Ukraine's air raid alert system was hacked late on Nov. 1, the Air Force said as sirens sounded across the country, falsely notifying people of nuclear, chemical, and street fighting threats.

A Russian drone strike on the grounds of a vocational school dormitory in Vinnytsia Oblast killed two people, including a 13-year-old girl, on Nov. 1, the State Emergency Service reported.

On Oct. 31, residents of the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky finally arrived in Ukrainian-controlled territory as part of an evacuation mission that involved a short pause in fighting mediated with the involvement of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. Seventeen buses carrying evacuees reached Ukrainian-controlled territory, where families were reunited with loved ones they had not seen for years. The Kyiv Independent’s Yuliia Taradiuk and Olena Zashko witnessed the arrival of the residents from Ol

Key developments on Oct. 31-Nov. 1: * Russian oil refinery in Kstovo ablaze after reported overnight drone strike * Russian airstrike destroys Kramatorsk city council building that survived 2014 occupation * Russian attack hits Kyiv energy facility, leaving parts of the city without power and water * Ukraine hits plant producing fuel for Russian multiple-launch rocket systems in Rostov Oblast, military says * Oleshky residents reach Ukrainian-controlled territory after escaping Russian occ

"I call on governments that have not lost their moral compass to deny Russian players entry to their territory," said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

"A ‘Pantsir-S2’ system and a command and control vehicle belonging to the S-400 ‘Triumph’ system were also struck," Zelensky said, causing an estimated $70 million in damage.

Editor's note: Ukrainian journalist Daria Litovchenko contributed to reporting on the ground in Kherson, while Francis Farrell compiled the material from Kyiv. In all of Ukraine, perhaps no city has suffered as much, for as long, during Russia's full-scale war as Kherson. From the initial eight months of brutal Russian occupation in 2022 — with all of the associated torture, looting and deportation — to Russia's man-made flood caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, to the systematic "h

"The appointment of eight new members of the Constitutional Tribunal lies within the constitutional power of the Sejm (Poland's parliament)," a European Commission spokesperson told the Kyiv Independent.

Russia continued its campaign against Ukraine's energy grid ahead of winter, targeting infrastructure in at least four regions overnight and injuring three workers from the Ukrainian energy company DTEK.

According to the data from the General Staff, Russia's estimated losses reached 54,400 soldiers in October.

The number includes 2,100 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Ukraine has targeted the facility a number of times, including a confirmed strike on Aug. 26 that sparked a large fire. The NORSI suspended operations due to damaged sustained in that attack.

"They can destroy a building, scorch our land and steal our memories. But they cannot destroy our right to a future," he wrote.

Zelensky spoke of Russian attacks on Ukrainian clergy members and said over 800 institutions have been damaged.

"We're working to strengthen the protection of our people, our bilateral partnership with Turkey, and real diplomatic prospects. There are important issues concerning shipping in the Black Sea," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed uncertainty about whether a negotiated peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is possible, speaking at a G20 foreign ministers meeting on Oct. 31.

Ukraine's campaign targeting Russian oil refineries is ongoing, Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent, rejecting reports that Kyiv had agreed to suspend the strikes. The Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 29, citing people familiar with the operations, that Ukraine had agreed to a "pause" in attacks on Russian oil refineries. According to the report, the pause was expected to remain in place until after the U.S. midterm elections, potentially extending into November. The WSJ also cla

The U.S. Embassy said it considered the information about the potential incident "a credible threat" and was coordinating with Russian authorities.

The plant, located in the Russian city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, produces solid rocket propellant for the Uragan, Smerch, and Tornado-S multiple-launch rocket systems.

CHERNIHIV OBLAST — Evacuees from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky have reached Ukrainian-controlled territory on Oct. 31 after an arduous 19-hour journey. The city's residents, who had been trapped in a worsening humanitarian crisis for months on end, arrived to an emotional reception at the border crossing with Belarus by relatives, health workers with ambulances, aid organizations, police, and media. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the mission was successful, thanking all parties

"We will be home soon! For now, we are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus — together with our people and even their beloved pets," Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said

Ukrainian forces downed 105 out of the 134 drones, including jet-powered attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Russian drones struck 20 different locations, and debris fell in 10 areas, according to the statement.

As millions of Ukrainians weigh what comes after displacement, a new platform aims to help people make informed decisions about returning home without telling them they should. For Ukrainians living across Europe, the hardest part of returning may no longer be the journey itself, but deciding where to begin with sorting out documents, work, housing, local services, or finding a place where rebuilding everyday life feels realistic. Many Ukrainians abroad have spent their time working toward sta

"Don't trust them," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said when asked about the reports.

"We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The number includes 1,670 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"At ​a moment like this, the ​president must be in Poland. I ⁠am cutting short my flight ​to Senegal. I am returning,” Nawrocki ​wrote on X.

Earlier on Oct. 31, Bashkortostan authorities declared a drone threat across the republic and imposed temporary flight restrictions at Ufa Airport, according to Russian media.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand expressed strong opposition to the ruling, saying Ottawa is reviewing its implications, including the possibility of Russian participation in the upcoming World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Alberta.

The Canadian contribution follows similar announcements made by other allies. Norway pledged $9 billion for 2027 on Oct. 7, and on Oct. 28, the U.K. announced a $13 billion pledge to Ukraine, its largest ever.

Kyiv Independent staff in the capital reported explosions and widespread fluctuations in power, with some buildings and streetlights temporarily losing electricity.

With the French presidential election months away, Russia's disinformation machine works to ensure no pro-Ukraine candidate enters the Elysee Palace. Viginum, the French agency that counters foreign interference, has already detected hundreds of disinformation operations targeting the vote, whose outcome will have major ramifications for Ukraine and Europe. Moscow-linked campaigns have spread false claims that center-left Raphael Glucksmann helped set up torture prisons in Ukraine, that Presid