The Battle of Sievierodonetsk in Ukraine’s Donbas is an emotional see-saw, in which doom and gloom change to joy and hope constantly. As Russia continues its massive offensive, there has been a seemingly inevitable possibility of the local Ukrainian grouping of nearly 10,000 troops being surrounded and defeated.
At the heart of the European Parliament in Brussels, a grand August Förster piano lies in pieces on the floor, blackened and burned. Now far from home, the instrument once stood proudly inside Irpin’s Central House of Culture, which was destroyed by shelling during the Russian army’s failed
One hundred days of all-out war has been plenty of time to get acquainted with the Russian troops. Their lackluster combat performance, artillery barrages against cities, treatment of civilians, intercepted messages home, and interviews with dozens of civilians around Ukraine allow one to put together a mosaic portrait of the
Refugees fleeing war zone Russia’s full-scale invasion, launched on Feb. 24, has caused the largest migration crisis of the 21st century. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly seven million Ukrainians have fled the country, with over 90% of those escaping Ukraine being women and
Editor’s Note: As June 3 marks 100 days of Russia’s all-out war, the Kyiv Independent publishes its staff’s takes on what they have learned or understood over this time. Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief 100 days. When Russia started its invasion in February, it was impossible to imagine this
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko continues to threaten to invade Ukraine, has created a separate southern military command, is conducting military exercises on the border with Ukraine, and plans to establish a new defensive “people’s militia.” Amendments to Belarus’ criminal code making attempted acts of terrorism punishable by death have
“Artillery sweat saves infantry blood.” The Ukrainian military has this saying for a reason. It has been weeks since Ukraine began to ask desperately for heavy western weaponry, particularly advanced tubed and rocket artillery, as part of an effort to turn the tide of Russia’s invasion, which is not
The early hours of Feb. 24, 2022 were not something any Ukrainian could have imagined. It was a very regular night. Then, millions of people across the country woke up to the sounds of explosions, as Russia began its full-scale attack on Ukraine, including its capital, Kyiv. In this episode
In 1937, Pablo Picasso, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest painters in history, said after visiting an exhibition in Paris: “I bow down before the artistic miracle of this brilliant Ukrainian.” He was talking about the folk painter Maria Prymachenko and her paintings in the “naive art” genre. Eighty-five
The European Union on May 30 finally agreed on a partial embargo on Russian oil after months of delays and disagreements. However, the move was criticized by some Ukrainians and supporters of Ukraine as "too little and too late." "If you ask me, I would say far too slow, far
Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, a 32-year-old French journalist, was killed by shrapnel on May 30 while covering the evacuation of civilians on the road to Lysychansk, near Sievierodonetsk, in eastern Luhansk Oblast. According to Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk Oblast, Russian forces shelled an armored evacuation vehicle that carried civilians, killing
SLOVIANSK, Donetsk Oblast — The battlefield stretches through the dense forest on the banks of the Siversky Donets River. Soldiers with Ukraine’s 79th Airborne Brigade crawl out of sandy trenches, preparing their 40 mm under-barrel rounds. Barrels up, they aim at an imperceptible enemy line running some 300 meters away,
Unable to overcome a domestic political crisis in the country caused by the fraudulent 2020 presidential elections, the regime of Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko turned his country of 9.5 million people into a grim place. Furthermore, Lukashenko’s regime, held afloat by Russian President Vladimir Putin, became a co-belligerent
After three missed calls, Kristina picks up the phone and says, barely above a whisper: "I can't talk now. I'm not alone." When calling back, she turns on the tub in the bathroom so her husband can’t hear her. For several months, she had been gathering the strength to
Ukrainian football legend Andriy Shevchenko didn’t think twice when he learned that President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted him to become the first ambassador of UNITED24, a platform dedicated to collecting charitable funds in support of Ukraine. He was ready to accept new responsibilities on the spot. “I said yes because
It has been three months since people across Ukraine woke up to explosions, signaling the start of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. The war many observers alleged would last a few days has reached the ninety day mark. After failing to occupy Ukraine's largest cities - Kyiv and Kharkiv
The New York Times editorial, “The War in Ukraine Is Getting Complicated, and America Isn’t Ready,” published on May 19, immediately caused an uproar in Ukraine. A veiled manifesto of appeasement from a newspaper known for its stellar coverage of Russia’s horrific invasion has disappointed many. In the
MYKOLAIV – Days into Russia’s all-out war, the regional capital of Mykolaiv became a bastion of Ukraine’s southern defenses. After Russia rapidly occupied Kherson in late February, Mykolaiv immediately became its next target. Their forces shelled, bombed and fired missiles at the regional capital, trying to encircle the city
Days after Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, reports of the invading troops lacking decent provisions have surfaced on the internet. The Kyiv Independent’s defense reporter Illia Ponomarenko and investigative reporter Igor Kossov compare Russian and Ukrainian MREs, debunking some of the earlier misconceptions about Russia’s readiness
Editor’s Note: Names of some people appearing in this article have been changed to protect the families of those escaping Russian occupation from possible retaliation. ZAPORIZHZHIA– Two sisters quickly packed their stuff and rushed out the door when Russian troops stormed into their hometown Enerhodar. They knew their lives
Unlike Ukraine's manufacturing plants, warehouses and stores, many of which lie in ruins, its IT sector has had much better luck. The tech industry reacted with lightning speed to the new reality dictated by Russia's all-out war against Ukraine. Early in the invasion and even before it, companies started to
A New York Times editorial article titled “The War in Ukraine Is Getting Complicated, and America Isn’t Ready,” published on May 19, immediately triggered a stir in Ukraine and beyond. Coming from a media outlet that has the reputation of being supportive of U.S. assistance to Ukraine against
KRAMATORSK, Donetsk Oblast – As war bleeds Donetsk Oblast, the surgery center in Kramatorsk’s first city hospital has to shoulder the burden of caring for civilians from a large area. Its handful of remaining doctors and nurses operate on the ill and the wounded before they can be transported west
Days after Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin, 21, pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed civilian, his lawyer asked for the defendant to be acquitted. “He does not deny that he fired a shot. (Yet) he did not know whether he killed this person,” lawyer Viktor Ovsyannikov told the judges during the
Vadim Shishimarin, 21, is the first Russian soldier tried for a war crime in Ukraine since Russia began its all-out war on Feb. 24. He faces a life sentence for violating the laws of war by killing a civilian during the Russian troops’ retreat from Ukraine. On Feb. 28, Shishimarin
ODESA – Ukraine’s main port city is a complicated place. Known for its sandy beaches and good food, Odesa has also been associated with organized crime. Labeled the “crime capital” by Ukraine’s former interior minister, the city has been known for an illegal construction boom. Local mobsters and Russian-friendly
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that 264 Ukrainian soldiers were evacuated on May 16 from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol to hospitals in Russian-occupied Novoazovsk and Olenivka. Of those evacuated, 53 heavily wounded soldiers will receive medical treatment in Novoazovsk, while 211 will be transferred to Olenivka to
ZAPORIZHZHIA – A large white tent in a shopping center parking lot in Zaporizhzhia, welcomes hundreds of evacuees who left everything behind after Russian forces destroyed peace in their hometowns. Under the marquee, displaced people sit at long communal tables and silently gulp down warm meals prepared by volunteers. Still in
At the toughest moment in the history of relations between Ukraine and Belarus, the Kyiv Independent sat down to speak with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarus opposition in exile. Back in 2020, Tsikhanouskaya contested Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election. There is evidence that the election
The wives of the last Ukrainian soldiers left in Mariupol, the southern city that is mostly occupied by Russians and 90% destroyed after weeks of constant Russian shelling, called on the world to help save their husbands. Five Ukrainian women whose husbands are among the Ukrainian soldiers holding out at
KRAMATORSK, Donetsk Oblast — Artur Serdiuk had just climbed under the covers at half past four in the morning, when the Russian airstrike hit 25 paces from his house. When he opened his eyes and came out from under the dust and debris his ceiling had turned into, he saw that
Death. Fire. Smoke. Bombs. Joy. Hope. Faith. And pride. Those are the things that spell the days of soldiers at Azovstal, the last Ukrainian fortress in the Russian-besieged city of Mariupol. After almost 80 days of fierce fighting, over 1,000 Ukrainian combatants, hundreds among them injured, are still holding
