At least ten locations that had been used as "torture chambers" by Russian forces were discovered after the liberation of parts of Kharkiv Oblast, according to Police Chief Ihor Klymenko. Klymenko reported on Sept. 16 that two of these chambers had been found in the city of Balakliia. He didn’
Military exercises continue on both sides of the border as Minsk focuses on improving offensive operations while Kyiv bolsters its demining and defensive efforts. Belarus allows Russia to use two military bases for 25 more years. Minsk also unveils the first units of the long-awaited "people's militia." Meanwhile, Belarusian volunteers
Editor’s Note: The Kyiv Independent publishes a joint statement of Ukrainian media outlets on the day Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze was kidnapped in 2000. He was later found dead near Kyiv. Though the perpetrators of this crime were imprisoned, those who ordered the assassination were never identified and punished.
Key developments on Sept. 15 * Mass burial site containing 440 graves found in liberated Izium * Russia conducts 5 missile strikes, 5 air strikes * Houses in Kryvyi Rih still flooded after a Russian missile strike * Putin, Xi discuss the war in Ukraine Russian artillery fire, missile and air strikes have inflicted
A New York-based firm FF Venture Capital launched a $30 million fund to support Ukrainian-founded startups. The Blue & Yellow Heritage fund is reportedly the first Western venture capital fund focused exclusively on the Ukrainian startup market. Over the next five to 10 years, the fund will invest in 15-20 early-stage
Key developments on Sept. 14 * Zelensky visits liberated Izium in Kharkiv Oblast * Ukraine says it is able to strike targets almost anywhere in Kherson Oblast * Russia continues its missile strikes on critical infrastructure President Volodymyr Zelensky made a symbolic visit to the recently liberated city of Izium on Sept. 14.
Editor’s Note: This is an analysis by Andriy Zagorodnyuk, ex-Defense Minister and the chairman of the Center for Defense Strategies, a Kyiv-based think tank. It was originally published in Ukrainian by Ukrainska Pravda on Sept. 14. The Kyiv Independent has translated it and is republishing it with permission. The
War-torn Ukraine relies on its foreign partners to face massive expenditures in the coming year, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a briefing on Sept. 14, detailing the 2023 budget bill. According to the bill, Ukraine plans to spend $61.4 billion in 2023. Government revenue for the next
KHARKIV – In warfare, there's no such thing as a miracle. Yet what happened in early September in the east of Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast may ascend in history as the Miracle on the Oskil River. Within a few days, a Ukrainian strike prompted the collapse of the Russian front in the
Key developments on Sept. 13. * Ukraine liberates more than 300 towns and villages in Kharkiv Oblast * About 150,000 Kharkiv Oblast residents freed from Russian occupation * Ukraine continues its southern counteroffensive * Russia masses artillery fire across Donetsk Oblast's front line Ukraine recaptured more than 300 settlements in northern Kharkiv Oblast,
Russia is officially the world's most sanctioned country, but the Kremlin doesn't seem to care. Since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, trade bans from the European Union and the United States have seen imports grind to a halt. Meanwhile, hundreds of international companies have fled the
Almost exactly 200 days into Russia's all-out war, the world's top diplomats, politicians, economists, and political scientists gathered in Kyiv for a discreet and heavily guarded event. In the basement conference room of a hotel in central Kyiv, Ukrainian leadership and top officials from the U.S., U.K., Latvia,
The world’s nuclear security is under threat as Russia occupies the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and uses it as a base to launch attacks on Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent explains why this is an unprecedented event and if the Zaporizhzhia plant will become the next Chornobyl.
Ukraine’s surprise counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast forced Russian soldiers to beat a hasty retreat, abandoning ammunition and equipment to be captured by Ukrainian forces. Since the beginning of the advance on Sept. 7, Ukraine has liberated about 3,000 square kilometers, or over 40 settlements, in Kharkiv Oblast, according
President Volodymyr Zelensky took part in the 17th annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) conference where he spoke about the country's EU membership, the Russian-orchestrated energy crisis, and what Ukraine needs to win the war. The president emphasized that there are "three fundamental conditions for achieving peace – weapons, ammunition, finances," adding
Four days into Ukraine’s surprise counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces have retreated from the key cities of Kupiansk and Izium, signaling a near-total collapse of the Russian line of defense in the area. Reports are also circulating on social media and Telegram channels indicating that Russian troops have
KHARKIV – Kharkiv resident Valentyna Hromonenko was doing laundry in her yard on the afternoon of Sept. 9 when she heard a loud explosion followed by the scream of her 11-year-old grandson Maksym. “My grandson was inside, vacuuming. He shouted: ‘Grandma, something is falling on me,’” Hromonenko, a grandmother of four,
In August, Russia's war against Ukraine returned to where it all started, to Crimea. Starting with the attack on the Saky air base in Novofedorivka on Aug. 9 that destroyed around a dozen Russian fighter aircraft, military targets were hit on a regular basis on the peninsula over the next
Ukraine imposes sanctions against Belarusian companies and officials seizing their assets in the country. The Ukrainian General Staff reports that Belarus holds military drills in which it simulates crossing the Belarusian border with Ukraine. Belarus’ dictator Alexander Lukashenko claimed that Belarusians who left the country and were convicted on charges
Ukraine’s military reports that it had liberated over 20 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast within days of launching a surprise counteroffensive in the country’s northeast. Ukrainian forces have advanced 50 kilometers deep into the Russian-occupied territories near Balakliia, Kharkiv Oblast, according to Deputy Chief of Ukraine's General Staff Oleksiy
Today, everyone in Ukraine knows about the Come Back Alive charity. It is everywhere — government agencies, mobile banking apps, and the biggest online marketplaces recommend it as the organization one should visit to help the Ukrainian military. Come Back Alive became one of the symbols of Ukraine’s popular war
Key developments of Sept. 7: * Unconfirmed reports that Ukraine liberates settlements near Balakliia in Kharkiv Oblast * Southern counteroffensive continues in Kherson Oblast * A Russian missile strike hits a psychiatric hospital in Kramatorsk * 1 dead, 2 missing after a missile strike on Sloviansk Ukraine’s military appears to have launched an
Located a mere 30 kilometers from the war’s southern front lines, Ukraine’s shipbuilding capital Mykolaiv has been a constant target for the Russian military throughout its full-scale invasion. Shelled almost daily, the regional capital with a pre-war population of 480,000 has seen over 500 residential buildings destroyed
Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command reported on Sept. 6 that several settlements in Kherson Oblast were liberated by the Armed Forces. Operational Command’s spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk said that the military is now conducting demining in those areas and will give more details shortly. Ukraine has also been active in
BRUSSELS – For nine agonizing minutes, images of the victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine flashed before the eyes of EU dignitaries in Brussels, the heart of Europe, on Sept. 5. The 6,400 photos, all verified by independent authorities, provide evidence of Russian war crimes committed against civilians in
Liz Truss, UK’s future prime minister, is expected to be just as committed to helping Ukraine as her outgoing predecessor and fellow Tory, Boris Johnson. Truss has vowed to make sure that “the flame of freedom in Ukraine continues to burn bright,” and that Russian President Vladimir Putin will
Fierce battles continue as Ukrainian Armed Forces push Russians out of three villages in the east and south. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces liberated two villages in Kherson Oblast, and one village in Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainian forces have also advanced, gaining new heights. Despite not naming the liberated villages,
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s exports were a reason to celebrate. Last year, the country hit a 10-year record with $68 billion in exports. As Russia’s invasion enters its seventh month, no one can predict when Ukraine can expect to post these kinds of results again. According
Among the Ukrainian military, Elon Musk, the richest tech entrepreneur in the U.S., is often half-jokingly referred to as “Saint Elon.” The reason is Starlink, Musk’s satellite communication system that keeps many Ukrainians, most importantly the military, online despite power outages and Russia’s attacks on the country's
As an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team carried out a mission to inspect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukraine’s major counteroffensive continued in the south. Tensions remained high around the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant while the inspectors continued to assess the safety and security of the damaged facility,
ODESA – Odesa has always been Ukraine’s prime summer destination. Packed streets, buskers on promenades, and a relentless mass of busy restaurants and bars filled with tourists ready to party until dawn were the regular scenery in the city from early May to late September. But this summer, the loud
The number of Russian rockets hitting Ukraine from Belarus substantially increased after Belarusian autocrat Alexander Lukashenko “congratulated” Ukraine on its Independence Day. Meanwhile, Belarusian aircraft had been re-equipped to carry Russian nuclear weapons, while the newly created Belarusian territorial defense held exercises in Minsk. Lukashenko expressed regret that the Belarus
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