Russia appealed to the U.S. to halt the pursuit and reportedly dispatched a submarine and other vessels to escort the tanker before it was boarded by U.S. forces.
Hello, this is Asami Terajima reporting from Kyiv on day 1,414 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Today's top story:
Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have marked Orthodox Christmas at a church in a military base, the Russian independent investigative media outlet Agentstvo reported on Jan. 7.
Agenstvo, citing its analysis from a video released by the Kremlin, said it identified the location as the Church of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, located at the base of the
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Cyprus to meet his Cypriot counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, and top EU officials, presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov said on Jan. 7.
Rustem Umerov said the talks centered on the peace framework and "further contacts at the leaders' level involving Ukraine, European partners, and the United States."
Authorities in Russia's Kamchatka Krai announced on Jan. 7 that they had restricted mobile internet access, citing the threat of Ukrainian drone attacks — despite the region being located over 9,000 kilometers from Ukraine's border.
The Kyiv Independent’s Jared Goyette speaks with foreign policy analyst Ivan Fechko about Venezuela’s political crisis following the U.S. attack and kidnapping of dictator Nicolás Maduro — and why it marks a major strategic setback for Russia in Latin America and globally.
Foreign fighters in Ukraine's International Legion say they have been left in limbo and face growing uncertainty due to an overhaul of how the unit is structured, which they have described as its effective destruction.
The move, implemented by Ukraine's Ground Forces and first reported by the Kyiv Independent in November 2025, is ending the International Legion as a standalone unit, transferring its combat battalions into assault regiments.
But despite being told the changes would take effect
As Russia’s missile and drone attacks continue to hit Ukrainian cities and towns, the burden of keeping services running and helping communities recover has increasingly fallen on civil society organizations alongside the state and local authorities.
A new nationwide study shows that 76% of these groups remain active despite insufficient financial resources, working alongside communities to help people recover from strikes, access basic services, and rebuild a sense of normalcy amid the war.
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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Jan. 5 derided Russia-supplied air defenses that failed to stop the American raid and subsequent arrest of Venezuela's longtime dictator Nicolas Maduro.
A fire broke out at the Stary Oskol oil depot in Russia's Belgorod Oblast after it was hit by Ukrainian drones, Governor Vyacheslov Gladkov said. "As a result of the detonation, several tanks caught fire on the site," he claimed.
The interceptor features advanced hit-to-kill technology, enabling it to destroy high-speed missiles, such as Russia's Kinzhal and Zircon, with precision.
In a private message sent late December, Leonid Volkov welcomed the news of the apparent death of Denis Kapustin, the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a right-wing militia made up of ethnic Russians fighting on Ukraine's side. It was later revealed that Kapustin was alive and his death was faked by Ukraine.
Despite leading several of Ukraine's most consequential operations against Russia, Maliuk's tenure has been marked by controversy, particularly over his involvement in actions targeting anti-corruption bodies.
Ukrainians continued a borrowing spree in 2025, suggesting that households and companies are settling into a new normal as the country approaches the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion.
While new loans plummeted in the first few years of the full-scale invasion, borrowing started to pick up in 2024. By last year, the total value of loans taken out by Ukrainian households and companies was 50% and 27% higher than in 2023, respectively, according to data from Ukrainian think tank Center f
Former Trump adviser Fiona Hill's congressional testimony resurfaced after the U.S. attack on Venezuela. Hill claimed Moscow sent signals proposing a "very strange swap arrangement between Venezuela and Ukraine" based on the Monroe Doctrine.
"I have decided, even after consulting with coalition partners, that we will not disrupt the ammunition initiative. The project will continue, and the Czech Republic will be in the role of coordinator," Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Jan. 6.
Of all the images that emerged from the U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3, one of the most surreal was the sight of a fleet of American helicopters flying unchallenged over the skies of Caracas.
Video from Caracas, Venezuela shows U.S. military helicopters, including CH-47 Chinook and V-22 Osprey aircraft, operating over Caracas alongside multiple explosions. The cause and context of the blasts remain unconfirmed. pic.twitter.com/owOx9X7DPP
— George
Hello, this is Chris York reporting from Kyiv on day 1,413 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Today's top story:
A Russian Shahed-type drone reportedly downed in Chernihiv Oblast was armed with a MANPADS heat-seeking missile, media reported on Jan. 5.
MANPADS — man-portable air defense systems — are typically used as short-range weapons to engage low-flying aircraft such as fighter jets and helicopters.
Ukraine routinely deploys helicopters armed with heavy machine guns to track and
According to a reported draft joint statement, still subject to changes and a final approval by the leaders, the Coalition's security guarantees would include a U.S.-backed, European-led force deployed in post-war Ukraine, as well as ceasefire monitoring by Washington.
As President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Paris for the Coalition of the Willing talks, a key topic on the agenda is the "European-led multinational force Ukraine."
A draft statement by the Coalition — yet to be approved by the leaders on Jan. 6 — includes "binding commitments" by members to support Ukraine in the event of a future Russian attack.
The document also says that the U.S. would lead a "ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism" with international involvement and commit to "su
Editor's note: We asked members of the Kyiv Independent community to share the questions they have about the war. Here's what they asked and how we answered.
Join our community to ask a question in the next round.
Question: Why has the Ukrainian government chosen not to lower the conscription age to 18 despite the country’s manpower shortages and ongoing security threats from Russia?
Answer: This is indeed a complicated topic, with both sides having valid arguments for why they believe it sho
Long-range drones operated by the agency's Alpha special forces unit struck a large Russian arsenal near the town of Neya in Kostroma Oblast and an oil facility in Lipetsk Oblast.
In a dimly-lit wooden bunker, a tall, formidably-built Ukrainian officer is filmed from behind, wishing his men good fortune one by one with firm handshakes before a mission.
The soldiers in question — a few dozen mobilized Ukrainian men mostly in their forties, each dressed in issued pixel fatigues and with a basic rifle by their sides — respond mostly without enthusiasm, looking forward with blank stares as they accept their commander's greetings.
With context, this seemingly innocuous bit o
The U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, a Kremlin ally, is a blow to Russia's influence in Latin America.
However, Russia may also derive some benefits from U.S. President Donald Trump's unprovoked intervention.
First, Trump's apparent violation of international law plays into the Kremlin's handbook, analysts say. Russia is likely to use the legally dubious U.S. operation as a justification for its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.
Second, Russia may also ac
Ukrainian drones carried out overnight attacks on several Russian regions on Jan. 6, with explosions and fires reported in multiple locations, according to Russian Telegram channels.
Reports of the planned interception come amid increasingly tense relations between Washington and Moscow, as the U.S. continues to broker a peace deal in Ukraine.
Hello, this is Kateryna Hodunova reporting from Kyiv on day 1,412 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Today's top story:
An oil extraction plant in Dnipro was damaged in a Russian drone strike on Jan. 5, spilling about 300 tons of sunflower oil onto city streets, Mayor Borys Filatov said.
The spill forced the closure of the city's embankment to traffic for two to three days, Filatov said.
The facility reportedly belongs to Bunge, a U.S. agribusiness company based in St. Louis, Missou
The Ukrainian army has eliminated more than 90,000 Russian troops over the past three months, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Jan. 5 after meeting with Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who is expected to lead the Defense Ministry soon.
