Kyiv and Moscow are growing increasingly frustrated with the U.S.-mediated peace process — and with Washington's Envoy Steve Witkoff, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has emerged as a key peace negotiator, traveled to Russia and Ukraine in early September in an attempt to restart stalled negotiations. They left both countries with little to show for the effort. Behind the scenes, however, several separate efforts are

A 13-year-old girl was among those injured, Sumy Oblast Governor Oleh Hryhorov said. Three of the injured are in serious condition and are receiving medical treatment.

Key developments on Sept. 18: * Russia pulls elite drone unit from northern Donetsk Oblast after losses from Operation Vivaldi, Ukraine's military says * Russia increasingly using repurposed S-400 training missiles to bombard Ukraine, Reuters reports * As elections get underway, Russia closes Sochi polling stations over drone threat * Ukrainian National Guard creates recruitment center for foreign volunteers, Ukrainian Prime Minister announces * Head of Ukraine's Eastern Operational Comman

The Ukrainian National Guard includes some of Ukraine's most effective military units.

The RM48U is significantly less accurate than a purpose-built ballistic missile.

The alleged escape of the former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko from Ukraine amid the fallout from the "Carthage" anti-corruption operation has made it impossible to postpone the question: how should Ukraine choose the person to lead its prosecution service? My answer is straightforward: through an open, competitive selection based on professional competence, integrity, and leadership — not purely political considerations. This June, I co-authored a draft law to introduce open competitio

Zvyagintsev, one of Russia's most famous contemporary film directors, has lived in exile since 2022. His latest film "Minotaur" has been praised as an anti-war film.

"Most specialized drone units in the area suffered significant losses among qualified personnel and material and technical resources," the 3rd Army Corps said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sept. 18 welcomed European leaders to the Carpathian 8 Summit, the inaugural event for a forum of eight countries across the Carpathian region.

Kremlin economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev and the leadership of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party are preparing to meet as early as March, Reuters reported, citing undisclosed sources.

As Russian attacks on Ukraine's businesses escalate, the government's push to attract investment to Ukraine's wartime economy is coming up against a more immediate challenge: keeping businesses alive at all. "When the attacks started, we realized that the challenge was about more than raising investment. It's also about keeping supply chains and businesses going, like pharmacies, food and retail goods that are needed to survive," Deputy Economy Minister Yegor Perelygin told the Kyiv Independent

A parliamentary election kicked off in Russia on Sept. 18 in what is expected to be a rubber-stamp ritual intended to legitimize President Vladimir Putin's rule. The election will be held over several days and will be completed on Sept. 20. The voting is taking place amid growing frustration among Russians with the war as its costs mount, and Ukraine intensifies drone strikes on Russian territory. However, there is little opportunity for voters to express their discontent since anti-war parti

If confirmed, it would be the second listening device found by Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi, after the previous one was discovered last year.

A Zelensky aide-turned-critic, Iuliia Mendel argues that the Kyiv leadership and its Western allies stand in the way of peace — and that she is the genuine Ukrainian voice to cut through the lies. Since her controversial appearance on U.S. podcaster Tucker Carlson's show in May, Zelensky's former press secretary has been increasingly accused of echoing Kremlin narratives, dressed up as a persecuted call for peace. She sought another chance to deliver her message to international audiences on S

"Exhaustive security measures have been taken at polling stations in Sochi," said the city's mayor, Andrey Propushin.

The strike occured in the evening of Sept. 17 near the city of Korosten, oblast governor Vitaliy Buchenko said on Telegram.

Editor's Note: This story is part of the "Hidden Canon"  – a special series celebrating Ukrainian classic literature and aiming to bring it to a wider international audience. The series is supported by the Ukrainian Institute. One Christmas Eve night, in a prison camp in the Russian republic of Mordovia, Ukrainian female political prisoners braved the cold to gather near the barbed wire that separated them from the men to sing carols. They gathered there for the poet Vasyl Stus, who had been g

The Kyiv Independent has launched an official WhatsApp channel, where readers can follow the latest news and reporting from Ukraine.

Some 6,000 people — 200 of them children — are right now starving to death in a humanitarian catastrophe orchestrated by Vladimir Putin's Russia. The town of Oleshky and its surrounding district in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast exist under Russian occupation as a prison — and it is rapidly turning into a death camp. No one is allowed in or out. The last food delivery was on May 26. Medical supplies are close to non-existent. Russia's treatment of Oleshky's civilians is reminiscent of th

Speaking before his visit to Ukraine, the Slovak leader said that the Russia-Ukraine war is "out of control," and that the risk of a Europe-wide conflict has never been as serious as it is now.

Even if Canada helps the EU with its loan to Ukraine, it still needs to follow Norway's lead and provide direct financial support to Ukraine, said European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari.

Hungary again began blocking Ukraine's EU accession clusters, asking Kyiv to first implement earlier agreements addressing the rights of Ukraine's Hungarian minority.

Due to delays in processing Ukrainian receipts, the upcoming tranche is smaller than the 4.7 billion euros ($5.5 billion) previously promised by EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius on Sept. 11.

Two An-26 transport aircraft, one An-12 transport aircraft, and three helicopters were hit, according to the General Staff.

Residents in Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast face an escalating humanitarian crisis, as constant Russian drone attacks and artillery shelling have made it impossible to deliver essential food and medicine supplies or evacuate civilians by road. "These people need to be saved," Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said on Sept. 16, adding that residents are desperate to escape "from this hell." "People are driven to despair and are simply walking along mined roads (to e

Russia on Sept. 18 began its three-day elections for the 450-member State Duma, the lower chamber of Russia's legislature, for the first time since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine.

The figure includes at 1,420 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 17 signed a decree confiscating the assets of several international companies, including Nestle and Auchan.

"The thing about (the) video, I'm Russian. As soon as I'm done playing hockey, I'm probably going to stay there. I'm going to live there. My kids are going to live there," Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin said.

Major General Viktor Nikoliuk announced on Sept. 17 that he is leaving his post as commander of Ukraine's Eastern Operational Command.

Germany will soon transfer 10 MIM–104E GEM–T Patriot interceptor missiles, valued at $29.6 million, to Ukraine, the U.S. State Department said in a notification to Congress.

The serviceman, who works at the Stryi district recruitment center, was hospitalized with moderate injuries.