Eastern Europe

The bridge connecting Estonia with Russia is seen in Narva, Estonia, on July 24, 2024.
Eastern Europe

In Estonia’s border town, Russian-speaking majority enjoys NATO’s shield, remains mute on Russia’s threat

by Maria Yeryoma

NARVA, Estonia — On both sides of the Narva River, fishermen stand knee-deep in the water between two medieval castles just 101 meters apart. Above them, the flags mark where NATO ends and Russia begins. For years, experts have been warning of the so-called "Narva scenario" — a plan in which Russia might attempt to grab an Estonian border city using its old tune, "protecting the Russian-speaking population." Following Europe's inability to handle Russia's now recurring drone incursions, the mo

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Canadian female fighter at the forefront of Ukraine's drone war

The Kyiv Independent’s Jared Goyette speaks with a Canadian volunteer, Brittney Shki-Giizis, who left the Canadian military to fight in Ukraine. A former tank instructor, she explains why she chose to come to the front, how she learned Ukrainian to serve in a Ukrainian unit, and how the war’s shift toward drones led her to become an FPV (first-person view) drone pilot.

Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 44

Editor’s note: This is issue 44 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from Jan. 13–Feb. 6, 2026. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. IMF benchmarks and soft commitments Ukraine launches re-attestation of Economic Security Bureau staff Ukraine has formally launched the second phase of reform of the Bureau of Economic Security (known by its Ukr

Ukraine war latest live: Kyiv carried out 3 offensive operations in 2025, including 2 inside Russia, Syrskyi says

This is Kateryna Hodunova reporting from Kyiv on day 1,444 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story so far: Ukraine launched three offensive operations in 2025, including one in the Dobropillia sector of Donetsk Oblast and two inside Russia's Kursk and Belgorod oblasts, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Feb. 6, according to RBC Ukraine. Syrskyi said the operations disrupted Russian plans to seize Donetsk Oblast and establish so-called "buffer zones" in border a

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