Russia-Ukraine War

soldier holds a drone controller near a GARA UAV in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Oct. 16, 2026.
War

Export hurdles and visa waits for Ukrainian companies force Pentagon to slow its drone contest

by Leo Greenberg

One morning in June, the head of export at Ukrainian drone company Stellarion found himself unexpectedly in need of a U-Haul outside the Detroit Metro Airport in Michigan. Stellarion was set to test its drones in front of American soldiers at a competition organized by the Pentagon at Camp Grayling, a military base three hours away. But while many of its 48 invited competitors were American companies that had had weeks to modify, prepare, and fit warheads onto their drones, Stellarion was facin

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Tears and joy as Oleshky residents reunite with relatives in Ukraine

On Oct. 31, residents of the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky finally arrived in Ukrainian-controlled territory as part of an evacuation mission that involved a short pause in fighting mediated with the involvement of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. Seventeen buses carrying evacuees reached Ukrainian-controlled territory, where families were reunited with loved ones they had not seen for years. The Kyiv Independent’s Yuliia Taradiuk and Olena Zashko witnessed the arrival of the residents from Ol

Ukraine war latest: Russian oil refinery in Kstovo ablaze after reported overnight drone strike

Key developments on Oct. 31-Nov. 1: * Russian oil refinery in Kstovo ablaze after reported overnight drone strike * Russian airstrike destroys Kramatorsk city council building that survived 2014 occupation * Russian attack hits Kyiv energy facility, leaving parts of the city without power and water * Ukraine hits plant producing fuel for Russian multiple-launch rocket systems in Rostov Oblast, military says * Oleshky residents reach Ukrainian-controlled territory after escaping Russian occ

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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