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Failed US peace effort left Ukraine worse off, expert argues

5:49 PM

Video

Failed US peace effort left Ukraine worse off, expert argues.

The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with Michael McFaul, an academic and former U.S. ambassador to Russia (2012–2014), to discuss the state of the Ukraine-Russia peace process following U.S. President Donald Trump’s failed effort, the threat of U.S. disengagement, and a congressional bill introducing new sanctions against Russia and its trading partners supporting its war machine.

5:49 PM

Russia's Rosatom seeks to sell 49% stake in Turkey's first nuclear plant.

The project remains a cornerstone of Russian-Turkish energy cooperation.

4:11 PM

Ukraine suspends citizenship of Moscow-linked church head.

The SBU said it had established that Metropolitan Onufrii, also known by his secular name, Orest Berezovskyi, voluntarily received Russian citizenship in 2002 and failed to inform Ukrainian authorities of the fact.

'Ukraine is biggest landmine challenge since World War II,' says head of world’s largest demining organization

4:09 PM

Interview

'Ukraine is biggest landmine challenge since World War II,' says head of world’s largest demining organization

Russia's full-scale invasion may have turned Ukraine into the world's largest minefield. As of March 2025, Ukraine’s mine-affected land spans an estimated 139,000 square kilometers — or 23% of its territory — covering more ground than all of Greece and posing an immense threat to civilian life and recovery efforts.

3:50 PM

Ukraine denies another Russian claim of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast breakthrough, says small incursion repelled.

According to the statement, a small Russian reconnaissance group managed to briefly enter the village of Dachne, located on the edge of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The group reportedly took photos with a Russian flag, but Ukrainian forces "eliminated them."

3:27 PM

North Korea to send up to 30,000 more troops to aid Russia's war against Ukraine, CNN reports.

The fresh units may arrive in the coming months and are likely to be engaged in combat in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, including during "large-scale offensive operations," according to a Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) assessment reviewed by CNN.

2:45 PM

Ukrainian-founded Grammarly to acquire AI email app Superhuman.

Grammarly, a company with Ukrainian roots, announced its intent to acquire AI email writing app Superhuman as part of its expansion into an AI productivity platform, the company said in a press release on July 1.

1:54 PM

Ukraine says it wasn't notified of US weapons shipment halt; official insists 'deliveries continue.'

In a statement, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said it is working to verify the current status of all elements in the agreed aid packages and has requested a phone call with U.S. defense officials for further clarification.

1:40 PM

Kremlin welcomes reported pause in US arms shipments to Ukraine, says it brings war's end closer.

"The fewer weapons that are supplied to Ukraine, the closer the end of the... (Russia-Ukraine war)," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

1:27 PM

Armenian parliament speaker urges ban on Russian TV broadcasting.

"We must very seriously discuss the suspension of Russian television channel broadcast in the territory of Armenia," Armenian Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan told reporters, according to Armenpress.

1:17 PM

Military aid delays will 'encourage Russia to continue war,' Ukraine tells US envoy.

Ukraine warned that "any delay or hesitation in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities will only encourage Russia to continue war and terror, rather than pursue peace."

12:32 PM

USAID officially ends operation, remaining programs moved under State Department.

"Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies — and which advance American interests — will be administered by the State Department," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

As US aid to Ukraine dries up, new platform connects American investors with Ukrainian startups

7:20 PM

(Updated: July 2, 2025 12:15 pm)

Business

As US aid to Ukraine dries up, new platform connects American investors with Ukrainian startups

Hans Braunfisch wants Americans to invest in Ukrainian startups, but there's a problem: there's no clear path for individual investors to put money into the more than 26,000 Ukrainian startups out there. The former PwC consultant plans to change that with Pravo Venture, a platform streamlining foreign investment for

12:05 PM

Russia cannot launch 500 drones every day, Ukraine's intel chief says.

Russia has the capacity to launch as many as 500 Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones at Ukraine in a single attack, but doing so on a daily basis is not possible, Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on July 2.

11:13 AM

Russia plans gas extraction in Sea of Azov, Ukrainian officials warn.

According to the Berdiansk Municipal Military Administration, Russia's Federal Subsoil Resources Agency (Rosnedra) has announced plans to explore and possibly develop gas fields such as the Morske, Pivnichno-Kazantypske, and Skhidno-Kazantypske deposits.

10:55 AM

Russia killed at least 273 Ukrainian POWs during full-scale war, prosecutors say.

Seventy-seven criminal cases have been launched in connection with the murders, while only two people were convicted, and a trial against a third person is ongoing.

5 ways you can support Ukraine — even if your government doesn't want to

8:11 PM

(Updated: July 2, 2025 10:10 am)

Ukraine

5 ways you can support Ukraine — even if your government doesn't want to

Editor’s note: This is an edited version of a guide for members of the Kyiv Independent community, published on Feb. 24, 2025. If you would like to join a community of people united by wanting to help Ukraine, consider becoming a member today. U.S. President Donald Trump's public

10:00 AM

At least 2 killed, 33 injured across Ukraine in Russian attacks over past day.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 114 Shahed-type and decoy drones overnight from multiple directions, as well as four S-300 missiles. Air defenses shot down 40 drones, while 39 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare.

9:24 AM

Russian officer admits to downing Azerbaijani airliner in reported leak.

A person claiming to be a Russian officer said he had received an order to open fire at an aerial target last December that turned out to be an Azerbaijani airliner, Azerbaijani news outlet Minval reported on July 1, citing audio and written statements it had received.

9:06 AM

'Tied to a motorcycle and dragged' — Russia likely executed another Ukrainian POW, ombudsman says.

Russian forces likely executed another Ukrainian prisoner of war (POW), Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on July 1, referring to a recent video that appears to show the captive tied to a motorcycle and dragged along a road.

8:19 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,022,090 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,110 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:38 AM

'Oreshnik will be on Belarusian soil,' Lukashenko says of Russian missile deployment by year-end.

Lukashenko said the deployment of advanced weapons systems to Belarus would serve as a tool for maintaining domestic stability. "I’m confident that even those of our supporters who don’t yet understand this will come to realize it — without a war."

5:40 AM

Germany still weighing Taurus missile supply to Ukraine, Merz says.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also cited the Taurus missile system’s complexity, saying it requires at least six months of training — something Germany has not yet agreed to begin.

3:52 AM

Top Russian defense official gets 13 years in graft crackdown.

Authorities detained former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov in April 2024 on bribery allegations, later adding embezzlement charges in October.

2:39 AM

As Russia ramps up missile attacks, US halts promised air defense shipments to Ukraine.

Among the items being held back from Ukraine are Patriot air defense missiles, precision artillery rounds, Hellfire missiles, and drones, three sources told Politico.

'With surgical precision' — Ukrainian drones strike Russian plant 1,300 km away, SBU source says

10:34 AM

(Updated: July 2, 2025 2:12 am)

'With surgical precision' — Ukrainian drones strike Russian plant 1,300 km away, SBU source says.

The SBU said its long-range drones targeted the Kupol plant in Russia's Udmurt Republic on the morning of July 1, resulting in at least two confirmed strikes and a fire at the site.

1:15 AM

'Important facility hit' — Ukraine attacks Russian oil refinery in Saratov Oblast, military says.

"The occupiers use the capacity of this refinery to supply fuel and lubricants to Russian military units involved in the armed aggression against Ukraine," the General Staff reported on July 1.

12:14 AM

Ukraine to launch joint weapons production program with Ramstein summit countries.

As part of a new joint production program, new factories and weapons manufacturing facilities will be built in Ukraine and abroad, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on July 1.

Ukraine to exit mine ban treaty, citing war demands, realities on the ground

11:39 PM

War analysis

Ukraine to exit mine ban treaty, citing war demands, realities on the ground

Ukraine looks to withdraw from a major international treaty on anti-personnel landmines to bolster its defense on the battlefield, where its troops are trying to hold off Russia's intensifying offensive. President Volodymyr Zelensky, on June 29, had requested that Ukraine withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa Treaty that banned the production

11:15 PM

North Korea already using Russian Pantsir missiles to defend Pyongyang, Ukraine's intelligence chief says.

North Korea is "currently significantly increasing its military power" through direct cooperation with Russia, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), said in an interview with Hromadske Radio on July 1.

Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian drones strike Russian plant 1,300km from border, SBU source says

11:00 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian drones strike Russian plant 1,300km from border, SBU source says

Key developments on July 1: * 'With surgical precision' — Ukrainian drones strike Russian plant 1,300km away, SBU source says * Russian missile strike on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast kills brigade commander, injures 30 people, Zelensky says * Ukrainian forces hit Russian command post in occupied Donetsk Oblast, General Staff says * Zelensky signs ratification of

10:46 PM

Russian missile strike on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast kills brigade commander, injures 30 people, Zelensky says.

A Russian missile attack killed the commander of the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade, Serhii Zakharevych, and injured 30 people in Huliaipole in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on July 1, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address.

News Feed

8:17 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,028,610 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,070 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

7:56 AM

EU to impose 'toughest' sanctions on Russia in coordination with US senators, French foreign minister says.

"This (war) cannot continue; it must stop. To achieve this, in coordination with American senators, Europe is preparing to introduce, based on French proposals, the toughest sanctions we have imposed in the last three years," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.

6:25 AM

Kellogg, Umerov set to meet, discuss resumption of US military aid to Ukraine, Politico reports.

Following the talks between U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Rome, Politico reported that more meetings are set to take place in Kyiv over the next two weeks.

4:15 AM

'They have to be able to defend themselves' — Trump says US will send additional weapons shipments to Ukraine, criticizes Putin.

"They're getting hit very hard. We're gonna have to send more weapons, your defensive weapons primarily," U.S. President Donald Trump said.

2:53 AM

Russia jails former top general for 17 years in massive military graft case.

Colonel General Khalil Arslanov, a former head of the Russian military's communications unit, served as deputy chief of the army's General Staff from 2013 until his removal in 2020.

12:47 AM

Russia fails to meet OPEC+ oil production target in June, Bloomberg reports.

Historically, Russia, which co-leads the OPEC+ alliance with Saudi Arabia, has faced criticism for poor compliance with production quotas.

6:44 PM

(Updated: July 8, 2025 12:20 am)

Russia strikes conscription offices in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, injuring dozens, Ukraine says.

Two districts of Kharkiv came under attack that same day, in which one woman was killed and over 80 people, including eight children, were reported injured or suffered shock in Kharkiv, according to the local prosecutor's office.

10:32 PM

UK sanctions Russian officials and lab over chemical weapons use in Ukraine.

According to the updated sanctions list published on the U.K. government's official website, the new measures target Russia's Scientific Research Institute of Applied Chemistry, as well as Lieutenant General Alexei Rtishchev, head of Russia's Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, and his deputy, Andrei Marchenko.

10:27 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russian airports cancel nearly 300 flights amid drone attacks on Russia

8:59 PM

EBRD to unlock $1 billion in credit for Ukraine's key sectors, considers mineral projects.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will enable Ukrainian banks to provide up to 900 million euros ($1.05 billion) in new loans by sharing credit risks.

8:23 PM

Russian weapons contain growing number of Chinese components, Zelensky's adviser says.

Russia’s growing ability to sustain weapons production despite Western sanctions is being driven by a flow of Chinese components and materials, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president’s commissioner for sanctions, told journalists on July 7.

7:45 PM

Minerals

Exclusive: Ukraine pitches deepwater gas, oil refinery projects to US under landmark minerals deal

7:43 PM

Opinion

War has changed: Ukraine’s tech pioneers are leading the fight West can’t afford to ignore

6:00 PM

(Updated: July 7, 2025 7:29 pm)

Russian-Chinese relations

Russia striking NATO while China invades Taiwan 'plausible' scenario, experts say

6:54 PM

Interview

‘Neither side wasted time' — Ukraine's economy minister on minerals deal negotiations with Trump’s ‘business-oriented’ administration

5:49 PM

5 suspects charged over deadly explosion in Ukraine's Zhytomyr Oblast.

According to prosecutors, one of the company directors had established illegal production of explosive materials and involved unqualified personnel without the necessary training or certification.

12:17 PM

(Updated: July 7, 2025 5:42 pm)

Ukraine confirms drone strike on Russian chemical plant near Moscow.

The Krasnozavodsk Chemical Plant is one of the city's biggest employers and an important part of Russia's defense-industrial complex.

5:23 PM

Russian airlines face $254 million losses from just 2 days of Ukrainian drone strikes, Kremlin media reports.

Since the start of mass disruptions on July 5, a total of 485 flights were canceled, 88 were diverted to alternate airports, and another 1,900 were delayed across major hubs, according to Russia's aviation agency Rosaviatsiya.

5:12 PM

EXCLUSIVE: Ukraine economy minister breaks down US minerals deal.

The Kyiv Independent's business editor Liliane Bivings sits down with Ukraine's Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to discuss the U.S.-Ukraine "minerals deal" and address the myths surrounding it.

4:10 PM

(Updated: July 7, 2025 4:45 pm)

Russian transport minister fired by Putin reportedly shoots himself dead.

According to Russian media, ex-Transport Minister Roman Starovoit's body was found near Moscow. Preliminary findings suggest that the suicide may be linked to a possible criminal case.

3:01 PM

Ukrainian drone strike hits major oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, HUR source claims.

Located roughly 500 kilometers (311 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled territory, the refinery is among the largest in southern Russia, producing over 6 million tons of fuel annually.

2:38 PM

HUR publishes Russian military order, claims proof of Moscow increasing military footprint in Armenia.

HUR first made the claim on July 5, saying Russia was increasing its forces at the Gyumri base to exert greater influence in the South Caucasus and "destabilize the global security situation."

2:19 PM

(Updated: July 7, 2025 1:43 pm)

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