Explosions reported in Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi oblasts as Russia launches ballistic missiles

The attack against the capital comes shortly after Ukraine's military launched long-range Storm Shadow missiles in a mass strike against a Russian chemical plant on Oct. 21.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also do not plan to meet in person in the near future, though they held a "productive" call on Oct. 20, a State Department spokesperson told the Kyiv Independent.

The Bryansk Chemical Plant produces gunpowder, explosives, and rocket fuel components for the Russian military. It has been sanctioned by the U.S. and U.K.

The former head of Ukraine’s state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, says his opponents were likely behind a law enforcement raid on his home on Oct. 21, in a phone call with the Kyiv Independent.

The perpetrators were allegedly planning to set fire to the Bucharest headquarters of Nova Post, Ukraine's largest private courier.

Maria Lvova-Belova openly said around 20,000 Ukrainian children have been taken by Russia,

Explosions took place at the Petrotel-Lukoil refinery in Ploiești, southern Romania, as well as at Hungary’s largest oil refinery in Szazhalombatta.

The Kulevi facility, Georgia's first full-cycle oil refinery, was launched earlier this month as part of efforts to reduce dependency on fuel imports.

Russian drone attacks on a city in Chernihiv Oblast and Sumy kills at least four and injures 16 on Oct. 21, local authorities reported.

The Kyiv Independent is excited to introduce its 2025 Holiday Gift Guide — a handpicked selection of over 90 meaningful gift ideas from more than 75 Ukrainian brands.

Tetyana Berezhna had been serving as acting minister since August and previously worked as deputy economy minister from June 2022.

"We strongly support President Trump's position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations," a joint statement read.

Ivan Uss reportedly signed a contract with the Russian army on Jan. 17 but died just weeks into his service.