Moldovan President Maia Sandu begins her second term in office on Dec. 24 in unprecedented circumstances. Russian meddling in domestic affairs is widespread, and the Kremlin makes clear their position of not acknowledging Sandu as a legitimate president of her own country. Sandu also begins her term amid an energy
Editor's Note: This story was sponsored by Gender Zed, a Ukrainian human rights organization that works with a broad range of issues, including sexual orientation and gender identity, gender equality issues, women’s rights, and prevention of HIV infection and sexually transmitted diseases. Andrii Kovalenko, 35, and his partner are
Editor's note: We asked members of the Kyiv Independent community to share the questions they have about the war. Here's what they asked and how we answered. Join our community to ask a question in the next round. Our community funds our journalism. Question: I know it's a big question,
Ukrainian-born Oleksandr Yakushchenko, 18, who was deported from the Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast in 2022, was found dead after allegedly committing suicide on Jan. 10, 2024 near his foster home in Russia.
Preliminary reports say that a Russian ballistic missile hit a four-story apartment building in the city, according to Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul. "Unfortunately, we're preparing for difficult news," Vilkul said in a statement.
“The funds raised will be used to strengthen our economy and finance priority expenditures in the social and humanitarian spheres,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Dec. 24.
From the new foothold, Russian forces could fire on Kherson and the Ukrainian military units located in the coastal zone on the western bank of the Dnipro.
Ukrainian authorities have previously accused Vasyl Nechet of collaborationism.
The U.S. Defense Department has provided $253.7 million to Williams International (Williams) through the Defense Production Act (DPA).
Russian forces launched 60 drones at Ukraine overnight from the Russian cities of Bryansk, Millerovo, and Primosk-Akhtarsk, according to a report from Ukraine's Air Force.
The Trembita is significantly cheaper than Western or Russian cruise missiles, and operates like the V1 flying bombs used by Germany during World War II.
Millerovo hosts a military airbase which houses aircraft used to attack Ukraine, Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's counter-disinformation center, said.
This number includes 1,630 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Italy has delivered 10 military aid packages to Kyiv which have included advanced systems like the French-Italian SAMP/T air defense units.
Europe is unlikely to ramp up weapons and ammunition production for Ukraine in the coming years, according to Andrius Kubilius, the newly appointed EU Commissioner for Defense and Space.
The Verkhovna Rada is drafting a bill that will allow Ukrainian students enrolled in universities abroad to freely cross Ukraine's borders. Once entering the country from abroad, most male students currently cannot leave Ukraine again.
Anti-drone shelters will be constructed with the funding to protect electricity transmission equipment and make Ukraine's energy grid more reliable and resilient, the EIB said in a statement.
Ukraine's National Securities and Stock Market Commission announced on Dec. 23 that it will prohibit the withdrawal of foreign issuer securities, with the ban taking effect on Jan. 1.
Key developments on Dec. 23: * Over 3,000 North Korean troops killed, wounded in Kursk Oblast, Zelensky says * Satellite imagery suggests North Korea to supply more arms to Russia, WSJ reports * 'Mysterious' fire engulfs Russian Shahed warehouse, Ukrainian intelligence claims * First Ukrainian Legion unit trained in Poland deployed to Ukraine,
The entire year 2024 saw Ukrainian troops on the back foot, losing territory to the advancing Russian troops in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast and eastern Donetsk Oblast. Russia captured Avdiivka — an industrial city in Donetsk Oblast — in February, kickstarting Moscow's offensives all across the region. Taking advantage of a poorly conducted
The criticism followed Fico's meeting with Putin in Moscow on Dec. 22 to discuss gas supplies after Ukraine announced it would not extend its transit deal for Russian gas beyond Dec. 31.
While some Western officials initially viewed the arrival of North Korean soldiers in Russia as evidence of the Kremlin’s desperation, U.S. agencies now reportedly believe the idea was North Korea’s initiative, quickly embraced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine has turbo-charged its long-distance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), making “rocket-drones” to compete with cruise missiles or save the trouble of asking for more Western-made ranged weapons. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration has been showing off the latest results, with videos of the Peklo and Palianytsia missile-drones, which Ukrainian soldiers
This estimation, coming from Ukraine's intelligence, is a significant increase from other recent reports about the North Korean casualties.
The Dec. 17 killing of Russian Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov in Moscow — reportedly by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) — is the most high-profile assassination of a Russian military official to date. It's not the first one, however. Military officials, propagandists, and those seen as collaborators by Kyiv have been assassinated
The initiative aims to bolster Ukraine’s Armed Forces by recruiting Ukrainian men living in Poland and other EU countries.
Nearly half of Ukrainians support Ukraine joining NATO even if some territories remain under Russian occupation at the time of accession, according to a new poll.
North Korea appears to be preparing to supply more arms to Russia on top of some 20,000 containers it had already sent, the Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 23 based on its analysis of satellite images.
Berlin supplied Ukraine with 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, one short-range and one medium-range IRIS-T air defense system with missiles, two Patriot air defense launchers, and other aid in the latest delivery, the German government said on Dec. 23.
Around half of the respondents said they would support the development of nuclear weapons even at the price of losing Western aid and coming under sanctions.
Editor's note: This article is a special edition of the KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter, looking at challenges and opportunities facing Ukraine in 2025. 2025 is gearing up to be a decisive year for Ukraine. The country’s leadership will need to navigate a turbulent international landscape, as well
Zelensky called Fico's pro-Russian energy policy "a big security issue" for Slovakia and Europe, asking: "Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What is being paid to him, and what does he pay with?"
