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Russia-Ukraine War

A Ukrainian serviceman of the Khartiia Brigade at a command post near Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, on April 1, 2026.
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How Ukraine defends Kupiansk from Russian troops crawling through pipes

by Asami Terajima

KHARKIV OBLAST — The longest a Russian soldier can hope to survive for after emerging from the underground pipeline is, according to those hunting them, one single hour. "But it's usually 10 minutes, and that's it," "Tovsty," chief sergeant of a company in Ukraine's Khartiia Brigade, says at a command post in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast. Tovsty is watching live drone footage showing a scene which has been repeating itself over and over again for months now — Russian soldiers emerging from disu

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Wednesday, May 27

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky sends Trump urgent letter warning of Ukraine's critical missile defense shortages

Key developments on May 27: * Zelensky sends Trump urgent letter warning of Ukraine's critical missile defense shortages * Ukraine fails to pass IMF-backed reforms, despite millions of dollars on the line * Ukraine to intensify middle strike drone campaign as Fedorov unveils 'logistical lockdown' against Russia * Pope Leo condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine, calls for end to 'sharp intensification' of war President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump warning abo

At site of Russia's Oreshnik strike, Putin's propaganda lies in ruins

In a dusty industrial estate in the city of Bila Tserkva, a Ukrainian grandmother searches through the smouldering ruins of her storage unit for her harvest of potatoes. Two days earlier it had been hit with what is supposed to be one of Russia's most fearsome weapons — an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). "It sounded like thunder, a very long, drawn-out thunder. And then there were six explosions in a row," Nadiia, a Bila Tserkva resident who declined to give her last name

The impact site of an Oreshnik ballistic missile strike in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, on May 25, 2026.

The Balkan blockage on Ukraine's EU membership quest

A number of EU countries, including Austria and Greece, are holding up progress on Ukraine's membership process by insisting that countries in the Western Balkans not be overlooked and left at the back of the line. This objection comes on top of Hungary stalling the opening of Ukraine's accession talks over the rights of Ukraine's ethnic Hungarian minority, Poland flagging issues over agriculture and the trucking industry, and Ukraine's parliament slow-walking the passing of required reforms.

President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) looks at the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) in Berlin, Germany, on May 28, 2025.

Are foreign embassies evacuating from Kyiv after Russian threats?

No foreign embassies in Kyiv have decided to evacuate staff following Russian threats of new attacks on the Ukrainian capital, the Kyiv Independent has learned. The development comes after the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a public warning about a new wave of long-range attacks on Kyiv, including strikes targeting what Moscow called Ukraine's "decision-making centers." Russia urged foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave the city. At a United Nations meeting in New York on May 26, n

Exclusive: Zelensky sends Trump urgent letter warning of Ukraine's critical missile defense shortages

President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump warning about Ukraine's worsening shortage of air defense systems, particularly anti-ballistic missile capabilities, the Kyiv Independent has learned. The appeal comes as Russia intensifies mass aerial attacks on Ukraine and publicly threatens a new wave of long-range strikes on Kyiv, including attacks on what Moscow described as Ukraine's "decision-making centers." "When it comes to air defense against missiles, we rely

Trump (R) and President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. on Dec. 28, 2025.

About War

The Kyiv Independent's coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, after eight years of aggression against Ukraine that began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and fighting in Donbas. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties and displaced millions of Ukrainians. NATO and Western allies have provided military aid to Ukraine while the conflict continues across fronts in Ukraine’s south and east.

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