kyiv Independent is pleased to announce its first ever live event in New York City, where the team will share stories from the life of a newsroom in times of war.
Ukrainian troops have liberated the village of Mali Shcherbaky in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine's 24th Separate Assault Battalion "Aidar" announced on Oct. 12, releasing footage purportedly showing Ukrainian soldiers in the settlement.
Speaking about past negotiations with Moscow, Trump said U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff "had no idea about Russia, had no idea about Putin too much" at the time.
"We can’t simply wait and assume that a potential Russian attack won't come before 2029," German intelligence chief Martin Jaeger said. "We’re already under fire today."
