Russian POWs speak about their capture in Kursk Oblast
The Kyiv Independent got exclusive access to the POWs captured during the Kursk operation and interviewed them about their motivations and experience of fighting for Russia.
Interview
'The goal should be strategic defeat of Russia' – Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds
Editor’s note: The transcript of this interview has been edited for clarity. Latvia has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters since the start of the all-out war. Sharing a border with both Russia and its ally Belarus, the small Baltic country understands Ukraine’s struggle all too well. As
Kursk ‘counteroffensive’ shakes main pillar of Putin’s power grip, retired US general says
Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Kursk Oblast in southwestern Russia helped Kyiv to once again change the narrative of Russia’s invincibility in the war, says retired U.S. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges. Hodges, who served as commander of the U.S. Army Europe from 2014-2017 and has helped to
Gen. Ben Hodges on Ukraine's Kursk incursion in Russia
Retired U.S. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges analyzes the early success of Ukraine's Kursk incursion and why Russia did not see it coming. But he shares concerns that the West might still fail Ukraine.
Pavlo Smytsnyuk: Vatican's Ostpolitik in Russia-Ukraine war balancing neutrality and dialogue
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Pavlo Smytsnyuk prepared by the Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, reflect upon, develop, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian
How drones are shaking up the air war in Ukraine
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell spoke with Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow for airpower and technology at RUSI, about the evolving dynamics of airspace in Russia's war against Ukraine.
General Mick Ryan on Ukraine’s strategic calculus in Kursk Oblast
Editor’s note: The transcript of this interview has been edited for clarity. As it entered its second week, Ukraine’s cross-border offensive into Russia’s Kursk Oblast is showing no signs of slowing down. Although the element of surprise that overwhelmed the thin Russian defending force in the first
Military expert on Ukraine's Kursk offensive: 'high risk, high return'
Just over a week ago, Ukraine launched a surprise counteroffensive across the border into Russia's Kursk Oblast. The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell discusses what might come next for Ukraine with retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan.
Expert analyzes Ukraine's F-16s' capabilities
The Kyiv Independent's senior news editor Martin Fornusek spoke with defense and aviation expert Peter Layton about what we learned from this footage – how the F-16s are equipped and what could be the strategies and challenges of operating them.
Francis Farrell answers questions about war in Ukraine
The Kyiv Independent's war reporter Francis Farrell sat down to answer questions from our viewers about Russia's war in Ukraine and his experience of covering it.
Czech FM: Ammunition initiative is a vital part of Ukraine's defense but needs more donors, money
The Czech ammunition initiative secured financing for half a million shells for Ukraine and can gather more if it finds additional donors or finances, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent on July 23. Czechia unveiled the international initiative earlier this year amid Ukraine's
Ukraine has a ‘different kind of nationalism,’ says historian Franziska Davies
Ukraine was “a blind spot” for Germans up until Moscow’s full-scale invasion, Franziska Davies, a historian of Eastern and Eastern Central Europe, told the Kyiv Independent in an interview. “And if there is a blind spot, propaganda narratives can easily fill it with falsehoods,” Davies said, explaining why Russia-planted
Dutch ambassador to Kyiv on F-16s, MH17, and Scythian gold – 'Ukraine is fighting not only for itself but also for us'
The recent career of the outgoing Dutch Ambassador, Jennes de Mol, has been a good reflection of his country's relations with Ukraine. A career diplomat, De Mol was the Dutch Consul General in Saint Petersburg in 2014, when he came to Kyiv to assist the Dutch embassy in the aftermath
Canada trade minister: Revamped trade deal shows commitment to Ukraine for ‘decades to come’
After a long journey fraught with a global pandemic and all-out invasion, Canada and Ukraine successfully revamped a free trade agreement that comes into play on July 1, expanding the relationship between Canadian and Ukrainian businesses. The Canada Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) was initially introduced in August 2017, abolishing
Exclusive: Nepali POW questioned by Ukrainian authorities
The Kyiv Independent has obtained footage of Ukrainian authorities questioning a Nepali prisoner of war captured when he was fighting for Russia in Ukraine. The footage was obtained from intelligence sources. The Kyiv Independent edited it for brevity.
‘It really is insane:’ Ex-defense minister on Slovakia’s pro-Russian turn
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, neighboring Slovakia, with its own experience of decades of Russian occupation in the 20th century, became one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine. Under the guidance of then-Defense Minister Jaroslav
Peace summit 'smart' way to combat Russian propaganda, Australian representative says
Australian Minister Bill Shorten, head of his country’s delegation at the peace summit in Switzerland, says he was surprised by the event. Shorten has been in politics for eight years and was a trade union representative for 15 years before that. He's now the country's National Disability and Insurance
Russian attacks pushing Ukraine's energy system toward ‘worst-case scenario,’ largest private energy company says
Ukrainians could face up to 20 hours of blackouts a day under a “worst-case” scenario if the country cannot repair and properly defend its energy infrastructure from Russian attacks, Executive Director of Ukraine’s largest privately-owned energy company DTEK Dmytro Sakharuk told the Kyiv Independent in an interview on June
Energy security and EU accession: What this year's Ukraine recovery conference is all about (INTERVIEW)
Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction are impossible to separate from the country’s EU integration and accession aspirations. If the country wants to enter the EU, it will have to get its rules and regulations in line with the bloc, across every field. Many of these reforms will involve sectors
'Saints:' Photographer Sasha Maslov on documenting self-sacrifice in Ukraine during war
Sasha Maslov is a Ukrainian-American photographer who divides his time between Kyiv and New York. At the start of the full-scale invasion, he returned to Kyiv to document the war. His work, which has been showcased in galleries and art spaces across Europe and the United States, includes regular contributions
‘Not a stroke of luck:’ CEO of Ukrsibbank BNP Paribas Group on continuing operations during Russia’s war
Laurent Dupuch has weathered not one but two storms over the past few years as CEO and country manager of one of Ukraine’s largest banks Ukrsibbank. He arrived in Ukraine after almost seven years as CEO of the bank’s Morocco operations at the beginning of March 2020, right
‘Everyone says culture has nothing to do with it. It does' — Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Rafeyenko on Russia’s war
Ukrainian author Volodymyr Rafeyenko never thought he would write a novel in Ukrainian. He was a native of Donetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city where he grew up speaking Russian and completed a degree in Russian philology. Early on in his career, he was the winner of some of Russia’s
Taiwan's FM: 'If Russia can do that to Ukraine, China might do the same to Taiwan'
TAIPEI – The start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine was a wake-up call for Taiwan, with the island nation believed to be the next conflict zone in case of Kyiv’s defeat. Two years in, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu still believes that the island’s future is dependent
Mariupol defender breaks down his famous Azovstal photos
Dmytro Kozatskyi, call sign "Orest," is a Ukrainian soldier who formerly headed the press service of the Azov regiment. In this video, Kozatskyi breaks down his famous photographs and shares his memories about the Russian siege of Mariupol.
Ihor Poshyvailo: Churches, religious sites play special role in Ukraine’s resistance
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Ihor Poshyvailo prepared by the Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, reflect upon, develop, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian
‘A bumpy ride:’ CEO of MacPaw, developer of apps for Apple devices, on business during war
Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine has dealt a devastating blow to the country’s economy. While the country has begun to bounce back from an initial 29% drop in GDP, it’s estimated that at today’s level of growth, the country’s GDP won’t return to pre-war
'No region in Ukraine endures hell like Donetsk Oblast,' governor says of Russia's war
Local authorities in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Oblast have stopped assessing the damage of Russia’s war. Daily barrages of attacks make doing so both futile and extremely dangerous. Russian forces launch up to 2,500 attacks daily at the embattled region’s towns and villages located along 165 miles
Sikorski: ‘We want to help Ukraine, but you must decide how long you are ready to go on’
Radosław Sikorski, Poland's foreign minister, wants to make it clear he stands for Ukraine's place in the European Union. "It was during the Polish presidency of the EU – with these hands, I pushed and succeeded in closing the text of Ukraine's Association Agreement with the European Union," he emphasized during
How Ukrainian social media influencer raised over $50 million for military thanks to ‘typing’
To see some of the horrors Russia’s war has brought to Ukraine, one just has to click on the #RussiaIsATerroristState hashtag on social media. Given the scale of Russia’s ongoing attacks, which have left entire cities blacked out and destroyed, and thousands of people killed, the hashtag is
Hollywood actress Ivanna Sakhno: ‘I’ve never felt more at home in Ukraine than during full-scale war’
When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacking the country from multiple fronts and the sky, Ukrainian actress Ivanna Sakhno was thousands of kilometers away. She has been living in the U.S. for nearly 10 years at that point, ever since deciding to pursue her dream of acting
Ivanna Sakhno on her mission to keep Ukraine relevant
The Kyiv Independent's Masha Lavrova sat down with Ukrainian Hollywood actress Ivanna Sakhno to discuss her experience of watching the war unfold in Ukraine from the U.S., and her advocacy mission to keep bringing the world's attention to Ukraine.
Swedish defense minister on stepping up Ukraine aid and a new era in European security
In March 2024, Sweden became NATO’s 32nd member state after a lengthy application process triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Joining the alliance comes at arguably the most turbulent time in European security since the end of the Cold War, with Russia scaling up its military industrial
(Updated: )
Most popular
Editors' Picks
Fall of Aleppo deals blow to Russia's Middle East clout, may indirectly strengthen Ukraine's hand
‘Destroying us little by little:’ Ukrainian troops worried about fate of Kursk operation
Once liberated Kupiansk braces for worst as Russian troops approach, and future Western support looks uncertain
