The war in Ukraine is being decided on the battlefields in the south and east of the country. But how it’s discussed in America helps shape those battlefields. Military aid from the West has helped Ukrainian forces turn the tide. Economic aid has allowed the Ukrainian economy to cling
The European Parliament finally approved an 18 billion euro macro-financial aid package to Ukraine on Dec. 14, after striking a deal with Hungary to drop its veto. The parliament employed a so-called "urgent procedure" to allow 26 member states to act as the loan guarantors for Ukraine, relieving Hungary from
The Verkhovna Rada on Dec. 13 approved a bill on the Constitutional Court that may deal a blow to Ukraine's European integration prospects and allow the president to fully control the court, legal experts say. "By voting for this bill, you are not only disrupting European integration but also enabling
The Kyiv Independent is partnering with Saint Javelin, the team behind the iconic symbol of Ukraine’s resistance and a social enterprise that donated over $2 million to Ukraine as it fights Russian aggression. Together, we are launching a merch collection. All the net profits from the sales will be
Water-logged trenches, shredded tree lines, and an undulating, colorless landscape of mud: The visual experience of the battles outside Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast have proved to transcend centuries. When Ukrainian machine-gunner Viktor Borinets’ photos of conditions on the first line of defense went viral, the comparisons to the notoriously grim
Key developments on Dec. 13: * Allies pledge over €1 billion winter aid for Ukraine after Zelensky’s plea * Ukraine repels Russian attacks near 16 settlements in the east * Belarus conducts sudden inspection of troops’ combat readiness * Russia rules out withdrawal from Ukraine by end of 2022 The U.S. President
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Dec. 13 signed into law a bill to liquidate the Kyiv District Administrative Court, headed by Ukraine's most scandalous judge Pavlo Vovk. Earlier on the same day, the bill was approved by parliament. The move follows a decision by the U.S. Department of State on
This is the first edition of the Investigative Stories from Ukraine newsletter, brought to you by the Kyiv Independent. We will walk you through the biggest stories Ukrainian journalists broke over the past couple of weeks. If you are fond of in-depth journalism that exposes war crimes, corruption and abuse
Key developments on Dec. 12: * Ukraine’s embassy in Greece receives ‘bloody package’ in latest act of intimidation * Russian attack on Hirnyk in Donetsk Oblast kills 2, injures 10 * Ukraine needs $1 billion to restore energy sector, says PM. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address that Russia is
Editor’s Note: This story contains descriptions that some readers may find graphic. Standing in line in liberated Kherson for a box of pasta and canned goods with a handsome black dog on a lead, Valerii Hnedov doesn't look like someone who only three weeks prior was languishing in a
Over the last few weeks, the question of Israeli support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia has returned to the spotlight. After many months of ambiguity and silence, rumors circulating in the media suggest that Israel, amid Russia's ravaging brutality and its new alliance with Iran, secretly initiated the
Key developments on Dec. 9 * Ukrenergo: Russia fired more than 1,000 missiles and drones at Ukrainian energy * Erdogan announces new talks with Zelensky, Putin * Putin claims Russia should have started its full-scale war ‘earlier’ * General Staff: Russia still set on capturing Bakhmut Russia has fired more than 1,000
VOVCHANSK, Kharkiv Oblast – Three months after its liberation, Vovchansk still bears the scars of Russia's seven-month-long occupation. A small partly-destroyed concrete bridge leads into a town whose main road is now littered with charred vehicles turned upside down. The local police station, used by Russians as a torture chamber, is
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visits Belarus as Minsk and Moscow sign a rushed classified protocol on regional security. Belarus’ parliament is considering introducing the death sentence for officials and military personnel that “commit acts of treason.” Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko extends the list of criminal charges for which trials
Key developments on Dec. 8 * Putin claims that Russia’s missile blitz on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure will continue * Energoatom: Russia places Grad rocket launchers near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant reactor * CNN: US considers Ukraine’s request for cluster munitions Russia’s President Vladimir Putin claimed on Dec. 8 that Russia
On a warm day in early September, Anastasiia Kolchyna took her nine-year-old sons, twin brothers Ruslan and Denys, for a walk. They went to a small park in their native Zelenodolsk, a town in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where many locals would gather on the weekends. The family was enjoying the outdoors
For this week’s bonus episode of our podcast "Power Lines: From Ukraine to the World," we’re speaking more about Roman Ratushnyi, the Ukrainian activist who fought to preserve Kyiv’s green spaces, and was tragically killed by Russian soldiers earlier this year after joining the Armed Forces of
Editor’s note: Editorials are articles that present the opinion of the editorial team of the Kyiv Independent. On Nov. 30, we ran a story that was, in a way, unique. It was an investigative piece focusing on alleged misconduct in the International Legion, a special military unit created for
Key developments on Dec. 7 * NATO chief: Russia trying to ‘freeze’ war in Ukraine for ‘bigger offensive’ next spring * Putin: The war in Ukraine ‘might be a long process’ * Zelensky: At least 10 killed, ‘many’ wounded in Russian shelling of Kurakhove, Donetsk Oblast * Ukrenergo: Ukraine still faces 'significant' energy deficit
From the indiscriminate killings of civilians in Bucha, Izium and Mariupol, to the everyday terror of long-range missile strikes, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world in its devastation and brutality. Behind the tragic headlines, Ukrainian state institutions are faced with the mammoth task of documenting and
Key developments on Dec. 6 * Zelensky visits Donetsk Oblast, vows to liberate Russian-occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea * Ukraine’s intelligence: Russia still has missiles for several more mass attacks * Third Russian airbase ablaze after a drone attack; no casualties reported * 60 Ukrainian service people freed in new prisoner exchange President
President’s Office Head Andriy Yermak said that Russia had released 60 Ukrainian prisoners of war under the prisoner exchange on Dec. 6. He added that among those who returned home were soldiers who fought in the port city of Mariupol. Yermak said that some soldiers were held in occupied
Key developments on Dec. 5 * Zelensky: 4 people killed by Russia’s mass missile strike on Dec. 5 * Ukraine’s Air Force: Over 60 of more than 70 Russian missiles shot down on Dec. 5 * PM: Power facilities in Kyiv, Odesa, and Vinnytsia oblasts hit but repair underway * Russian Defense
Editor's Note: This article was updated at 10 p.m. to include the recent number of casualties. Russia unleashed another mass missile barrage on Ukraine on Dec. 5 targeting energy infrastructure across the country. Out of the 70 missiles launched by Russia, 60 have been intercepted, the Ukrainian Air Force
By invading Ukraine, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin sought to strengthen Russia's geopolitical standing and spread the country's influence across the globe. In reality, it backfired. Due to Russia's unprecedented aggression and its heavy defeats on the battlefield, the Kremlin became much weaker, losing allies in the process. Russia's influence among
Key developments on Dec. 4: * Ukraine's military estimates 50-100 Russian troops killed near Bakhmut each day * Evacuation for residents living on the east bank of Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast underway * Kremlin says it would not comply with $60 oil cap; Kyiv demands it to be lowered to $30 * Ukraine
Key developments on Dec. 2: * Ukraine's military repels Russian advances near 14 settlements in eastern Donetsk, Luhansk regions. * Russia has lost over 90,000 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, General Staff says. * EU makes final decision to cap Russian seaborne oil prices at $60 a barrel.Ukraine's Embassy in
Russia transfers additional air defense systems to Belarus. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko's aggressive rhetoric towards Ukraine continues, as he boasts that the ongoing war will mean the "complete destruction of Ukraine." The European Parliament issued a motion to condemn the repression of Belarusian civil society by Lukashenko's regime, as well
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council has proposed banning Russian-affiliated religious groups, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Dec. 1. The most significant of the groups is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, an affiliate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The National Security and Defense
The Rebuild Ukraine Business Conference convened on Nov. 23 in Toronto while Russia launched yet another massive missile strike all over Ukraine, killing civilians, damaging critical infrastructure, and causing major blackouts across Ukraine and even parts of neighboring Moldova. Organized by the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce and Business Council of
Despite the dire humanitarian situation in Kherson, residents are still celebrating its liberation two weeks after the Ukrainian Armed Forces entered the city. With Russian forces finally gone from the city, local residents share stories of living under occupation. Filmed by Liza Pyrozhkova.
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