Investigations

Russia is ramping up Shahed drone production using European-made components.
Investigations

Investigation: How Russian drones exploit European technologies to strike Ukraine, and beyond

by Alisa Yurchenko

Editor's note: This story is part of a cross-border investigative project that involved eight newsrooms, initiated by De Tijd (Belgium) and coordinated by the Kyiv Independent and OCCRP. Other stories published within the project are linked at the bottom of this investigation. A tiny Austrian sensor designed for precise motion control made an impressive journey across the globe. Some time after being sold to a company in Hong Kong, it turned up in Ukraine inside a long-range military drone laun

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Ukraine war latest: 'Not Putinland' — Zelensky pushes back on 'Donnyland' Donbas proposal

Key developments on April 22: * 'Not Putinland' — Zelensky responds to 'Donnyland' proposal for part of Donbas * Ukraine returned over 2,100 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, Zelensky says * 'Wishful thinking' — Ukraine rubbishes Russia's latest Luhansk Oblast claim * War in Iran has used up half of US Patriot, THAAD missile stockpiles * Ukrainian drones reportedly target Russia's Samara Oblast in overnight attacks President Volodymyr Zelensky said the key issue is that Donetsk and L

Why unilaterally surrendering Donetsk Oblast equals strategic and military suicide for Ukraine

As the Trump peace process in the Ukraine–Russia war evolved throughout 2025, the Kremlin introduced the idea that a unilateral withdrawal by Ukrainian forces from the north-west of the Donetsk Oblast was a key prerequisite for a ceasefire and settlement. The Kremlin framed the issue as a relatively minor concession, worthy of the noble goal of ending hostilities. Donald Trump largely swallowed this Russian bait. The success of Moscow's strategy is evident in how the White House has cast Volod

Trump and Putin have 'zero instruments' to enforce backroom deal on Ukraine, ex-FM Kuleba tells Kyiv Independent

Caught between Russia's war at home and mounting geopolitical turbulence abroad, Ukraine is unlikely to see a major turnaround anytime soon, says former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. "2026 will be another year Ukraine will have to survive," Kuleba told the Kyiv Independent in an exclusive interview last week. After emerging from its harshest winters in years, marked by relentless Russian strikes on the energy grid, the country is now facing a hostile situation. The war in Iran has further di

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