Putin on trial? Dutch minister on EU-led tribunal
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel speaks about the future of the EU-led special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and its role in bringing Russia to justice.
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Putin’s Victory Day and White House chaos | Ukraine This Week
This week, the world watched in anticipation for Russia’s Victory Day parade after President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that he could not guarantee the safety of those attending. Meanwhile, the European Union moves one step forward to banning Russian gas from the European continent. It is also revealed this week that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fallen out of step with the White House.
A day with Ukraine’s rescuers under Russian fire
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
What Putin won’t tell you about Russia’s ‘Victory Day’
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with author, historian, and Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year. President of the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland Andrej Lushnycky who sheds some light on the things Putin would rather you didn’t know about World War II.
How Putin weaponized WW2 and Victory Day, historian explains
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York discusses with Jonathan Brunstedt, associate professor of history at Texas A&M University, how Russian President Vladimir Putin has weaponized the Soviet myths about World War II to help him justify Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Tortured journalist and Russia’s intensified assaults | Ukraine This Week
The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur dives into the top stories of this week from the intensifying Russian spring offensive to the shocking torture and murder of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roschyna. Also, the long-gestating minerals deal has finally been signed, what is in it and is it a good deal for Ukraine?
One night with 3rd Assault Brigade medics in a new age of war
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko spent a night at the stabilization point of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, one of Ukraine’s most battle-hardened units now fighting in Kharkiv Oblast. As drones reshape modern warfare, medics face mounting challenges: evacuations get harder and slower, turning survivable wounds into potentially fatal ones.
Crunch time for Republicans on Ukraine, says ex-US State Senator
The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell sits down with retired U.S. Army officer and former Nebraska State Senator Tom Brewer in the front-line city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, to discuss U.S.-Ukraine relations under the Trump administration, why Nebraska is interested in Ukraine's post-war recovery and why it's important for U.S. politicians to visit Ukraine to counter myths by Russian propaganda.
Who's countering Russian propaganda now? Expert on US' declining disinformation defense
The Kyiv Independent's Natalia Yermak speaks to James Rubin, a former diplomat who led the Global Engagement Center in 2022-2024, about how deeply the Russian propaganda influences U.S. politics and why the center's closure "disarms" the country in the information war.
Recognition of Crimea’s annexation and Kursk situation | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur breaks down the late Pope Francis’ complex legacy in Ukraine, marked by a refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion outright amid statements of support for Ukraine’s struggle. Meanwhile, the deadliest attack on Kyiv in months leaves a dozen civilians dead and many more injured, as U.S. leadership reportedly considers recognizing Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukraine’s Crimea.
Chornobyl isn’t safe anymore... again
Chornobyl disaster occurred in the early hours of April 26, 1986, in Soviet Ukraine. Nearly 39 years after the worst nuclear disaster in history, Russia’s brazen attack on the $2 billion New Safe Confinement (the sarcophagus enclosing the destroyed reactor) in February 2025 poses a new potential radioactive danger as engineers race to repair the damage. The Kyiv Independent’s Kollen Post dives into why the restoration is not as simple as it may seem.
Inside a Kyiv apartment building hit by Russian missile strike
Russia's devastating missile and drone attack on Kyiv on April 24 killed at least 12 and injured 90 people. The Kyiv Independent visited the residential district where a missile struck an apartment building to speak with witnesses and see the aftermath.
Ukrainians react to US proposal of recognizing Crimea as Russian
The U.S. media outlet Axios reported on April 23 that the U.S. President Donald Trump administration's final proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war included the U.S. de jure recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and de facto recognizing its control of other occupied Ukrainian territories. We asked Kyiv residents for their reactions to the U.S. proposal.
Tears and joy at largest POW swap between Ukraine and Russia
Ukraine brought home another 277 soldiers in a major prisoner exchange with Russia ahead of the Easter holiday on April 19.
4 days of hunting Russian drones
The Kyiv Independent contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent four days following an air defense unit guarding the skies over a region in eastern Ukraine, seeing how they live, work, and save civilians from the dozens of Russian drones flying toward Ukrainian cities each night.
Chinese POWs captured by Ukraine on fighting for Russia
The Kyiv Independent attended a press conference with the captured Chinese prisoners of war on April 14 to learn more about their service in the Russian military — and has highlighted the key takeaways for you.
Deadliest Russian attack on Sumy leaves residents in shock
On April 13, Russia launched a brutal double-tap attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy. Two ballistic missiles rocked the city center on Palm Sunday, killing at least 35 people — including two children — and shocking Ukraine and the world. The Kyiv Independent visited Sumy the day after the attack.
Chinese POWs captured by Ukraine: What we know so far
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has carried out the first interrogation of two Chinese nationals captured while fighting for Russia in Ukraine, it announced on April 9. Here’s everything we know so far about the two POWs, as well as more than 160 other Chinese nationals reportedly serving in Russia’s Armed Forces, according to the documents seen by the Kyiv Independent.
Yuri Andrukhovych on Ukraine’s 1980's dissident art
Ukrainian author Yuri Andrukhovych spoke with Kate Tsurkan about the 40 year anniversary of his co-founding of Bu-Ba-Bu, a literary counter-culture phenomenon, and the dangers faced by pro-Ukrainian artists in the Soviet times.
How Trump ends wars
U.S. President Donald Trump’s negotiation strategy in Afghanistan resulted in a capitulation to the Taliban and abandoning U.S. allies. As the world awaits a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, what could a deal brokered by Trump actually look like? The Kyiv Independent’s Masha Lavrova dives into the last time Trump sought to end a war and what it could mean for Ukraine.
Lithuanian FM on Europe's role in ending Russia's war
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell sat down with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys during his visit to Kyiv on April 1 to discuss the future of Europe during U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, whether European sanctions remain an effective instrument to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine, and Lithuania's contribution to the "coalition of the willing."
Alexander Vindman: Trump repeats past US mistakes with Russia
Alexander Vindman served as the director of European affairs for the United States National Security Council in 2018-2020, during U.S. President Donald Trump's first administration. The Kyiv Independent's Kate Tsurkan sits down with Vindman to discuss how Washington has historically misjudged Russia, "succumbing to hopes and fears," and why there is no real prospect of peace between Ukraine and Russia now.
More US controversies and cyberattack | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur discusses how the Trump administration conducts foreign policy as Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is embroiled in several controversies amid ceasefire negotiations. Also, Ukrainians experience yet another cyberattack, this time on the national railway service.
Azov ex-commander on the need to reform Ukraine's army
The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell sits down with the former commander of Ukraine's Azov Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Krotevych, to discuss the situation on the front line after three years of Russia's full-scale war, why he thinks Ukraine should change its culture of military leadership, why the U.S. army doctrine wouldn't work for Russia's war against Ukraine, and shares his takes on Russia's next steps after a potential ceasefire.
Expert negotiator dissects Ukraine-Russia ceasefire talks
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sits down with Marty Latz, an expert negotiator who has spent decades examining the techniques U.S. President Donald Trump has used to make deals, to discuss Trump's negotiation techniques as he tries to broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
Ukrainians react to Witkoff's takes on occupied territories
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff sparked controversy after parroting Russian propaganda narratives on Ukraine in an interview with far-right commentator Tucker Carlson, released on March 21. We asked Ukrainian residents in Kyiv what they think about these statements.
We tried to buy US chips as a Russian company. Here's what happened
The Kyiv Independent's Alisa Yurchenko went undercover as a representative of a Russian defense manufacturer to try buying American chips through Russian suppliers. Our investigation reveals how China helps Russia obtain the Western weapon components through gray import schemes.
Ukrainian writer on canceling Russian culture
The Kyiv Independent's Kate Tsurkan sits down with Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko to discuss the role of writers and intellectuals in wartime, the importance of decolonization in Ukraine’s education, and why she wouldn't share a stage with Russian artists until Ukraine's victory.
Fierce battles in Kursk amid ceasefire talks | Ukraine This Week
The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur covers the top stories impacting Ukraine this week. First in everyone’s concerns is the ongoing ceasefire negotiations and the latest developments in Ukraine’s Kursk operation.
Inside Ukraine's desperate fight to stabilize Donbas front
Amid the escalating geopolitical circus, Ukrainian soldiers fighting in between order and chaos assert that the only way to stop Russia remains on the battlefield. The Kyiv Independent spent two weeks in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors of the front line in Donetsk Oblast, speaking to infantry and artillery commanders, medics, and the civilians now coming into Russia's line of fire.
What Germany under Merz means for Ukraine and Europe, according to expert
Germany braces for major changes as incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz seeks to reshape the country’s role on the continent. The Kyiv Independent sat down with Jörn Fleck, senior director with the Europe Center at the Atlantic Council, to discuss what the new German government means for Ukraine and beyond.
John Bolton on Trump’s Russian policy missteps
The Kyiv Independent’s Kate Tsurkan sat down with former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton to discuss why U.S. President Donald Trump considers Putin “a friend,” and why a ceasefire at this time would not be favorable for Ukraine.
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