With Russia currently occupying over 20% of Ukraine, many Ukrainians are risking their lives to escape to Ukraine-controlled territory.
In this episode, we are joined by the Kyiv Independent’s Head of Investigations Anna Myroniuk, who shares the story of one family’s escape from Kherson Oblast.
The Kyiv Indie Podcasts · Fleeing Occupation in Kherson Oblast – A Story of Separation
U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire deadline he set for Russia — scheduled for Aug. 8 — now depends on Vladimir Putin. "We’re going to see what he has to say. It's going to be up to him," Trump told reporters on Aug. 7.
"Parents of some of them were killed by occupation authorities, others were simply issued Russian identification documents to legitimize their abduction," said Mykola Kuleba, head of the Save Ukraine organization.
According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russian forces launched 104 Shahed-type attack drones, decoy drones, and eight rocket-powered kamikaze drones overnight.
Russia's Defense Ministry reportedly demanded cash payments for security services, marking a sharp departure from previous arrangements under Wagner that involved compensation with natural resources.
The number includes 1,040 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Approximately 1.2 million civilians have been evacuated from their permanent residences in the Ukrainian-controlled territory of Donetsk Oblast.
Preparations for the meeting are underway, and the venue has already been agreed upon, Russian foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are scheduled to join U.S. President Donald Trump for an "official Peace Signing Ceremony" on Aug. 8.
Ukrainian law enforcement detained two minors recruited by Russia who carried out a terrorist attack in Zhytomyr city earlier this week, killing one man and seriously injuring another, the Security Service of Ukraine announced on Aug. 7.
Ukraine's military launched a drone attack on Russia's Volgograd Oblast overnight on Aug. 7, striking a railway station in the town of Surovikino, regional Governor Andrei Bocharov reported.
"This step will help ensure transparency and legality in the work of enlistment offices' teams, as well as protect the rights of both sides," Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
"As in May 2025, the only plan that can be the subject of discussions and approval by the Ukrainian public is a joint plan from Europe and Ukraine," the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology read.
