"I think we all recognize that part of getting a final end to this war will require for Ukraine to feel that it is safe and it is never going to be invaded or attacked again," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Five Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were executed by Russian soldiers, Ukrainian mapping and analytical organization DeepState reported on Nov. 22.

Key developments on Nov. 22-23. * Ukraine downs Russian Mi-8 helicopter with deep strike drone for first time, military claims * Russia likely captured over 15 villages in Zaporizhzhia Oblast since September, OSINT group says * Pro-Ukrainian partisans set locomotive ablaze in Russia's Rostov-on-Don, group claims * Ukraine's military reportedly strikes power plant in Moscow Oblast * Ukrainian army on 'search and destroy' missions to clear Russians from central Pokrovsk Ukrainian forces sho

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent announcements of long-term fighter jet deals with European allies presents an enticing vision of Ukraine’s future airpower — a fleet of hundreds of modern aircraft ready to defend the country's skies. But that vision clashes with the country’s immediate reality: Russian advances on the front line, a $60 billion budget shortfall, the biggest corruption scandal of Zelensky’s presidency inside his own administration, and the threat of the worst winter energy c

Secretive talks between the U.S. and Russia left out key White House officials and have been ongoing for weeks, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 23.

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur reports on the devastating Russian strike on the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, which killed 33 people, including six children.

A Ukrainian delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, is working on a "workable solution" for ending Russia's war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Telegram post on Nov. 23.

Search and rescue operations in the western Ukrainian city concluded after four days, with 33 confirmed dead and six people still missing.

According to the Airborne Assault Forces, Ukraine has killed 388 Russian soldiers in the city and wounded another 87 since the beginning of November.

The 47 signatories include parliamentarians from countries ranging from Ireland to North Macedonia.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is running a shadow operation inside the White House in an effort to sideline pro-Ukraine officials, the Kyiv Independent has learned. Witkoff — a real estate mogul with no diplomatic background before his appointment — has emerged as one of the central architects of a new Washington peace proposal that Ukrainian officials say revives the Kremlin's most sweeping demands. A source in Ukraine's President's Office earlier said that Witkoff is shaping the plan in d

Overnight, Russian forces launched 98 drones at Ukraine, including around 60 Shaheds, Ukraine's Air Force reported.

Ukraine's military reportedly struck the Shatura Thermal Power Plant in Moscow Oblast overnight on Nov. 23, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

Members of the pro-Ukrainian partisan group Atesh sabotaged an electric locomotive allegedly used for transporting military cargo in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, Atesh claimed on Nov. 23.

If President Volodymyr Zelensky refuses to accept the terms of the 28-point-plan, "then he can continue to fight his little heart out," Trump added.

"Rewarding Russian butchery would be disastrous to America’s interests," U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell said.

The U.S. bipartisan Senate delegation attending the Halifax International Security Forum had received a phone call from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In it, Rubio was quite frank. According to Republican Senator Mike Rounds, Rubio told senators that the 28-point peace plan drawn up by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart, Kirill Dmitriev, was actually a Russian plan that the U.S. had agreed to pass along to Ukraine. "Secretary Rubio made a phone call to us this afternoon.

Nine Ukrainian officials, including Andriy Yermak, Head of the President's Office, and Kyrylo Budanov, the country's military intelligence chief, are set to attend the meeting, according to a presidential decree published on November 22.

The drones were spotted above the Volkel Air Base overnight, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said on Nov. 22. The drones flew away after weapons were deployed and an investigation is underway.

"We are changing the rules of the game: now we are hunting," Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said on Nov. 22. The Mi-8 was allegedly downed over Russia's Rostov Oblast.

Manifest expansionist ambitions of the three most powerful countries in the world — China, the United States, and Russia — are undermining the current world order. Since its founding, the People's Republic has expressed interest in Taiwan; Beijing may now be on the verge of attempting to conquer the island. In 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to incorporate Canada and Greenland into the United States. The most consequential development that has led to the erosion of th

"We welcome the continued US efforts to bring peace to Ukraine," the leaders of the European Union, the U.K., France, Germany, Canada, Japan, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Norway, and Finland said in a statement after meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit.

The decision was made following an agreement reached by Lukashenko with U.S. President Donald Trump, at Ukraine's request.

Independent journalism is never easy, especially in wartime. The Kyiv Independent keeps reporting from Ukraine freely, without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise — thanks to our community. Now, we’re aiming for 25,000 members before 2025 ends to strengthen our newsroom and expand coverage where it’s needed most.

U.S. President Donald Trump is pressing Ukraine to accept a new peace proposal built around sweeping Russian demands, giving Kyiv until Nov. 27 to decide whether it will accept the demands or lose American support. The push marks Trump's latest attempt to end Russia's all-out war, now approaching its fourth year, and as President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 21, "Ukraine may soon face an extremely difficult choice. Either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner." The Kyiv In

Amid mounting pressure from the White House, Kyiv is now grappling with a U.S. 28-point peace plan that many in the country view as a "capitulation." Ukrainian activists, lawmakers, soldiers and veterans warn that the proposal could strengthen Russia's position, leading to further conflict rather than resolution — and not just on the front lines, but on the streets of Ukraine. Volodymyr Ariev, a lawmaker with the opposition European Solidarity party, said that the leaked plan appears to be "a

The Russian advance in Zaporizhzhia Oblast comes as Russian troops also intensify their offensives in other hot spots of the war.

Russian troops launched one ballistic missile and 104 Shahed-type drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force reported on Nov. 22.

The number includes 1,170 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

The Yany Kapu electric substation in northern Crimea was targeted by drones overnight on Nov. 22, Telegram channel Astra reported.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in the Oval Office on Nov. 21 that he believes there is "a way of getting peace."

Ukraine’s forces say they are holding defensive lines in Pokrovsk, even as the Ukrainian mapping site DeepState shows Russian troops advancing.