At an undisclosed detention facility, the Kyiv Independent interviewed one contract soldier captured in Kursk Oblast. To convey a better idea of what the thoughts and motivations of the average Russian soldier are in 2024, we are publishing this interview in full.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, revealed that Russia had planned an offensive from the Kursk region before Ukrainian forces launched operations there.
Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast failed to make Russia "nervous, fuss, and redeploy" troops away from the east of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sept. 5.
As the world watched Ukraine’s stunning cross-border offensive into Kursk Oblast, celebrating an unexpected blow to Moscow, Russian forces advanced with alarming speed in Ukraine’s east. One month later, new front lines in the Russian border region formed in the wake of the Kursk incursion have begun to
Drones reportedly targeted several Russian regions overnight on Sept. 1, including Moscow, Tver, Voronezh, Tula, Bryansk, Belgorod, Lipetsk, and Kursk, according to local officials.
According to polls cited by the ISW, "outrage or dissatisfaction" with Russian authorities has risen from 18% of respondents on July 12, to 28% on Aug. 25, the highest levels seen since the hugely unpopular mobilization in November of 2022.
Halfway down a narrow corridor painted all in gray, the guard wrestles with a bulky lock to gain entry to the prison cell. Inside are around twenty young men, sitting on a criss-crossing pattern of metal bunk beds. In the corner of the room, plastic cups and books are stacked
As Kyiv's incursion into Kursk Oblast enters its fourth week, Ukraine is in control of 1,294 square kilometers and 100 settlements, including the town of Sudzha, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Aug. 27.
The visit follows allegations from Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials that Ukraine has tried — or intends to try — to attack the plant amid the ongoing Ukrainian incursion in the area. Kyiv has denied the allegations.
The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur explains the top stories of the week, from updates on the Kursk incursion to Washington's potential shift in long-range missiles policy. And who is that bust of in the background of our videos?
Ukraine’s ongoing operation in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, a bold incursion launched nearly three weeks ago that surprised Moscow and the world alike, has already yielded some tangible military and political results while also raising hopes for a sooner end to Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Kursk incursion has
Ukraine is continuing to successfully use terrain to advance in Kursk Oblast, three weeks into the operation. A number of Russian troops are now cut off by Ukraine's target attacks on key bridges in Kursk Oblast. They are at risk of becoming prisoners of war (POWs) if they cannot be
The Kyiv Independent traveled into Russia’s Kursk Oblast with Ukrainian soldiers during the ongoing Ukrainian cross-border offensive in the area.
In a post on Telegram on Aug. 22, acting governor Alexei Smirnov said the locations of ten had already been decided, with plans to install 60 in total.
During an interview on CBS' Face the Nation on Aug. 18, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly said that Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast could help Ukraine change the course of the war in the country's favor.
"The only way to stop the glide bombs is to hit the air bases used by those Russian planes; and the only way to hit those bases is to use the Western kit they already have," he said.
Margarita Simonyan, one of Russia's foremost propagandists, has gone AWOL. "She's vanished from view," Julia Davis, creator of the Russian Media Monitor, told the Kyiv Independent, adding: "She's barely posting on social media and she's not appearing on state TV." "That's probably because they haven't come up with a good
As becomes clearer with each passing day, the Ukrainian foray into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, which began on Aug. 6, is no minor incident. Kyiv’s unexpected operation on Russian territory could fundamentally change the character of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ukraine’s attack represents a novel development in
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.
The 1,000 square kilometers Ukraine says it controls in Russia's Kursk Oblast amounts to a tiny share of Russia’s massive terrain. Yet, politically, the surprise Ukrainian move poses one of the biggest challenges to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power. The stunning operation, conducted by Ukraine’
The recent delivery of Belarusian military equipment is related to "an urgent request from the Russian side" due to losses and a lack of equipment in the Kursk Oblast and other areas, Belnovosti said, citing an undisclosed source in the Belarusian Defense Ministry.
"I would like to thank all our soldiers who replenish the exchange fund. It is very important for our country," Zelensky said in his evening address.
Kyiv and Moscow plan to continue transmitting gas to Europe despite Ukraine's incursion in Kursk Oblast near a key cross-border transit point for the fuel, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 12, citing its undisclosed sources.
Yevhen Balytskyi, a Russian proxy leader operating in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, suggested equipping "sanatoriums and boarding houses on the shores of the Azov Sea, located from Berdiansk to Kyrylivka."
Officials may present it as a rotation to give the military on the front line a rest, and the draft could be announced by the end of this year, according to Bloomberg.
Key developments on Aug. 12: * Ukraine controls nearly 1,000 square km in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says * Ukraine in control of 28 settlements in Kursk Oblast, Russian official tells Putin * Kursk is Putin's catastrophe, Zelensky says * Putin vows 'worthy riposte' to Ukraine's Kursk incursion * Kursk incursion presents Kremlin with
Photos appear to show Russian forces digging trenches near the KNPP as Ukrainian troops reportedly advance within 50 kilometers of the nuclear facility, the BBC said on Aug. 11.
A missile struck an apartment building in the Russian city of Kursk overnight, injuring 13 people, Kursk Oblast's acting Governor Alexey Smirnov reported on Aug. 11.
The soldiers in a video posted on Aug. 10 held the battalion's flag and a Georgian flag, and the sign on the building behind them reads "Porozovsky Village Club”.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called on both Kyiv and Moscow to "exercise maximum restraint" in order to avoid a nuclear accident as fighting is reportedly ongoing in the region around the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP).
In a statement issued to Politico on Aug. 9, Germany's Foreign Ministry said that "Ukraine has the right to self-defense enshrined in international law," adding that the principle of self-defense "is not limited to its own territory," in reference to the ongoing battles in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
The entrances to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant were blocked as of the afternoon of Aug. 9, the pro-government regional newspaper network Bloknot claimed, citing its undisclosed sources.
(Updated: )
