Ukraine

9 injured in Kharkiv amid Russian drone attack

Nine were injured in Kharkiv overnight on May 30, amid a Russian drone attack on the city.

Russians complain border regions uninhabitable as Kremlin pushes for buffer zone, Ukraine's military intelligence says

"Well, in short, it's clear that they're going to kick everyone out of the border areas and create a gray zone," a Belgorod Oblast resident says in a call intercepted by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR).

Trump hopes next Russia-Ukraine talks will 'move ball forward,' White House says as Moscow further delays peace memo

Trump previously said it would take him "about two weeks" to know whether or not Russian President Vladimir Putin was serious about a peace deal.

Russia received at least 100 ballistic missiles from North Korea last year, monitors find

Illegal arms transfers "contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure," according to a report from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team.

The Kyiv Independent wins Ukrainian journalism award for exposing Russian soldiers’ sexual violence

The Kyiv Independent's investigative documentary, "He Came Back," which exposes sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, has won the 2025 Ukrainian journalism award, "Honor of the Profession."

Ukraine war latest: Russia reports 2nd consecutive day of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow

* Russia reports 2nd consecutive day of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, building damaged on the outskirts * Rubio, Lavrov discuss next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul * 'No one has seen it yet' — Zelensky slams Russia for stalling on ceasefire memorandum ahead of Istanbul talks * Russia amassed enough troops to

No sign Russia is preparing to restart Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Reuters reports

"Our teams continue to confirm there is no indication at the moment that there will be any active preparations for a restart of the plant now," an IAEA official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

China сuts drone sales to Ukraine, West but continues supplying Russia, Bloomberg reports

President Volodymyr Zelensky said China has stopped selling drones to Ukraine and Western countries while continuing to supply them to Russia, Bloomberg reported on May 29.

'No one has seen it yet' — Zelensky slams Russia for stalling on ceasefire memorandum ahead of Istanbul talks

"The so-called memorandum they promised and claimed to be preparing for more than a week — no one has seen it," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Detention, pressure, threats — US pastor in Ukraine tells the Kyiv Independent about his encounter with Russians

Dmytro Bodyu, a U.S. citizen and the pastor of the "Word of Life" Pentecostal Church in Russian-occupied Melitopol, was detained by Russians in March 2022. During his detention, he was accused of working for the CIA and received death threats from the Russian military. Only an intervention by the

When art meets blockchain: Ukraine’s new frontier in wartime cultural preservation

As Russia's systematic destruction of Ukraine's cultural heritage continues amid the full-scale war, Ukraine's art community is seeking innovative, if not unconventional methods, to preserve their country's legacy — among them blockchain technology. Officially launched in February 2025, the Ukrainian Fund of Digitized Art (UFDA) was conceived with a bold mission:

Ukrainian commander faces trial for failing to stop torture within his unit

The investigators determined that from February to July 2024, Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, commander of the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade, was aware of repeated instances of torture and cruel treatment carried out by a subordinate officer but failed to take any action.

Ukraine’s AI-powered ‘mother drone’ sees first combat use, minister says

The drone system, developed by Ukraine's defense tech cluster Brave1, can deliver two AI-guided FPV (first-person view) strike drones up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) behind enemy lines, according to Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

'No God But Theirs' | Investigation into systemic terror against Ukrainian Christian churches under Russian occupation

Infighting around EU rearmament undermines grand ambitions for European defense

Despite grand plans, the European Union’s hoped-for rearmament remains fully dependent on member nations stepping up their own defenses. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an 800-million-euro "Rearm Europe" plan to build out a defense architecture that has depended on the U.S. since the

Russia's budget deficit triples amid sanctions and low oil prices, Ukrainian official says

Ukrainian commissioner for sanctions policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk said international sanctions remain a key driver behind the decline in Russia's energy revenues.

Russia's persecution of Ukrainian clergy is part of an organized genocidal campaign

In 1953, Polish-American lawyer Raphael Lemkin, the man who coined the term "genocide," wrote a text titled Soviet Genocide in Ukraine. In it, Lemkin spoke not only about the Holodomor — the man-made famine organized in Ukraine by Stalin in 1932–1933 that claimed the lives of around 4 million people

Portnov reportedly met controversial Zelensky staffer, Ukraine's investigations chief before being killed in Madrid

Former Ukrainian top official Andriy Portnov met in Ukraine with Oleh Tatarov, deputy head of the Presidential Office, and Oleksii Sukhachov, director of the State Bureau of Investigation, days before he was killed in Madrid, Ukrainska Pravda reported on May 29, citing undisclosed sources.

Europe's 'Trump shock' is opportunity to forge 'new West,' Timothy Garton Ash says

A so-called "Trump shock" has plunged Europe into its deepest crisis since 1945, but also presents an opportunity for the continent to forge a "new West," British historian and commentator Timothy Garton Ash has said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent. The first months of Trump's presidency dispelled any

US filmmaker injured by fallen balcony in Kyiv

"While missiles and drones are flying, we are being injured by balconies due to someone's irresponsibility!" Christopher Walters, the injured U.S. filmmaker, said on social media.

Ukrainian abducted in Russian-occupied Crimea; Ukraine's ombudsman appeals to Moscow

A Ukrainian citizen disappeared in Russian-occupied Crimea earlier in May after being detained by people who presented themselves as Federal Security Service (FSB) officers, Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on May 29.

Ukraine to boycott World Judo Championships over Belarus's participation under national flag

"We firmly believe that allowing athletes from aggressor countries to compete under national symbols is not only a case of political blindness but also a blatant disregard for the victims of war and international law," the Ukrainian Judo Federation said.

How much does a Russian drone attack on Ukraine cost? The question is more complicated than it sounds

Beginning overnight on Saturday, May 24, Russia rained down nearly a thousand drones and missiles on villages and cities across Ukraine in three nights of large-scale aerial attacks, as civilians spent hours sheltering underground. Russia’s bombardment killed more than a dozen people and injured dozens more, in one of

Next Ramstein summit to take place on June 4 in Brussels

The Ramstein summit will take place as Washington is trying to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia to end Moscow's full-scale war. In the meantime, Russia is amassing forces for a new offensive against Ukraine while continuing its attacks on civilians across the country.

Russia amassed enough troops to attack Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, Border Guard warns

Russia "has enough forces there (in Kursk Oblast) to carry out operations against our border and attempt to attack the territory of Ukraine," said Andrii Demchenko, a State Border Guard Service spokesperson.

Rubio, Lavrov discuss next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also "informed Marco Rubio about implementing the May 19 agreements between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 3, injure 27 over past day

Ukrainian forces downed 10 out of the 90 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Forty-six drones were intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars without causing any damage, according to the statement.

Taurus missiles for Ukraine 'within the realm of possibility,' Germany's Merz says

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 28 that a potential delivery of Taurus cruise missiles for Ukraine is not being ruled out, but did not provide further details.

Stavropol explosion kills Russian official who led attacks on Ukraine's Mariupol

Stavropol Krai Governor Vladimir Vladimirov confirmed Zaur Gurtsyev’s death, describing it as a "nighttime incident on Chekhov Street" without providing further details.

US court blocks most of Trump's tariffs, rules he exceeded authority

The court struck down the 10% tariffs applied to all U.S. trading partners to address the trade deficit. This means that the court would also block tariffs on trade with Ukraine.

General Staff: Russia has lost 984,940 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

The number includes 1,050 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

Russia reports 2nd straight day of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, building damaged in outskirts of capital

A building was reportedly damaged on the outskirts of Moscow following a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian capital overnight on May 29, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported.