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Russia-Ukraine War

A mother and her son stand at the scene of a Russian attack in Sloviansk, Ukraine, on June 21, 2026.
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Ukraine can now forcibly evacuate children from the front line. Critics say it’s not that simple

by Alex McDonald

Editor's note: Some names in this story have been changed to protect the identities of the mothers, who spoke on condition of anonymity. As Russian forces advanced on a city in eastern Ukraine this spring, not everyone followed the evacuation orders. Mariia, mother of a two-year-old daughter, hesitated, wary of the uncertainty that comes with displacement. Mariia’s family had already fled once before in 2022 at the start of the full-scale invasion, only for a lack of support to drive her famil

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Wednesday, August 19

Ukraine war latest: 103 POWs returned home in latest exchange with Russia

Key developments on Aug. 19: * Ukraine brings home 103 POWs in latest exchange with Russia * Russian drone strike on police headquarters in Zhytomyr kills 2, injures at least 20 * Deadly drone strike hits minibus in Kherson as Russian attacks kill 17, injure 54 across Ukraine over past day * Ukrainian drones reportedly target oil refinery in Russia's Ufa, attack Tula, Nizhny Novgorod oblasts * Ukraine hits rocket and space center, aircraft plant in Russia's Samara Oblast, General Staff con

Putin shouldn't decide when Ukraine votes — but political ambition shouldn't either

With his latest statement, former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov appears to have reinvigorated a dangerous debate about elections in wartime Ukraine. "We must not let Putin decide when Ukrainians can choose their government," Fedorov said, adding that democracy is "part of what we are fighting for today." The principle is difficult to dispute. Yet a prolonged war of attrition places extraordinary strain on both the state and society, demanding that Ukraine's political leadership exercise th

A Ukrainian soldier checks a voting booth at a damaged school in Zagradivka, Ukraine, on May 8, 2022.

Another major corruption probe hits Zelensky's office, as investigators charge his deputy chief of staff

Editor's note: This story is being updated. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) is searching the premises of Iryna Mudra, a presidential deputy chief of staff, and Vadym Stolar, a member of parliament, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 19. Mudra was charged by the NABU, her lawyer Artem Krykun-Trush told the media outlet Suspilne. The latest investigation comes as the NABU steps up its anti-corruption efforts. It follows last ye

About War

The Kyiv Independent's coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, after eight years of aggression against Ukraine that began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and fighting in Donbas. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties and displaced millions of Ukrainians. NATO and Western allies have provided military aid to Ukraine while the conflict continues across fronts in Ukraine’s south and east.

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Analysis: Russia doubles down, setting stage for new phase of total war

Firefighting helicopter attempts to extinguish a fire at a logistics complex in Elektrostal, Russia, on July 18, 2026.

Two large and heavily armed states locked in an existential armed struggle. Hundreds of thousands of casualties. Mass mobilization. Systematic long-range strike campaigns against the enemy's economy and infrastructure. Defense budgets swallowing huge proportions of state spending. All these factors evoke an image of "total war" — the kind of interstate conflict where state, society, and economy are all not only an active part of the war effort but also a target of enemy strikes. Russia's full-

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