“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 episode 3 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” host Masha Lavrova discovers that village life is about more than chores — it’s about earning the trust of the community.
It is the third time Russian forces have used pipelines as a tactic, which they first adopted during the Battle of Avdiivka. Back in March, around 100 troops passed through a gas pipeline to reach Ukrainian positions in Sudzha, in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
"Eastern Sentry is not just a new initiative – it is a clear signal: NATO’s borders are inviolable, and the security of our citizens remains a priority," Poland's General Staff wrote on X.
The top European diplomat described Russia’s three-step negotiation tactic: demanding what it never had, followed by ultimatums and threats, finished off by the West ready to concede to Moscow’s demands.
"If something happens — a drone, a provocation, or suspicious troop movements — we can do it," Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said.
"As of today, we can state that the Russian offensive operation on Sumy has been completely thwarted by our forces," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 12, citing front-line reports from Commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
"The United States stands by our NATO allies in the face of these alarming airspace violations," said acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea, addressing the 15-member Security Council.
The sanctions list includes Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, top military officials, lawmakers, oligarchs, propagandists, mercenaries, and individuals responsible for the abduction of Ukrainian children from occupied territories.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Poland sees no reason to sever diplomatic ties with Russia, noting that it has already limited the activities of Russian diplomats in several regions.
"Every time you are here, General, we can sleep a little more. We would like you to travel to all Ukrainian cities," Zelensky said at the annual Yalta European Strategy meeting.
