A parliamentary election kicked off in Russia on Sept. 18 in what is expected to be a rubber-stamp ritual intended to legitimize President Vladimir Putin's rule. The election will be held over several days and will be completed on Sept. 20. The voting is taking place amid growing frustration among Russians with the war as its costs mount, and Ukraine intensifies drone strikes on Russian territory. However, there is little opportunity for voters to express their discontent since anti-war parti

"Exhaustive security measures have been taken at polling stations in Sochi," said the city's mayor, Andrey Propushin.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sept. 18 welcomed European leaders to the Carpathian 8 Summit, the inaugural event for a forum of eight countries across the Carpathian region.

The strike occured in the evening of Sept. 17 near the city of Korosten, oblast governor Vitaliy Buchenko said on Telegram.

Editor's Note: This story is part of the "Hidden Canon"  – a special series celebrating Ukrainian classic literature and aiming to bring it to a wider international audience. The series is supported by the Ukrainian Institute. One Christmas Eve night, in a prison camp in the Russian republic of Mordovia, Ukrainian female political prisoners braved the cold to gather near the barbed wire that separated them from the men to sing carols. They gathered there for the poet Vasyl Stus, who had been g

The Kyiv Independent has launched an official WhatsApp channel, where readers can follow the latest news and reporting from Ukraine.

Some 6,000 people — 200 of them children — are right now starving to death in a humanitarian catastrophe orchestrated by Vladimir Putin's Russia. The town of Oleshky and its surrounding district in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast exist under Russian occupation as a prison — and it is rapidly turning into a death camp. No one is allowed in or out. The last food delivery was on May 26. Medical supplies are close to non-existent. Russia's treatment of Oleshky's civilians is reminiscent of th

Speaking before his visit to Ukraine, the Slovak leader said that the Russia-Ukraine war is "out of control," and that the risk of a Europe-wide conflict has never been as serious as it is now.

Even if Canada helps the EU with its loan to Ukraine, it still needs to follow Norway's lead and provide direct financial support to Ukraine, said European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari.

Hungary again began blocking Ukraine's EU accession clusters, asking Kyiv to first implement earlier agreements addressing the rights of Ukraine's Hungarian minority.

Due to delays in processing Ukrainian receipts, the upcoming tranche is smaller than the 4.7 billion euros ($5.5 billion) previously promised by EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius on Sept. 11.

Two An-26 transport aircraft, one An-12 transport aircraft, and three helicopters were hit, according to the General Staff.

Residents in Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast face an escalating humanitarian crisis, as constant Russian drone attacks and artillery shelling have made it impossible to deliver essential food and medicine supplies or evacuate civilians by road. "These people need to be saved," Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said on Sept. 16, adding that residents are desperate to escape "from this hell." "People are driven to despair and are simply walking along mined roads (to e

Russia on Sept. 18 began its three-day elections for the 450-member State Duma, the lower chamber of Russia's legislature, for the first time since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine.

The figure includes at 1,420 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 17 signed a decree confiscating the assets of several international companies, including Nestle and Auchan.

"The thing about (the) video, I'm Russian. As soon as I'm done playing hockey, I'm probably going to stay there. I'm going to live there. My kids are going to live there," Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin said.

Major General Viktor Nikoliuk announced on Sept. 17 that he is leaving his post as commander of Ukraine's Eastern Operational Command.

Germany will soon transfer 10 MIM–104E GEM–T Patriot interceptor missiles, valued at $29.6 million, to Ukraine, the U.S. State Department said in a notification to Congress.

The serviceman, who works at the Stryi district recruitment center, was hospitalized with moderate injuries.

The survey was taken between Aug. 21 and Sept. 10, during a large-scale anti-corruption probe that implicated senior officials from the Presidential Office, including former deputy head Iryna Mudra.

Key developments on Sept. 16: * At least 20 injured, including children, in Kyiv following Russian missile, drone attack * Ukrainian collaborator involved in Russia's sham 'referendums' killed in Ukrainian drone strike, Russian media claims * Ukraine strikes 2 S-400 launchers in Russia's Bryansk Oblast, General Staff claims * Russian drone attack on Tanzania-flagged vessel kills captain, injures 3 crew members, Ukraine says * Russian forces strike major Ukrainian steel plant for 4th time i

U.S. President Donald Trump plans to sign legislation that would allow him to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian oil and gas, a White House official told the Kyiv Independent on Sept. 17.

Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry said Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian ports, port infrastructure, and civilian commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

The U.S. House of Representatives just voted on sweeping new sanctions aimed at putting further pressure on Russia's economy and its war machine, including measures targeting Moscow's energy sector, defense industry, "shadow fleet" and foreign networks helping it evade sanctions. The effectiveness of these measures, however, will ultimately depend on how consistently they are enforced and how actively and responsibly U.S. President Donald Trump uses the authorities they provide. The legislatio

Media reports suggest Kovalsky could ultimately be appointed prosecutor general, rather than merely serving in an acting capacity.

Russia struck the Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works with two ballistic missiles on the morning of Sept. 17, according to Metinvest, the plant's owner and Ukraine's largest steel producer.

The threat of another Russian incursion into Polish airspace prompted the Polish Air Force to scramble fighter jets.

The Kyiv Independent has won a 2026 Online Journalism Award for Innovation in Revenue Strategy in the Medium Newsroom category.

Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukrainian cities, using ballistic and cruise missiles, Shahed-type one-way attack drones, and Oniks anti-ship missiles, the Air Force said.

Russia launched a drone and missile attack on Kyiv on the night of Sept. 16-17, damaging an education facility and injuring at least 20 people in Ukraine's capital, officials reported.

The strikes took place overnight on Sept. 16-17, according to the statement.