
Italy detains vessel carrying metal for suspected Russia sanctions violations
The Brindisi Court approved the seizure of both the vessel and its cargo, which included 33,000 tons of ferrous metal.

The Brindisi Court approved the seizure of both the vessel and its cargo, which included 33,000 tons of ferrous metal.
A senior U.S. envoy involved in efforts to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has displayed a lack of basic understanding of Ukraine's political system and the war itself while speaking to reporters, the Kyiv Independent has learned. The official is engaged in high-level negotiations with both Moscow and Kyiv as Ukraine, Russia, and the United States reenter an active diplomatic phase under President Donald Trump's renewed push to end the war. During recent conversations with reporter

This is Chris York reporting from Kyiv on day 1,435 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story so far: Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) on Jan. 28 released a video compilation of what it claimed was the destruction of more than $1 billion worth of Russian military aircraft in long-range drone strikes conducted by its "A" Special Operations Center, also known as "Alpha." "The enemy is used to feeling safe in the deep rear. But for the special forces of 'Alpha,' distance has

Just over 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Kyiv, the Gostomel animal shelter in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast is trying to keep more than 700 cats and dogs alive and warm as Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure leave the country facing rolling outages, scarce heat, and long stretches without power. The shelter's small team of volunteers and full-time staff is stretched thin. The lack of electricity and heat, both essential to caring for the animals, have become this winter's biggest challe

Colombians, many shaped by decades of armed conflict at home, have become one of the largest groups of foreign volunteers fighting for Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The Kyiv Independent's Jared Goyette speaks with a Colombian volunteer who spent two years fighting in Ukraine.

Kyiv is pushing to delay a new tax on self-employed entrepreneurs until after the war has ended, as well as raise the threshold at which entrepreneurs would start paying the levy, a person in the Ukrainian government familiar with the talks told the Kyiv Independent.

Russia has tightened control over information about its battlefield losses in Ukraine, cutting off data and closing one public loophole after another. The effort has not stopped the evidence of the dead from surfacing. As 2025 came to an end, Western governments and independent groups alike tallied staggering figures for Russia's battlefield losses in Ukraine, reaching no fewer than 400,000 killed, wounded, and missing that year. According to some estimates, Russia could have lost more soldiers

The Kyiv Independent’s coverage of news on Russia. Spanning eleven time zones across Eastern Europe and Asia, Russia has an estimated population of 146 million people. Russia’s capital city is Moscow, which is home to almost one in 10 Russians. Russia’s official currency is the Russian Ruble.
Seapeak's share of Yamal LNG's trade in 2025 amounted to 37.3%, more than any other company, according to Urgewald's analysis based on Kpler data.



