News feed

12:38 PM

Trump says those who describe him as a 'friend of Russia' are 'sick'.

Trump has repeatedly backed and praised Putin and rarely criticized him. He described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "genius" and "savvy" in 2022.

11:04 AM

Russian butter prices soar, rise in supermarket dairy thefts reported.

Two men were recently arrested in Moscow after allegedly trying to steal 25 packets of butter.

10:47 AM

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 2, injure 24 over past day.

Ukrainian forces downed 31 out of 48 Shahed-type drones and other unidentified drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Fourteen more drones were "lost," and three others flew towards Belarus, it added.

9:30 AM

Ukrainian drone targets oil depot in Stavropol Krai, Russian governor claims.

The town of Svetlograd has around 35,000 residents and lies over 600 (372 miles) kilometers southeast of Ukraine's border in Donetsk Oblast.

8:14 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 696,410 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

This number includes 1,460 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:27 AM

Over 45 countries pledge support at Montreal conference for total return of Ukrainians captured and deported to Russia.

Following the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of the Peace Formula in Montreal, over 45 countries signed a pledge on Oct. 31 in support of facilitating the return of all Ukrainian captives and deportees.

5:02 AM

Negotiations between Ukraine and China underway to expand agricultural exports.

Ukraine is currently in discussions with China to expand exports of various agricultural products, according to Oleh Osiian, the First Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.

'A war of two countries against one' — Zelensky urges Western allies to take decisive action on North Korean troop involvement

3:07 AM

War update

'A war of two countries against one' — Zelensky urges Western allies to take decisive action on North Korean troop involvement

In a lengthy post on social media on Oct. 31, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western allies to develop "concrete solutions" to provide additional supports for Ukraine as North Korean troops prepare to engage Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. North Korean soldiers were deployed to Kursk Oblast in late October in

2:42 AM

Ukraine, Hungary preparing bilateral document 'to clear up misunderstandings,' Zelensky says.

No information was provided on what specific agreements the bilateral document seeks to reach, however, Zelensky said that the document would likely involve issues pertaining to national minorities as well as security cooperation.

12:10 AM

Ukrainian drone strikes Russian oil refinery 1,500 km from border, Russian official claims.

A Ukrainian drone struck an oil refinery in the city of Ufa in Russia's Bashkortostan Republic, the head of the republic, Radiy Khabirov, said on Oct. 31.

Ukraine war latest: Russia confirms North Korea's involvement in war to West, Kyiv says

10:35 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russia confirms North Korea's involvement in war to West, Kyiv says

Key developments on Oct. 31: * Russia confirms North Korea's involvement in war to West, Zelensky says * 8,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Kursk Oblast, Blinken says * Ukraine has received just 10% of US aid approved by Congress earlier this year, Zelensky says * Kyiv still waiting for MiG-29

9:43 PM

8,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Kursk Oblast, Blinken says.

There have been no clashes between the North Korean and Ukrainian military so far, Antony Blinken said, adding that they can happen "in the coming days."

As drone strikes surge, Russia's next mass missile attack on Kyiv likely imminent, experts and weary residents say

9:27 PM

War analysis

Russia's next mass missile attack on Kyiv likely imminent, experts and weary residents say

Russia's aerial attacks against Kyiv have changed dramatically in recent weeks, becoming far more frequent yet far less destructive. Moscow has ramped up drone strikes on the capital — which overnight on Oct. 31 was attacked for the 20th time this month — and the rest of the country, while dialing down

Russia carried out at least 36 double-tap strikes in Ukraine, killing over 100 people since 2022, report says

9:13 PM

Russian war crimes

Russia carried out at least 36 double-tap strikes in Ukraine, killing over 100 people since 2022, report says

The Russian military carried out at least 36 double-tap strikes against Ukraine from the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 to August 2024, killing over 100 people, according to a recent report by Truth Hounds, a Ukrainian non-profit organization that documents and investigates war crimes. Twenty such attacks

8:54 PM

Kyiv won't stop supporting wartime pool of TV channels before martial law ends.

The Ukrainian government doesn't plan to stop supporting the telethon, Ukraine's state-run pool of TV channels created during wartime, before the end of the martial law, Interfax Ukraine reported on Oct. 31, citing Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi.

8:25 PM

Kyiv still waiting for MiG-29 fighter jets from Warsaw, Zelensky says.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in July that Warsaw may provide Kyiv with additional Soviet-made fighter jets if it can find a replacement. Following Zelensky's calls to speed up the transfer, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said, "Poland makes decisions based on its security and has already done everything it can for Ukraine."

6:51 PM

Russia confirms North Korea's involvement in war to West, Zelensky says.

Russia has confirmed to the West that North Korea is taking an active part in the war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the South Korean KBS TV channel published on Oct. 31.

5:45 PM

Ukraine has received just 10% of US aid approved by Congress earlier this year, Zelensky says.

"You do your job. You count on reserves, you count on special brigades, you count on such equipment. And if you get 10% of all the package (that) has already been voted on... It's not funny," Zelensky said.

4:33 PM

Ukraine’s 2025 budget clears first reading, allocates $53 billion for defense.

“The priority of next year's budget will also be security and defense. All taxes paid by people and businesses will go toward strengthening our defenders and military capabilities,” Prime Minister Denys Smyhal said on his Telegram channel.

4:20 PM

National Bank of Ukraine leaves interest rates unchanged at 13%.

The decision was in line with analysts’ predictions, and comes as Ukraine braces for next week’s U.S. presidential election, Bloomberg reported.

UPDATED: Russian attack on Kharkiv kills 3, injures 35

12:47 AM

(Updated: October 31, 2024 2:23 pm)

UPDATED: Russian attack on Kharkiv kills 3, injures 35.

The attack hit a 9-story building, destroying the entryway from the first through fifth floors, authorities said.

2:20 PM

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill at least 9, injure 47 over past day.

Russia launched at least 50 drones overnight, of which Ukrainian air defenses shot down 17 across various regions, Ukraine's Air Force said on Oct. 31.

12:58 PM

Ukraine Business Roundup — Ukraine debates who serves and who doesn’t

The following is the Oct. 30, 2024 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. Companies in Ukraine that were expecting to be able to “reserve” their employees to shield them from military

12:36 PM

Ukraine state-owned enterprises weekly — Issue 152

Editor’s Note: This is issue 152 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from Oct. 13-24, 2024. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission. Corporate governance of SOEs Updated IMF Memorandum. On Oct. 18, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published an updated Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies

12:33 PM

Opinion

Opinion: Rigged elections have stolen Georgia's European future

In Georgia’s 2012 election, then-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s pro-Western party was defeated by Georgian Dream, a party led by the Russian-backed oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. Though widely hailed at the time as a democratic triumph, astute observers warned against celebrating. One such observer was Georgia’s former economy minister, the

12:30 PM

US lawmakers call for Biden to allow Poland to down Russian missiles over Ukraine.

The possibility of Warsaw downing Russian missiles heading toward Poland through Ukraine was laid out in June in a signed Polish-Ukrainian security agreement.

12:30 PM

Global entrepreneur organization Endeavor launches first Ukraine office to boost growth amid war.

The New York-based global entrepreneur network Endeavor has opened its first office in Ukraine, signaling confidence in the country’s business potential.

12:11 PM

Ukraine charges Russian soldier exposed by Kyiv Independent for rape.

The Kyiv Independent in June identified Mykola Senenko as raping a woman in Kherson Oblast in March 2022.

11:13 AM

Russian court fines Google $2.5 trillion trillion trillion

Written in full $2.5 decillion is $2,500,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Zelensky calls out White House over Tomahawk missiles leak — 'it was confidential'

2:32 PM

(Updated: October 31, 2024 10:00 am)

Zelensky calls out White House over Tomahawk missiles leak — 'it was confidential'

"It was confidential information between Ukraine and the White House. How to understand these messages?" President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press briefing with journalists from Nordic countries.

9:59 AM

Time names Ukraine's online wedding service among best inventions of 2024.

For more than two decades, Time editors have annually spotlighted the most influential new products and ideas in their Best Inventions issue.

9:38 AM

Ukraine's UN envoy names North Korean generals sent to aid Russia's war.

The top officers include two deputy chiefs of North Korean General Staff: Colonel General Kim Yong Bok, who oversees special forces, and Ri Chang Ho, who is in charge of the Reconnaissance Directorate, North Korea's spy agency, Kyslytsya said.

News Feed

2:17 AM

Trump mulls sending Kyiv another Patriot air defense system, WSJ reports.

If approved, it would mark the first time Trump has sent a major military aid package to Kyiv that wasn't previously greenlighted by Joe Biden.

1:10 AM

Ukraine synchronizes restrictions on Russia with EU sanctions.

The European Union's 15th, 16th, and 17th packages of sanctions against Russia are now "fully effective in Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 8.

11:30 PM

Ukraine's 2026 budget could face $19B shortfall as Europe weighs how to fill the gap, FT reports.

The financial hole in Ukraine's budget is linked to reduced U.S. support and the lack of prospects for a swift ceasefire with Russia that Europe had hoped for, the Financial Times reported.

11:08 PM

Ukraine's ambassador to US will be replaced, foreign minister confirms.

"She is extremely effective and charismatic, but surely every diplomat has a rotation cycle," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said of Ambassador Oksana Markarova.

10:28 PM

Ukraine's Naftogaz brings new high-yield gas well online as country reserves run low.

The 5.7-kilometer deviated well was drilled and commissioned six weeks ahead of schedule as Ukraine works to boost domestic production amid Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, including gas storage facilities in western Ukraine.

10:18 PM

ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders as Russia recognizes their legitimacy.

In a statement, the ICC named Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Afghanistan's top judge Abdul Hakim Haqqani as suspects in a campaign of systematic oppression targeting women, girls, and others who do not conform to the group's rigid gender ideology.

10:17 PM

US only has 25% of Patriot missiles needed for war plans, Guardian reports.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the Pentagon's munitions tracker showed Patriot interceptor stocks had dipped below acceptable levels. That prompted concerns that sending more to Ukraine could put U.S. defense readiness at risk.

10:03 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Trump reportedly pledges to send 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, asks Germany to send battery.

9:04 PM

Putin throws 'a lot of bullsh*t', Trump says as he 'looks strongly' at Russia sanctions bill.

Trump also addressed U.S. legislation on sanctions, saying the Senate's Russia sanctions bill was "totally optional" for him to implement or terminate. "I'm looking at it very strongly," Trump said.

8:38 PM

Ukrainian businesses outraged as government blocks economic crimes bureau chief nominee.

Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers rejected a nominee to lead the economic crimes agency, drawing swift criticism from lawmakers and businesses over alleged interference in the selection process.

7:17 PM

Russia's crude exports fall to lowest level since February.

Seaborne crude flows averaged 3.12 million barrels a day over the four weeks to July 6, a 3% decline from the previous period ending June 29, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. That's the lowest level recorded since the four-week period ending Feb. 23.

7:02 PM

War analysis

Dnipropetrovsk village likely contested despite Russia's claim of its capture

6:19 PM

Three men convicted in London arson plot tied to Russia's Wagner Group.

The ringleader, Dylan Earl, 21, had already pleaded guilty to aggravated arson over the 2024 blaze targeting companies that were supplying Elon Musk's Starlink satellite equipment to Ukraine.

5:15 PM

Trump reportedly pledges to send 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, asks Germany to send battery.

During the call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed that Germany sell one of its own Patriot batteries to Ukraine.

4:28 PM

Business

Ukraine’s minerals fund focus of private investment ahead of major recovery conference

4:17 PM

Opinion

Seeing war through the lens of narcissism

3:58 PM

Ukraine sanctions 5 Chinese firms for supplying components used in Russian drones.

The decree follows a publication by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), which said it recovered Chinese-made parts from downed Shahed drones during a July 4 air assault on Kyiv.

3:52 PM

Opinion

How to enter Ukraine’s defense market: A short guide for foreign companies

3:27 PM

Interview

'Some are forged into poets during hostilities' — Medic, former POW, and poet on how war is shaping Ukraine's writers

3:16 PM

Putin signs decree allowing foreigners to serve in Russian army during mobilization.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's partial mobilization decree from Sept. 21, 2022, remains in force and has never been formally rescinded.

3:12 PM

'Torture was not just cruel, it was inhuman' — Ukrainian soldier dies weeks after release from Russian captivity.

Soldier Valery Zelensky had spent 39 months in Russian captivity. Just 22 days later, on June 16, his heart stopped.

2:18 PM

(Updated: July 8, 2025 3:08 pm)

Europe's largest port prepares for NATO arms shipments, potential war with Russia.

Rotterdam has previously handled weapons shipments, but this marks the first time that it will designate a special berth for military use.

9:56 AM

(Updated: July 8, 2025 3:03 pm)

Russia's Black Sea Fleet shrinks presence in key Crimean bay, Ukrainian partisans say.

The remaining combat units are periodically rotated and redeployed in an apparent effort to avoid detection by Ukrainian reconnaissance, the Atesh partisan group said.

1:33 PM

(Updated: July 8, 2025 1:34 pm)

Ukraine's ambassador to the US to be dismissed, source says.

Oksana Markarova has held the post since April 2021.

7:45 PM

(Updated: July 8, 2025 1:30 pm)

Minerals

Exclusive: Ukraine pitches US modernizes its largest oil refinery as part of minerals deal

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