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The Ukrainian mountain villages using renewable energy to solve wartime blackouts

As Russian missiles and drones plunge much of Ukraine into darkness this winter, the mountain community of Ust-Chorna has largely kept the lights on — thanks to green energy. The district, made up of four villages tucked into a forest valley of western Ukraine, relies on a small network of hydroelectric power stations that have continued operating even as Russian attacks have all but destroyed the country's centralized energy grid. And as emergency blackouts are implemented across the country,

'He just wanted to go home' — Brazilian recruit’s death in Ukraine points to torture, abuse in foreign fighter unit

A 28-year-old Brazilian recruit died after a brutal punishment handed out in a unit that regularly used discipline practices described as "torture" by those who both witnessed and suffered them, a Kyiv Independent investigation can reveal. The man, Bruno Gabriel Leal da Silva, died overnight Dec. 28-29, 2025, according to former fellow fighters who spoke to the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation. The unit in question is a Brazilian-led formation called A

investigation found allegations that a Brazilian-led unit used violent “discipline” practices

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From his base near the hotly contested town of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, Vladyslav has, by his own estimates, downed upwards of 60 Russian drones using Ukrainian interceptor drones over the past year. Winter has exposed many foundational frailties in Ukraine's air defenses. Relentless Russian attacks utilising Shahed-type attack drones have left millions of Ukrainians in the dark and cold. The role of interceptor pilots like Vladyslav is more important than ever. Interceptor drones are f

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