U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed uncertainty about whether a negotiated peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is possible, speaking at a G20 foreign ministers meeting on Oct. 31.

Ukraine's campaign targeting Russian oil refineries is ongoing, Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent, rejecting reports that Kyiv had agreed to suspend the strikes. The Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 29, citing people familiar with the operations, that Ukraine had agreed to a "pause" in attacks on Russian oil refineries. According to the report, the pause was expected to remain in place until after the U.S. midterm elections, potentially extending into November. The WSJ also cla

The U.S. Embassy said it considered the information about the potential incident "a credible threat" and was coordinating with Russian authorities.

"We're working to strengthen the protection of our people, our bilateral partnership with Turkey, and real diplomatic prospects. There are important issues concerning shipping in the Black Sea," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The plant, located in the Russian city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, produces solid rocket propellant for the Uragan, Smerch, and Tornado-S multiple-launch rocket systems.

CHERNIHIV OBLAST — Evacuees from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky have reached Ukrainian-controlled territory on Oct. 31 after an arduous 19-hour journey. The city's residents, who had been trapped in a worsening humanitarian crisis for months on end, arrived to an emotional reception at the border crossing with Belarus by relatives, health workers with ambulances, aid organizations, police, and media. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the mission was successful, thanking all parties

"We will be home soon! For now, we are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus — together with our people and even their beloved pets," Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said

Ukrainian forces downed 105 out of the 134 drones, including jet-powered attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Russian drones struck 20 different locations, and debris fell in 10 areas, according to the statement.

As millions of Ukrainians weigh what comes after displacement, a new platform aims to help people make informed decisions about returning home without telling them they should. For Ukrainians living across Europe, the hardest part of returning may no longer be the journey itself, but deciding where to begin with sorting out documents, work, housing, local services, or finding a place where rebuilding everyday life feels realistic. Many Ukrainians abroad have spent their time working toward sta

"Don't trust them," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said when asked about the reports.

T"We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The number includes 1,670 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"At ​a moment like this, the ​president must be in Poland. I ⁠am cutting short my flight ​to Senegal. I am returning,” Nawrocki ​wrote on X.

Earlier on Oct. 31, Bashkortostan authorities declared a drone threat across the republic and imposed temporary flight restrictions at Ufa Airport, according to Russian media.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand expressed strong opposition to the ruling, saying Ottawa is reviewing its implications, including the possibility of Russian participation in the upcoming World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Alberta.

The Canadian contribution follows similar announcements made by other allies. Norway pledged $9 billion for 2027 on Oct. 7, and on Oct. 28, the U.K. announced a $13 billion pledge to Ukraine, its largest ever.

Kyiv Independent staff in the capital reported explosions and widespread fluctuations in power, with some buildings and streetlights temporarily losing electricity.

With the French presidential election months away, Russia's disinformation machine works to ensure no pro-Ukraine candidate enters the Elysee Palace. Viginum, the French agency that counters foreign interference, has already detected hundreds of disinformation operations targeting the vote, whose outcome will have major ramifications for Ukraine and Europe. Moscow-linked campaigns have spread false claims that center-left Raphael Glucksmann helped set up torture prisons in Ukraine, that Presid

Key developments on Oct. 30: * Russia strikes Dnipro railway station again, day after attack killed 15 * Evacuation convoys from Russian-occupied Oleshky split toward Ukraine and Russia, officials say * Ukraine destroys Iskander-M missile launcher in Russia's Kursk Oblast, General Staff says * Russia has damaged more than 800 Ukrainian energy assets since September * Russian deputy PM confirms strikes on 3 refineries, gas-chemical complex Russian forces launched new strikes on the railway

President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will reportedly discuss the security situation in the Black Sea and other developments related to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

"There will definitely not be a family photo in which our European partners are together with Mr. Lavrov," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, according to the German n-tv channel.

Ukrainians in the three EU countries that have taken in the largest numbers of Ukrainian refugees are increasingly facing aggression — from insults on public transport to knife attacks. Journalists at the Kyiv Independent analyzed tens of thousands of posts on X and found that the same narratives circulating online are picked up and amplified by popular local politicians. Editor's Note: The story is based on the documentary "Dealers of Hate," published by the Kyiv Independent's War Crimes Inves

"Following Russia’s latest barbaric atrocities against Ukrainian civilians in Dnipro, Chernihiv, Kremenchuk, where Russian missiles deliberately slaughtered 20 Ukrainians, wounded dozens more, we are convening an emergency meeting of the🇺🇳UN Security Council. Kick Russia out" Melnyk wrote on X.

The planned resumption of trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi in early November is already being presented in several Western capitals as evidence that diplomacy has regained its momentum, but a return to the negotiating table should not be confused with genuine progress toward peace. Unless the process confronts the fundamental obstacles to a durable settlement, it risks rewarding Russia for prolonging a war it has failed to win on its original te

The Kyiv Independent has released "Dealer of Hate," a new documentary by investigative reporter Danylo Mokryk that examines aggression against Ukrainians in the EU countries that took in the largest number of refugees following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Kyiv Independent has launched its 2026 Holiday Gift Guide, a curated selection of 80 items from Ukrainian brands and creators that showcase the country's creativity, craftsmanship, and cultural heritage.

Roughly 31.7 billion euros ($35 billion) have been allocated to support Ukraine's defense industrial capacity, according to the European Commission's proposal.

Monitoring channels have described the reported attack as a "resumption of strikes," as it appears to be the first such attack following an unofficial pause in Ukraine's campaign against Russian oil refineries that began in mid-October.

Slovakia's Prosecutor General Maros Zilinka said on Oct. 30 that he had reopened a criminal case against former Prime Minister Eduard Heger and former Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad over their decision to donate Slovakia's fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets and Soviet-era KUB air defense systems to Ukraine in spring 2023.

The Kyiv Independent’s new documentary investigates anti-Ukrainian aggression in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland, the countries that have taken in the largest numbers of Ukrainian refugees since Feb. 24, 2022.

The Kremlin is seeking to avoid a face-to-face meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin by proposing they speak by phone instead, the Kyiv Independent has learned. The apparent move comes as Kyiv insists the two leaders should meet in person to address the most pressing issues in negotiations, including Russia's territorial demands and security guarantees. Such a meeting would be their first since 2019. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters

Russia has carried out more than 350 attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since September, damaging more than 800 pieces of equipment, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday.