Borodianka, located about 40 kilometers from Kyiv, suffered greatly from Russian airstrikes. One year later, many of its residents continue to live there either because they have nowhere else to go or because they feel emotionally attached to their hometown.
Kyiv Independent reporter Francis Farrell speaks to John Spencer, U.S. veteran and chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point.
These Khersonians residents were openly protesting against the occupation. But as Russia tightened its grip, some of them continued their protest in more subtle ways – despite the risks of being kidnapped or killed.
Editor’s Note: This is issue 80 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from March 18-24, 2023. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission. Ukrainian SOE Weekly is an independent weekly digest based on a compilation of the most important news related to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and state-owned
Key developments on March 23: * Slovakia transfers first MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine * Zelensky visits Kherson Oblast, pledges to restore region * Russia loses momentum in Bakhmut, Ukraine's counterstrike coming soon, military says * Sweden approves $600 million in military aid to Ukraine Slovakia delivered four of the 13 promised MiG-29 jets
AVDIIVKA, Donetsk Oblast – Avdiivka is an eerie city to drive into in March 2023. One year into Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, but nine years into the Donbas war, the compact city just 10 kilometers from the center of occupied Donetsk is barely holding on. There is little choice
Intellectuals from across the globe took part in a three-day online conference to raise funds for the Center for Civic Engagement, a newly established project at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy. “‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ is true only if all the people with the swords die and the
Key developments on March 22: * Russian missiles hit two residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia * Zelensky visits soldiers on front line near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast * Next few weeks of the war are 'critical,' says White House. Russian missile attack on two residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia, a city in southeastern Ukraine,
Editor's Note: The Ukrainian soldiers featured in this article don't share their family names for security reasons. ZAPORIZHZHIA OBLAST – A couple of running gray silhouettes appear on the phone screen of drone unit commander Ashot, call sign "Doc." "They saw the drone, see?" he pointed at them. A few seconds
Key developments on March 21: * Japanese PM Kishida visits Bucha, meets Zelensky in Kyiv * U.S. to speed up delivery of Patriot air defense systems and Abrams tanks * Putin holds talks with Xi at a summit in Moscow, says China-Russia relations at all-time high * Ukraine claims Russia's offensive potential declining
At a joint news conference following the meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his country would allocate $30 million to purchase non-lethal weaponry for Ukraine through the NATO trust fund, Suspilne news outlet reported on March 21. Tokyo will also provide Ukraine with $470 million in grant aid for the country's energy sector and other industries, according to Kishida.
Key developments on March 20: * Xi visits Moscow for the first time since 2019, meets Putin * Blinken: Xi's visit 'diplomatic cover' for Russia's war crimes * Ukraine's military: Avdiivka may soon become 'second Bakhmut' * EU to send 1 million artillery rounds for Ukraine over next 12 months * US approves additional military
Key developments on March 18-19: * Russian state media: Putin visits occupied Crimea, Mariupol over the weekend * Germany says it will have to arrest Putin if he enters its territory over ICC order * Governor: At least 3 civilians killed, 18 wounded in Donetsk Oblast * Ukrainian-Russian grain deal kicks off after third
Estonia, a country of 1.4 million people bordering Russia, is one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine. It's also one of the West's front line states facing an increasingly aggressive Russia. Before Russia launched its all-out war, Estonia was among the handful of countries that provided Ukraine with
Key developments on March 17: * ICC: arrest warrants issued against Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova * Russia's Bakhmut offensives "lowest since January" * Slovakia to send 13 MIG-29 fighter jets * Governor: Landmine explosions injure 2 As Russia's crimes against Ukraine become more visible, on March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued
Editor's note: We asked the patrons of the Kyiv Independent to share the questions they have about the war. Here's what they asked and how we answered. Join our community of patrons to ask a question in the next round. Join our community Support Ukraine's independent journalism in its darkest
DONETSK OBLAST — The Donbas battlefront meanders for over 1,000 kilometers through a land that has not known peace since 2014. In some points like Bakhmut, it flares into a meat grinder of incalculable human loss. At others, it appears to be coiled and waiting, limited to probing attacks by
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Key developments on March 16: * ISW: Wagner Group’s offensive on Bakhmut appears to be nearing culmination * UK military advisor: 20,000-30,000 regular Russian soldiers, Wagner fighters have been killed, wounded in Bakhmut since May * Poland to send 4 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in coming days * Politico: China
Editor's note: The Kyiv Independent is not revealing the soldiers' full names or the exact location of their deployment due to security concerns amid the ongoing war. Donetsk Oblast – Just a few dozen kilometers from Bakhmut, Ukrainian infantry train to ready themselves for brutal days ahead. Nearly 20 soldiers from
Key developments on March 15: * Media: Russia plans on drafting 400,000 soldiers to fight against Ukraine * Russian Su-24 supersonic tactical bomber shot down near Bakhmut * Politico: US senators from both parties pressing Pentagon to send F-16s to Ukraine * 9 countries pledge to transfer more than 150 Leopard 2 tanks
Editor's note: This story is a collaboration between the Kyiv Independent and media partners, including Delfi Meedia (Estonia), Expressen (Sweden), Dossier Center (U.K.), Rise Moldova, Frontstory, VSquare (Poland), Süddeutsche Zeitung, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Rundfunk WDR, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (Germany), and Yahoo News (U.S.). As Russia is waging war in Ukraine,
Editor's note: The Kyiv Independent is not revealing the soldiers' surnames or the exact location of their deployment due to security concerns amid the ongoing war. Some military personnel spoke without the authorization of their commanders or a press officer. DONETSK OBLAST – Just days before heading back to fight in
Key developments on March 14: * Zaluzhnyi: Bakhmut defense ‘key in stability of entire front’ * Prigozhin claims his Wagner mercenaries crossed river, took ‘full control’ of plant in northwestern Bakhmut * Russian fighter jet crashes into US drone over the Black Sea Ukraine vowed on March 14 that it would hold on
The Kyiv Independent: Opinion is a series of videos where our journalists share their thoughts on various political, social, and other issues. In this video, our reporter Alexander Query, a native of France, contemplates why many in his home country, and in Europe in general, romanticize Russia.
Welcome to Investigative Stories from Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent's newsletter that walks you through the most prominent investigations of the past week. If you are fond of in-depth journalism that exposes war crimes, corruption and abuse of power across state organizations in Ukraine and beyond, subscribe to our investigative newsletter.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. When “Navalny,” a documentary about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, won an Oscar for best documentary feature at the 95th Academy Awards on
A year into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there is little doubt in the West that Ukraine needs to win. Led by the U.S., Western support helped Ukraine push back Russian forces and kept Russian President Vladimir Putin from achieving his major warmongering goals. But Russia’s war
Key developments on March 13: * Commander: ‘Fierce’ fighting rages over central Bakhmut as Russia’s Wagner mercenaries storm into the ruined city * Media: Chinese leader Xi Jinping expected to visit Russia next week, speak to Zelensky afterward * Russian attack on village in Sumy Oblast kills 1, injures 4 * Russian forces
The so-called “anti-war” rallies in Europe and the U.S. have marched against arming Ukraine, which in the demonstrators’ view would bring an end to Russia’s war of aggression. In reality, such protests play into Russia’s hands.
Key developments on March 12: * Security Service names the Ukrainian POW executed by Russians in a video that left the nation shocked after it circulated earlier this month * Zelensky awards the Hero of Ukraine title to the executed soldier * Police: Russia launches 48 attacks against civilians in Donetsk Oblast over
Key developments on March 10: * Russia continues its assaults on Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast * At least 8 wounded in Russian attack of Kostyantynivka, Donetsk Oblast * Norway says it will send Ukraine 2 NASAMS air defense systems * Finland's Prime Minister visits Kyiv, meets Zelensky Ukraine's Defense Ministry acknowledged on March 10 that
