Kyiv Independent reaches 25,000 paying members thanks to our global community
As 2025 draws to a close, we are proud to share a milestone that matters not only to our publication but to every reader who believes in independent journalism from Ukraine.
More than 2,400 people have joined the Kyiv Independent community during our annual anniversary campaign, helping us reach our goal of 25,000 members by the end of 2025.
This achievement is more than a number. It is a collective statement: that independent journalism matters, that Ukraine’s story deserves to be told with integrity, and that people across the world are willing to stand with us as we do this work.
During this campaign, a record 2,479 new members joined our community — an 11% growth from our starting point.
“We are truly lucky to call ourselves a reader-funded and reader-centered organization. Our community of 25,000 members allowed us to get through a tough 2025 and prepare for all the work we have to do in 2026. And we have plenty, ” Zakhar Protsiuk, COO of the Kyiv Independent, said.
Our new members came from all over the world, representing a truly global community. We welcomed 517 members from the United States, 263 from the United Kingdom, 158 from Canada, 105 from Germany, 79 from Australia, and many other countries.
During our campaign, we highlighted the goals behind this year’s campaign as well as shared some behind-the-scenes facts about the Kyiv Independent team.
We used this opportunity to tell our readers more about who is inside the Kyiv Independent community and why people choose to support us. Additionally, we reminded our readers about the ways to keep Ukraine in their newsfeed, and our frontline reporter, Francis Farrell, shared why reporting from the front is getting even harder.
Our anniversary campaign was also a great opportunity to tell the story of the Kyiv Independent and partner with various global publications, either by translating our journalism or publishing calls to action for our support.
ElDiario, one of the leading Spanish publications, published the translated text of our investigation. De Correspondent, a membership-driven independent media outlet from the Netherlands, published an in-depth explainer on the current situation of Russia’s war against Ukraine based on the expert commentary of our journalists. Politiken and Altinget, leading publications from Denmark, supported our campaign on social media.
Our COO, Zakhar Protsiuk, shared behind-the-scenes details about the Kyiv Independent model and membership growth on the Media Voices and Business of Content podcasts.
The Kyiv Independent will use members’ support to produce more high-quality journalism in 2026.
“We’re going into our fifth year with no thoughts about giving up or going away — instead, we want to do even more. More stories, more reports, more investigations, in an even louder voice,” Olga Rudenko, chief editor of the Kyiv Independent, said.
Our campaign has ended, but it’s never too late to become a member of the Kyiv Independent. If you are a member, thank you for your continued support. If you are not, we invite you to join our community or consider gifting a membership in your name.
