Human story

‘They’ll kill me if I come back’: Abduction, torture become routine in Russian-occupied Melitopol

Civilian forced to dig trenches for Russians: ‘I wanted to jump on a mine and end it’

Editor's Note: People interviewed for this story are not identified by their full names to protect their identities since they or their relatives still remain in Russian-occupied towns in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The native city of released prisoner Bohdan, which is still under Russian occupation, is also not mentioned to protect

Who was ‘Da Vinci,’ legendary young commander killed near Bakhmut?

It was another one of those losses. A young, bright Ukrainian who had a long life to live. Somebody who many perceived as “immortal” because the country’s future was hard to imagine without their dedication and patriotism. Somebody for whom thousands, both friends and strangers, would gather in central

First moments of Russia’s full-scale invasion, as remembered by our staff

After months of reports that Russia would expand its aggression against Ukraine, the unthinkable happened early in the morning of Feb. 24, 2022: Russian missiles began raining down on Ukrainian cities, and all at once, millions of people had to act quickly to get themselves and their loved ones to

Survivors of Russian torture chamber in Kherson share stories of abuse

Two survivors spoke to the Kyiv Independent about what they had endured.

10 months after Mariupol theater bombing, family struggles to forget harrowing screams and dead bodies

Ten months after barely surviving the Russian bombing of a theater in Mariupol, Viktoria Dubovitska is keeping a close eye on her seven-year-old son. Artem remembers “almost everything” about what he saw in the March tragedy, the mother said. He tries not to talk about it, but unwanted memories keep

Eyeing victory in 2023, Ukrainians meet New Year with prayers for loved ones on battlefield

Despite Russian air assaults, Olha Kardash, 38, was determined to celebrate New Year's Eve. Spending the day together was always an important tradition for the Kardash family, whose hometown in Luhansk Oblast has been under Russian occupation since 2014. Now, Kardash had to cherish every moment with her younger brother

How volunteers risk their lives to rescue abandoned animals amid war

When Ukrainian soldiers were entering the village of Yampil in Donetsk Oblast after five months of Russian occupation, they discovered an abandoned zoo on the outskirts. Dozens of animal corpses, either killed by Russian troops or dead of starvation, were lying throughout the zoo’s territory. But in one locked

The little victims: Russia’s war killed these children

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

Kherson residents share stories of living under Russian occupation

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.

Ukrainians in Russia fear mobilization: ‘If conscripted, I will shoot Russians and surrender’

Editor's note: The names of the people interviewed by the Kyiv Independent for this story have been changed to protect their identity as they have shared sensitive information that could place them and their families in danger. When Russia's President Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization, Ivan was desperate. Ivan, who

Ukrainians react to Russian missile barrage: ‘We won’t break’

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

Life under occupation: 'I was forced to vote in sham referendum at gunpoint'

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

Wife of Izium mass grave victim learns of husband’s death from viral photo

Warning: This story contains graphic images and descriptions that some readers may find disturbing. Scrolling through photos from the mass burial site in Izium, Oksana Sova immediately recognized her husband's bracelet on a corpse's wrist. "I immediately knew it was him," Sova, 37, told the Kyiv Independent. It was that

At a camp for displaced persons, Ukrainians fear being kicked out as winter looms

ORLIVSHCHYNA, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast – It doesn’t look like a typical camp for internally displaced persons. Once a place to unwind and enjoy nature, the Lisovyi resort located on the Samara River near Dnipro, a large city in south-central Ukraine, was turned into a shelter when Russia launched a full-scale invasion

Crimean Tatars dream of their homeland’s liberation as Ukraine strikes back in the south

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

They are why Ukraine stands. Remembering fallen Ukrainian soldiers

Editor’s Note: The Kyiv Independent is paying tribute to the Ukrainian soldiers who have been killed defending their country in the six months since the start of Russia's all-out invasion on Feb. 24. We don’t know how many have been killed, since the government doesn’t disclose the

Relatives sound alarm as prominent activist in Russian captivity painted ‘Nazi’

Maksym Butkevych, a well-known human rights defender in Ukraine, has had anti-militarist views all his conscious life. But when Russia launched a brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, he put pacifism aside and joined the Ukrainian army. "There are times when one needs to be ready to defend

Over 100,000 Mariupol residents trapped in dire conditions under Russian occupation

Editor’s Note: The names of some of the people interviewed by the Kyiv Independent for this story have been changed to protect their identity as they have shared sensitive information that could place them and their families in danger. Three months after Russia’s brutal months-long siege of Mariupol

Escaping Russian army: The story of one Ukrainian forced to fight against his homeland

Editor’s Note: The name of the person interviewed by the Kyiv Independent for this story has been changed to protect his identity as he has shared sensitive information that could place him and his family in danger. “If Russia orders us to invade the entire galaxy, we will,” the

EXCLUSIVE: Escaping forced conscription in Russian-occupied Donetsk

Editor’s Note: The names of the people interviewed by the Kyiv Independent for this story have been changed to protect their identity as they have shared sensitive information that could place them and their families in danger. Stepan didn’t see daylight for nearly four months. Since mid-February, even

Little heroes: Children raise money to support Ukraine’s fight

Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent spoke with the children interviewed for this story with the permission of their parents. Ten-year-old Kyiv resident Valeriia Yezhova never imagined that one day she would meet renowned Ukrainian comedian, politician and volunteer Serhiy Prytula, let alone make him cry. Tears ran down Prytula's eyes

Fallen activist Roman Ratushnyi and his battle for a better Ukraine

A crowd of dozens gathered near the highway in Kyiv’s historic Protasiv Yar neighborhood on June 16. Many of them knew each other well, united by past rallies against illegal construction in the area. But they were sadly quiet that day, hugging one another occasionally, and wiping off their

100 days of Russia’s war: What our staff learned about their country, the world, and themselves

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

Daughter mourns loved ones killed in Kyiv Oblast: ‘Humans can’t do what they did to my family.’

On March 23, Kyiv resident Olena Sukhenko got the most terrifying phone call of her life. “Russians came to our house,” her younger brother told her. “They took our mother. Our father went with her.” She felt the ground slipping out from beneath her feet. Olena asked her brother to

Mariupol evacuees: ‘People just dying, city in chaos’

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

Families mourn fallen defenders of Ukraine

Early in the morning on March 9, Rostyslav Kotenko dialed the number of his father, Ukraine’s Armed Forces Colonel Serhii Kotenko. The two hadn't spoken since Kotenko’s father left to fight Russian forces in the war's hot spots, near Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The long-awaited but brief conversation ended

Ukrainian couples celebrate love amid war

It was a beautiful wedding ceremony at the St. Michael’s monastery in Kyiv downtown. Lit with dozens of candles, the usually crowded church was almost empty when Sviatoslav Fursin and Yaryna Arieva, both dressed in traditional Ukrainian vyshyvanka embroidered shirts, were pronounced husband and wife. But there were no

One onslaught, one family, one lucky chance: Surviving Mariupol theater bombing

Viktoria Dubovitska, 24, and her two children survived the Russian bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theater by pure luck. Like hundreds of Mariupol residents, Dubovitska's family was sheltering near the theater’s main stage. But on March 16, her two-year-old daughter Anastasia got sick, and the family was offered a

Voices of besieged Mariupol: 'It’s not even comparable to hell'

“Sometimes hope returns to me. But sometimes it leaves, and I think that we are all going to die,” says Anastasiia Kiseliova, a 40-year-old mother of three, as she walks through the streets of Mariupol, voice-recording herself on an iPhone. “The city is gone,” she adds, her voice trembling. She

Natalia Datskevych: My rescue mission to flee Russia’s war with three kids

Editor's Note: Natalia Datskevych is a journalist with the Kyiv Independent. An endless feeling of fear that seems to never go away. Every loud sound, every sudden spark in the sky, causes panic. My life, together with the lives of millions of Ukrainians, turned into hell when Russia launched a

Inside a hospital in occupied town near Kyiv

When the war began, Anton Dovgopol, the 36-year-old director of the Irpin City Polyclinic, got a phone call early in the morning. He learned that Ivankiv, a little village some 80 kilometers northwest of Kyiv, was under a Russian attack. He told his wife to get their go-bag ready, reached