Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina defeated her Russian opponent Anna Blinkova on May 27 at the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg tournament in France, claiming her first Women's Tennis Association (WTA) victory since giving birth to a baby girl.
The Ukrainian military intelligence said on May 27 that it gained "valuable information" from the Belgorod Oblast incursion, which was carried out by Russian anti-government militia fighting alongside Ukraine in Russia's full-scale war.
Russian Telegram Channel Baza, which is allegedly linked to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), said on May 27 that two soldiers were killed in a Russian bordering region due to a drone attack.
About 400 Ukrainian soldiers began training on American M1 Abrams tanks in Germany on May 26, the New York Times reported, as Ukraine readies itself for a much-anticipated counteroffensive.
Key developments on May 26: * Governor: Russian missile strike on Dnipro clinic kills 2, injures 31 * Kyiv braces 13th air assault since the beginning of May; no casualties reported * Zelensky says Ukraine doing best to procure air defense following the latest Dnipro missile strike * Local authorities: 128 children evacuated from
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent, together with a number of journalists, was taken to a location in northern Ukraine to interview the members of the units that took part in the military operation inside Russia. Not revealing the exact location was the only precondition for the interview. Northern Ukraine – At
Key developments on May 22: * Attacks involving anti-Kremlin fighters reported in Russia's Belgorad Oblast * Russia announces ‘counter-terrorist operation’ in Belgorad Oblast * Ukrainian military reports small advance on Bakhmut flanks Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, announced a "counter-terrorist operation" in the region on May 22 amid reported attacks by
Key developments on May 19: * Zelensky arrives in Saudi Arabia, meets with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman * Zelensky expected at Hiroshima G7 Summit after Saudi Arabia * Ukraine's military confirms gaining initiative near Bakhmut, makes further advances * NBC: US, allies plan to supply Ukraine with F-16 jets, official says President Volodymyr
Donetsk Oblast – At an unusually nice house on a street with rows of modest cottages, Ukraine’s front-line sappers spend their days indoors waiting for their daunting nightly missions– venturing out into “gray zones” laying mines sometimes as close as 100 meters from the nearest Russian trench. “The scariest moment
Key developments on May 16: * Defense Ministry: Ukraine liberates about 20 square kilometers on Bakhmut outskirts * At the same time, Ukraine admits Russia has ‘somewhat’ advanced in Bakhmut * Ukraine’s military reports downing 25 Russian missiles, including unprecedented 6 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles in night attack on Kyiv * CNN: One of
Editor’s Note: This story is based on interviews with Ukrainian soldiers, conducted in Donetsk Oblast, near the eastern front line, in late March. Some of the soldiers declined to give their last names for security reasons, and are identified by first names and callsigns instead. DONETSK OBLAST – Under the
Key developments on May 14: * Ukraine says it captured more than 10 Russian positions in northern and southern Bakhmut outskirts * Russia says two commanders killed in the Battle of Bakhmut * Zelensky meets Scholz in Berlin, calls on Germany's support for fighter jets * Governor: Russian attack wounds 4 in Zaporizhzhia Oblast,
Key developments on May 12: * Ukraine's Defense Ministry: Ukraine advances 2 kilometers toward Bakhmut * Military: Signs of exhaustion evident among Russian forces on battlefield * 24th Separate Assault Battalion says it recaptured Russian positions southwest of Bakhmut * Wagner chief attacks Russian Defense Ministry, calls on Shoigu to visit Bakhmut Ukrainian forces
Key developments on May 7: * Wagner chief claims army promised enough ammunition to keep fighting in Bakhmut after threats * Commander: Russia intensifying attacks in Bakhmut with heavy weaponry * Ukrainian military: Russia moving civilians out of occupied Enerhodar Russia's Wagner Group claimed on May 7 that Moscow had promised enough ammunition
Key developments on May 4: * Zelensky: We all want to see Putin in The Hague * Zelensky meets Dutch PM and King of the Netherlands, addresses Dutch Parliament * At least one drone shot down over Kyiv; debris causes fire Russian President Vladimir Putin must be held accountable for his country's brutal
Key developments on April 26: * Zelensky holds phone call with China's Xi Jinping, appoints Ukrainian ambassador to Beijing * CNN: White House 'welcomes' Zelensky-Xi call, expresses caution regarding Chinese peace plan. * Italian correspondent wounded, Ukrainian fixer killed in Kherson Oblast * 44 Ukrainian POWs freed in prisoner exchange President Volodymyr Zelensky held
Key developments on April 24: * Zelensky calls on Western allies to speed up delivery of weapons and ammunition * Estonian PM visits Zelensky, agrees to help Ukraine draw closer to NATO membership * Lavrov addresses UN Security Council in New York, UN says a possibility of conflict between global powers at ‘historic
Key developments on April 23: * Military asks for 'patience' on reports of possible Ukrainian advance in Kherson Oblast * UK Defense Ministry: Russia ramps up army recruitment campaign by appealing to 'masculine pride' * Military says Russia could try to storm Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast * General Staff reports shootout between Wagner and
Key developments on April 21: * Stoltenberg ‘confident’ that Ukraine now ready to liberate more territories * Zelensky: Ukraine ‘actively preparing’ new brigades and units for counteroffensive * Austin: Allies deliver over 230 tanks to Ukraine over past few months * Berlin, Warsaw, and Kyiv agree to open maintenance hub for Leopard 2 tanks
Key developments on April 20: * Stoltenberg meets Zelensky in Kyiv, says ‘Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO’ * Zelensky demands to know timeframe, ‘concrete steps’ needed for NATO membership * Southern military command: Russia received new batch of Iranian Shahed drones * Air Force: Ukraine experiencing shortage of air defense missiles due
Editor's note: This story contains graphic images that some readers may find uncomfortable. Key developments on April 14: * UK Defense Ministry: Russia 're-energized' assault on Bakhmut as the Kremlin and Wagner improve cooperation * Ukrainian army rejects Russia's claim of being surrounded in Bakhmut, says fierce fighting continues on the streets
Key developments on April 11: * Wagner boss claims capturing 80% of Bakhmut; Ukraine denies it * Wagner boss: Flanks of Russian offensive on Bakhmut 'handed over' to defense ministry * Denmark says West could decide on transfer of fighter jets ‘before summer’ * Canada announces new small arms package for Ukraine The chief
Editor's Note: This is episode 1 of "Ukraine's True History," a video and story series by the Kyiv Independent. The series is funded by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting within the program “Ukraine Forward: Amplifying Analysis.” The program is financed by the MATRA Programme of the Embassy of
BRUSSELS – Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has again exposed Russia's far-reaching influence over Bulgaria. The Bulgarian energy sector is dominated by Russia. The defense minister was dismissed in March 2022 for echoing the Kremlin's war propaganda. The country has denied Ukraine's official requests for military aid in fear of pro-Russian
Key developments on April 10: * Ukraine’s top commander visits Bakhmut, discusses how to further defend ‘the fortress’ * Russian proxy leader in Donetsk Oblast claims he visited Bakhmut, met Wagner mercenaries * 100 Ukrainian POWs freed in prisoner exchange * UK Defense Ministry: Russia increases armored assaults around Marinka, Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine’
Key developments on April 9: * Overnight Russian missile strike on Zaporizhzhia kills 2, including a child * A civilian in Kharkiv Oblast hospitalized in critical condition after Russian shelling * Macron says ‘time is not for negotiations,’ calls on China to deal with Russia’s nuclear threats * Ukraine’s Air Force: Patriot
BRUSSELS – Behind the curtains of Estonia's substantial support for Ukraine lies the struggle of pushing allies to do more. In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Independent, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu admitted that he is not satisfied with either the quantity or pace of the allies' arms support "because
Key developments on April 6: * Russia’s Wagner Group admits Ukrainian strongholds remain in Bakhmut * Lithuania to send $44 million worth of military aid to Ukraine * Ukraine, Poland to co-produce 125 mm tank shells * Reuters: China ready to work with France on Ukraine peace * EU chief says China’s Xi
Brussels – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg vowed on April 3 that the alliance would continue supporting Ukraine despite Russia's "dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric." He added that Kyiv can win the war and become a full-fledged NATO member one day. Responding to the Kyiv Independent at a news conference, Stoltenberg
Editor’s note: In this story, the Kyiv Independent is not disclosing the Ukrainian soldiers’ full names or their deployed positions due to security concerns amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Donetsk Oblast – At an abandoned building about 20 minutes drive from Bakhmut, wounded Ukrainian soldiers pour in from the
Key developments on March 21: * Japanese PM Kishida visits Bucha, meets Zelensky in Kyiv * U.S. to speed up delivery of Patriot air defense systems and Abrams tanks * Putin holds talks with Xi at a summit in Moscow, says China-Russia relations at all-time high * Ukraine claims Russia's offensive potential declining
Key developments on March 20: * Xi visits Moscow for the first time since 2019, meets Putin * Blinken: Xi's visit 'diplomatic cover' for Russia's war crimes * Ukraine's military: Avdiivka may soon become 'second Bakhmut' * EU to send 1 million artillery rounds for Ukraine over next 12 months * US approves additional military
