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Russia-Ukraine War

People on a Black Sea beach in Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine, on July 15, 2022.
War

'This is unusual' – How Ukrainian strikes upended Crimea's tourist season

by Yuliia Taradiuk

"We spent the whole night in a shelter." "The cafes are all open… but they ask for cash or a bank transfer; many cafes don't have electricity." "As for fuel, I still recommend bringing some with you whenever possible." "Those who traveled to Crimea every year can't be scared by anything." These are just a few messages from a Telegram group where tourists in occupied Crimea discuss conditions on the peninsula. Nighttime explosions, long queues at gas stations, and oil slicks along the coast h

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Tuesday, June 30

Ukraine signs deal with Sweden to purchase 16 Gripen E fighter jets

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 30 that Ukraine and Sweden had signed an agreement for the purchase of 16 Swedish Gripen E fighter jets. "Together with Sweden, we continue strengthening Ukraine's combat aviation," Zelensky said. He added that the aircraft would be delivered with a package of related equipment, technical assistance, and support. Under previous agreements reached with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Ukraine is also expected to receive its first 16 Gripen

The problem at the top of Ukraine's judiciary

"Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes" is an idiom often attributed to American statesman Benjamin Franklin. In Ukraine, another certainty has emerged over the years: society's persistent demand for judicial reform — and the judiciary's equally persistent resistance to it. Following the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution, Ukraine's highest court was expected to become a flagship of the country's Western-backed reform agenda. Instead, the Supreme Court has become mired in controve

Not only walls — rebuilding a young generation's right to belong

When a russian strike hit the building in Sumy where our teenagers met each week, I was sure we had lost them. They were frightened; some could not stop shaking. They had felt the blast. We brought in psychologists without asking for anything in return. Less than two weeks later, the same teenagers found a new venue and finished the program. I have returned to that moment many times since. The courage of those youngsters astonished me. They had found a place where their voice counted, and they

Children play soccer next to a damaged building following shelling in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on May 6, 2023.

Behind the lies of the latest guest on Tucker Carlson's podcast — a criminal Russian arms dealer

In 2022, American commentator Tucker Carlson condemned the U.S. giving up Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in a prisoner swap, calling him "an indisputably serious criminal" who "sold weapons to terror groups that killed Americans." Just four years later, Carlson welcomed Bout on his podcast to promote Russian talking points to his millions of viewers. "I can understand why (former U.S. President) Barack Obama wanted to put you in prison," Carlson laughingly told Bout, praising the arms dealer

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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