Russia lashed out on Oct. 10, striking many Ukrainian cities with 84 missiles and 24 exploding drones. The places they hit were all civilian — multiple power plants but also a children’s playground in the center of Kyiv. Most strikes seemed to be timed to the Monday morning rush hour,
Cable welder Dmytro Mykhalchuk and his four colleagues ran out the door gasping for air immediately after a Russian missile hit their office building in Dnipro. "The scariest thing was getting through the dark, ruined corridor, hoping there is a way out," the 36-year-old told the Kyiv Independent. Using phones
KYIV — The morning of Oct. 10 in Kyiv was like no other since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Starting just after 8 a.m., explosions were heard throughout Ukraine’s capital, and it was soon apparent that not all incoming missiles were being shot down
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko gathered top military command on Oct. 10, as Russia was bombing multiple Ukrainian cities. Lukashenko supported Russia's attacks, adding that his country began the process of creating a joint regional military command with Moscow. He didn't explain what the new military formation would be tasked with.
On the morning of Oct. 10, Russian missiles and kamikaze drones struck central Kyiv and other major cities in Ukraine in the largest-scale coordinated missile attack against Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24. Dozens of other explosions were reported across Ukraine, including in Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, Lviv,
Key developments on Oct. 8-9 * Putin accuses Ukrainian intelligence of orchestrating explosion at Crimean bridge * At least 14 killed, 89 wounded after latest Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia * Ukraine liberates over 1,170 square km in Kherson Oblast, 40 settlements in Donetsk Oblast Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of blowing
According to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Oleksandr Starukh, 12 people were killed, 49 others were injured, including six children. Starukh said that according to preliminary data, Russia launched 12 airstrikes on Zaporizhzhia overnight. Most rockets hit apartment buildings and private houses, he said. Acting Zaporizhzhia Mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev earlier reported that
Ukrainian media reported that a fire broke out at the Crimean Bridge — the strategic bridge that connects Russia with the occupied Crimea peninsula — at around 7 a.m. on Oct. 8. The fire has already been eliminated, the Russian state news agency TASS reported. TASS said that the traffic on
When Russia’s Vladimir Putin is in trouble, he threatens to start a global nuclear holocaust. The Russian president has a long history of nuclear brinksmanship, always implicit in his rhetoric yet never manifesting in reality. And now, as his war of conquest in Ukraine is failing, Putin is again
ZAPORIZHZHIA – On Sept. 30, residents of Zaporizhzhia woke up to the horrendous news of a bloody Russian strike on a convoy of civilian cars in their city overnight. The attack with S-300 missiles killed 31 civilians and wounded 88 more. Though the deadliest to date, it wasn’t the first
Key developments on Oct. 7 * Ukraine liberates over 2,400 square kilometers in Kherson Oblast since late August * Ukraine liberates 776 square kilometers in the east this week * Biden warns highest nuclear risk since 1962 * Death toll of Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia rises to 14 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s
For the first time since the start of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko acknowledges Belarus' involvement in Russia's war. As Belarus prepares to receive up to 20,000 Russian troops, Lukashenko accuses Ukraine of amassing troops on the border. The government-in-exile, led by opposition leader Sviatlana
Ukrainian history is defined by struggles for power. It has been the battleground of empires, defined by foreign domination, especially in the 20th century, when Nazi and Stalinist forces sought to dominate and strangle the country for its resources. The parallels with today are stark. In episode 2 of our
Key developments on Oct. 6 * Ukraine liberates over 500 square kilometers in Kherson Oblast in October * Counteroffensive continues in Ukraine’s east and south * Head of IAEA meets Zelensky, talks about occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant * At least 3 killed, 7 hospitalized after Russian strike on a residential area in Zaporizhzhia
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the IAEA mission at the plant will increase from two to four people, who will rotate every 3-4 weeks. He added that the situation remains dangerous as the territory around the Russian-occupied plant is mined.
As winter approaches and Russia’s war continues, Ukrainians living near the front line are faced with the decision to flee or to confront Russian aggression amid Ukraine’s harshest months. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians living in heavily-shelled regions, including embattled Donetsk Oblast, don’t have access to gas.
Key developments on Oct. 5 * Ukraine liberates 3 settlements in Kherson Oblast, reportedly 6 more in Luhansk Oblast * Putin signs decree to formalize Russia's illegal seizure of Europe’s largest nuclear plant * Putin signs ‘documents’ to formally annex Ukraine’s 4 partially occupied regions * Russia fires 3 missile strikes, 2
Ukrainian forces are gaining ground in Kherson Oblast. They are liberating villages and pushing towards the western bank of the Dnipro River, to squeeze the Russian forces against it. The Russian lines in the region are collapsing as their position west of the river gets less tenable by the day.
Key developments on Oct. 4 * Ukraine advances around 30 kilometers in Kherson Oblast * Russian troops withdraw from Kharkiv Oblast * Russian parliament approves annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions * Russia fires five missile strikes, one airstrike across Ukraine Editor's note: Shortly after this story was published, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine
Editor’s Note: The Kyiv Independent talked to residents who are still in Russian-occupied Enerhodar and those who recently left but still have family in the city. For their safety, we do not disclose their identities. When Russian soldiers captured Enerhodar, the satellite city of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
The commercial chamber of Ukraine's Supreme Court on Oct. 3 failed to gather enough votes to fire the chamber's Chairman Bohdan Lvov. Days prior, Ukraine's Security Service confirmed that Lvov is a Russian citizen, which he continues to deny. Under Ukrainian law, foreign citizens are banned from holding government jobs.
Key developments on Oct. 3 * Ukrainian forces advance in east and south * Russia hits medical facility in Kharkiv Oblast with a missile * Russia fires 2 missile strikes, 7 airstrikes across Ukraine Ukraine pushed ahead with its counteroffensive on Oct. 3, reclaiming control over settlements in the country’s east and
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Amid mounting fears of Russia using nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to an audience at Harvard University on Sept. 27 of the importance of preventing further Russian escalation before any devastating consequences occur. “To react after the strikes happen, (means) you are
ZAPORIZHZHIA — Guarding a quiet turnoff from the road heading south out of Zaporizhzhia city to the territories occupied by Russia, two Ukrainian police officers were approached by a middle-aged woman in a state of near despair. “My friend was killed here yesterday,” she said to the officer as she got
Key developments on Oct. 2 * Zelensky: Liberated Lyman “fully cleared” of Russian forces * Ukraine’s military advances in Donetsk and Kherson oblasts * Death toll of Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia Oblast rises to 31 * Russia fires 4 missile strikes, 3 airstrikes across Ukraine Ukraine’s counteroffensive continued on Oct. 2, a
Volodymyr Obodzinskyi was at work when a sudden call from his neighbor in Zhytomyr Oblast shook him to his core. "There were loud explosions somewhere around your house just now," the neighbor told him. At the time, Obodzinskyi worked in Kyiv, about 100 kilometers away from his home, the village
Key developments on Sept. 30 * Russia declares annexation of Ukraine’s occupied eastern and southern regions * Ukraine applies for fast-track NATO accession * Ukraine advances in Donetsk Oblast * Russian strike on evacuation convoy in Zaporizhzhia Oblast: At least 30 killed, 88 wounded Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 30 declared the
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced that Russia is annexing Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts during a ceremony in the Grand Kremlin Palace on Sept. 30. The announcement comes after Russia's proxies held sham referendums in the occupied parts of these regions and, on Sept. 27, declared nearly 100%
Editor's Note: This story includes interviews with people living under the Russian occupation. Their names have been changed to protect their identity as they have shared sensitive information that could place them and their families in danger. Mariupol resident Oleksandr, 53, had just entered a hardware store when Russian soldiers
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Sept. 25. Lukashenko told Putin there's no point in going after those that flee Russia's mobilization decree. "Let them run," the dictator said. Meanwhile, Belarus refrains from directly following Russia's footsteps, yet still announcing "mobilization" drills
The first week of Russia's earth-quaking mobilization campaign has topped all expectations — in terms of its harshness, hastiness, and chaos. With the Russian positions in Ukraine rapidly deteriorating, the Kremlin upped the ante and risked announcing a draft. The regime aims to draft between 300,000 and over 1.2
Key developments on Sept. 29 * Russia to formally annex occupied territories on Sept. 30 * Zelensky to hold emergency National Security and Defense Council meeting on Sept. 30 * NATO vows ‘united’ response on any deliberate attack on critical infrastructure * Russia fires 4 missile strikes, 4 airstrikes across Ukraine Russian President Vladimir
