We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.Read more
Ursula von der Leyen discussed the situation in Ukraine with Keith Kellogg on the day when talks on ending the war between Russia and the U.S. began in Riyadh.
Russian forces launched 176 drones from the Russian cities of Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Shatalovo, Millerovo, Primosk-Akhtarsk, and Russian-occupied Crimea at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
Europe is ready and willing to take a leadership role in providing Ukraine with security guarantees, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wrote on Feb. 17 on X.
A Ukrainian draft officer was injured in a violently attack on Feb. 17 in the city of Zhovkva in Lviv Oblast while escorting two mobilized individuals to a medical evaluation.
The BBC and the independent outlet Mediazona have identified the names of 93,641 Russian soldiers who have been killed during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine's military has received over 10,000 applications from volunteer recruits aged 18 to 24 following the introduction of lucrative "special contracts," Defense Ministry Spokesperson Dmytro Lazutkin said on Ukrainian TV on Feb. 17.
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned against a hastily negotiated peace deal from the Trump administration during a wide-ranging interview with German media network ARD on Feb. 17, reaffirming that Ukraine would not accept a peace deal negotiated without the country's involvement.
"We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine," French President Emmanuel Macron said. "To achieve this, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians."
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to provide American military backing for a proposed European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, arguing that only a U.S. security guarantee can deter Russia from launching further aggression.
Speaking to journalists in Brussels on Feb. 17, U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg confirmed his travel plans, saying he would first head to Warsaw on the following day before taking a night train to Kyiv.
Russia's UN Representative Vasily Nebenzya claimed that a ceasefire and freezing hostilities alone would not resolve the conflict, outlining Moscow's conditions for a settlement.
Presidential Office Deputy Head Ihor Zhovkva stressed the urgency of appointing a European representative, saying, "It should be a quickly made decision. I hope right after the Paris meeting. We should act, not reflect."
According to the publication, the estimated troop numbers emerged in response to a U.S. questionnaire sent to European countries asking them to assess their capabilities to support Kyiv.
Poroshenko's faction opposed a recent bill to purchase two Russian-made reactors from Bulgaria for the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, a move Zelensky called critical for Ukraine's energy independence.
Zelensky described the development as a concrete step beyond diplomatic discussions, signaling a shift toward tangible international security cooperation.