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Natalia Denikeieva at the VivaTech conference in Paris, France, on June 18, 2026.
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Ukraine’s defense tech boom needs more than battlefield innovation, deputy minister says

by Jakub Laichter

Ukraine’s defense technology industry has moved fast to meet battlefield demands, but it rests on a fragile foundation as it depends on foreign suppliers for essential components. Natalia Denikeieva, a deputy minister of digital transformation, says producing more of those components at home is a question of survival. "We are not technological and innovative because one day we woke up and decided to be," she told the Kyiv Independent in an interview in central Kyiv. "For us, it’s a matter of s

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Tuesday, September 29

Kremlin seizes control of German retailer Metro AG's Russian properties

Metro AG is one of the world’s largest retailers, specializing in food wholesale and food distribution to restaurants and hotels. Metro AG first entered the Russian market in 2001 and now operates 91 wholesale stores, employing around 9,000 employees in the country.

Ukraine's defense industry gets a second chance

In 1991, Ukraine inherited the second-largest defense industrial complex of the Soviet Union. It was so big that almost a third of the Soviet space industry sat on Ukrainian soil, and the system employed millions of people. Pivdenmash, a rocket and space technology juggernaut, built the most powerful intercontinental missiles on the planet. Antonov, a world-famous brand, produced the world's largest aircraft. The city of Kharkiv designed tanks, and Mykolaiv launched aircraft-carrying cruisers.

Ukrainian soldier holds a "Marsianin" attack drone in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on April 7, 2026.

How Ukraine angered South Korea — and why it matters

Ukraine just angered another partner — one sitting on an arsenal of weapons that Kyiv wants. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Sept. 23 announcement at the U.N. General Assembly that Ukraine’s two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) were sent to South Korea was not well received in Seoul. "It was appropriate in every aspect not to disclose, considering the many problems it may cause when disclosed, and (we) had agreed to do so," South Korean President Lee Jae Myung responded, claiming that Kyiv

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The Kyiv Independent’s Business Desk covers the biggest news in business, economics, and tech from Ukraine, as well as global developments that shape the economy of the region.

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