Loud explosion heard in Kyiv

"I won't go into too many details, but today I can congratulate our army first and foremost —all the defense forces — because as of today, 300 (square) kilometers have been liberated," Zelensky told Agence France-Presse.

The Votkinsk Plant is a strategic, state-owned defense enterprise and one of the most important missile factories in Russia. It produces Iskander ballistic missiles — used in attacks against Ukraine — and nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.

"We are blocking the €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine until oil transit to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline resumes," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Feb. 20.

The Moldovan Police and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies announced a day earlier that they had launched a criminal investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate several public figures in Ukraine. The probe is being carried out by a joint investigative team formed by the two countries.

The vehicle was attacked by a Russian Lancet loitering munition while evacuating civilians.

The Kyiv Independent’s separate analytical unit, KI Insights, is excited to announce the launch of its podcast, Ukraine Insights — a show dedicated to unpacking Ukraine’s politics, security, economy, and international relations through in-depth, expert-driven conversations.

According to Ukraine, at least 322 Ukrainian prisoners of war had been executed by Russian forces as of Oct. 6.

In December 2023, Hlib Benia, a Ukrainian soldier with the 79th Separate Air Assault Brigade, was delivering supplies to his comrades when Russian FPV (first-person view) drones struck. Two of his fellow soldiers were killed. He survived but lost an arm and a leg.

"I consider this a very important result, which our team brought back," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The Kyiv Independent has joined WAN-IFRA, the World Association of News Publishers

Russian Major General Roman Demurchiyev shared photographs depicting severed human ears and discussed the abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in private chats, according to a Feb. 19 investigation by "Schemes," the investigative unit of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

France will renew its Ukraine Fund after a successful first round, allocating 71 million euros ($84 million) to foster investment from French companies in Ukraine next year.

"The decision is for Ukraine only, whether and when to repair it," European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said.