TORTURE CULTURE: Investigating Russia’s use of torture throughout history

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Analysis: Syrskyi's flawed, unfinished corps system key for Ukraine's front-line stability

Analysis: Syrskyi's flawed, unfinished corps system key for Ukraine's front-line stability

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. Whether or not this apparent Chinese proverb is authentic, it applies for the Ukrainian military's corps reform as much as it does for trees. The Ukrainian leadership's announcement in February 2025 that its Armed Forces and National Guard would transition to a corps-based command system sparked a glimmer of hope that the chronic command issues plaguing the country's defense could be alleviated, if not solved. The ch
'This is the future' — Amid blackouts, these Ukrainian mountain villages have green solution

'This is the future' — Amid blackouts, these Ukrainian mountain villages have green solution

As Russian missiles and drones plunge much of Ukraine into darkness this winter, the mountain community of Ust-Chorna has largely kept the lights on — thanks to green energy. The district, made up of four villages tucked into a forest valley of western Ukraine, relies on a small network of hydroelectric power stations that have continued operating even as Russian attacks have all but destroyed the country's centralized energy grid. And as emergency blackouts are implemented across the country,
'He just wanted to go home' — Brazilian recruit’s death in Ukraine points to torture, abuse in foreign fighter unit
 (Updated:  

Investigation: Brazilian recruit’s death in Ukraine points to abuse, torture in foreign fighter unit

A 28-year-old Brazilian recruit died after a brutal punishment handed out in a unit that regularly used discipline practices described as "torture" by those who both witnessed and suffered them, a Kyiv Independent investigation can reveal. The man, Bruno Gabriel Leal da Silva, died overnight Dec. 28-29, 2025, according to former fellow fighters who spoke to the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation. The unit in question is a Brazilian-led formation called A
Could Witkoff be ousted from Ukraine talks? Senators hear 'chatter' of Russian deals

Could Witkoff be ousted from Ukraine talks? Senators hear 'chatter' of Russian deals

U.S. senators visiting Odesa on Feb. 18 struck a cautious tone when asked whether Special Envoy Steve Witkoff should remain at the center of negotiations with Russia. The remarks place Congress in a delicate position: aware of mounting controversy around the Trump envoy, yet reluctant to directly challenge the president's authority over diplomacy as U.S.-mediated talks with Moscow and Kyiv continue. "I don't think there's an inclination on the part of Congress now to remove him from the peace
What does Navalny’s murder confirmation mean for Russia, Ukraine and the West?

What does Navalny’s murder confirmation mean for Russia, Ukraine and the West?

The effective confirmation by five European countries that Russia did kill opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2024 did not surprise those familiar with the Kremlin's track record. But the Feb. 14 statement, which blames Russia for the murder and specifies the kind of poison used, represents a new milestone in the deterioration in Russian-European relations. Previously European countries were more reluctant to antagonize Russia. But Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and Kremlin-linked
Ukraine war latest: Russian 'mothership' drones push Ukraine to consider SIM card passport rules

Ukraine war latest: Russian 'mothership' drones push Ukraine to consider SIM card passport rules

Key developments on Feb. 18: * Russian 'mothership' drones prompt Ukraine to weigh passport requirement for SIM card sales * Explosion at Ukrainian military enlistment office declared terrorist attack * Ukraine hits 6 Russian military targets, including S-300VM missile launcher, General Staff says * Ukraine's SBU denies Zaluzhnyi's claim that office was raided in 2022 while army commander Ukraine is considering requiring passport verification for the purchase of local SIM cards in response
Are dollars replacing diplomacy in US-Russia talks?
Opinion

Are dollars replacing diplomacy in US-Russia talks?

Anyone hoping for a geopolitically robust and sustainable resolution to Russia's war on Ukraine should quickly re-examine their optimism or at least check their assumptions. Commercial interests, rather than military or political concerns, are driving the United States' talks with Russia. This mercantile approach carries two critical risks. First, Russia's aggression against Ukraine does not stem from an economic rivalry. Talking business with Russia misses the point entirely. Second, the sugg
Chart of the week: Russia’s attacks push Ukraine’s energy system to the brink

Chart of the week: Russia’s attacks push Ukraine’s energy system to the brink

As Ukraine experienced its coldest January in over a decade, Russia launched 4,442 drones and 135 missiles at the country — most of which targeted energy infrastructure, depriving millions of heat, electricity, and water. The scale of Russia's energy terrorism is captured in a striking graph, part of a new dashboard launched last week by Ukrainian energy think tank Green Deal Ukraina (GDU). While Ukraine maintained over 40 gigawatts of installed electricity capacity before the full-scale invas
Ukrainian infantry fight to survive on the Pokrovsk front as Russia closes in
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Ukrainian infantry fight to survive on the Pokrovsk front as Russia closes in

DONETSK OBLAST — Walking through the mine-infested field under intense Russian drone surveillance was the scariest part of the mission for 22-year-old infantryman Mykola. "If you stop, you die," said Mykola, a small-framed soldier with dark circles under his eyes and a tired stare. "When we were walking to get to the positions, it wasn't hard to walk — it was hard to realize that you may not walk out alive because there were a lot of our dead around." The walk to his positions near the easter
Investigation: How Russian drones exploit European technologies to strike Ukraine, and beyond
War

Investigation: How Russian drones exploit European technologies to strike Ukraine, and beyond

Editor's note: This story is part of a cross-border investigative project that involved eight newsrooms, initiated by De Tijd (Belgium) and coordinated by the Kyiv Independent and OCCRP. Other stories published within the project are linked at the bottom of this investigation. A tiny Austrian sensor designed for precise motion control made an impressive journey across the globe. Some time after being sold to a company in Hong Kong, it turned up in Ukraine inside a long-range military drone laun