Editor's note: The names of some of those from Russian-occupied Ukraine have been changed for security reasons. With one decree, Russian President Vladimir Putin this month effectively legalized property theft in Ukraine's occupied territories. The new law allows the occupational authorities to seize residential premises that "show signs of being ownerless." In reality, the owners have usually fled, or been killed by, Russia's full-scale invasion. "I'm in utter despair that the Russians are t

Russia is continuing to systematically recruit foreign nationals for its war against Ukraine, said Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, on Dec. 26.

From the grand halls of Kyiv's cultural institutions to small regional initiatives shaping public dialogue, Ukraine's cultural life has faced unprecedented pressures. Amid daily attacks, occupation, and displacement, many of the country's most remarkable cultural projects continue — thanks to steadfast support from ERSTE Foundation, one of the most consistent international partners in Central and Eastern Europe. For more than two decades, the Vienna-based institution has been deeply engaged in

Kharkiv Oblast was struck with with three KAB guided bombs, one of which targeted the city of Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Dec. 28 as part of the latest peace efforts to end Russia's nearly four-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a source in Ukraine's Presidential Office said.

Russia overnight on Dec. 26 launched drone attacks at Ukraine's sea port and energy infrastructure in Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts, as well as railway infrastructure in Volyn Oblast, authorities reported.

The year 2025 arrived with talk of peace. It ended to the rattle of air-defense systems across Ukraine. It was a year shaped by negotiations and expectations, driven by U.S. President Donald Trump's push for a settlement — even as Russia continued to strike Ukrainian cities. The war did not end. Russian strikes did not stop. Early in 2025, hopes ran high in Kyiv that Washington would finally pressure Moscow into ending its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Those hopes evaporated when Trump redi

Russia launched 99 drones and one Iskander ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said.

The number includes 840 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call with U.S. President Trump’s Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Christmas Day to discuss "several substantive details" of ongoing peace talks, the president said.

Ukrainian forces struck multiple targets inside Russia overnight Dec. 24-25, hitting oil refining facility, a port, and a military airfield, the Ukrainian General Staff and a source from the the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said.

Ukraine is marking its fourth Christmas under a full-scale Russian invasion.

The missiles struck the refinery, triggering multiple explosions, the General Staff said, adding that the extent of the damage was still being clarified.

In the winter of 2023, just after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Natalia Kovalenko, the director of one of the largest kindergartens in Kyiv Oblast, was grappling with challenges that went far beyond lesson plans and playtime. As Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure intensified, her daily concerns narrowed to the most basic things: how to keep the building warm, and how to keep the lights on. “Children need light and warmth,” Kovalenko told the Kyiv Independent. On

Ukrainian intelligence sources said the officers had previously taken part in Russia's war against Ukraine and were implicated in the abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs).

Russia launched 131 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 106 drones. At least 22 drones made it through, striking 15 locations.

The number includes 860 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported that between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Moscow time on Dec. 24, its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 132 Ukrainian drones.

"'May he perish,' each of us may think to ourselves," Zelensky said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "But when we turn to God, of course, we ask for something greater. We ask for peace for Ukraine."

As Ukraine’s future is debated in distant conference rooms and Ukrainians prepare to mark another wartime Christmas, dozens of residents of a small border village in Sumy Oblast have vanished across the Russian border — taken by force from their homes, with no idea about what awaits them next. On Dec. 20, at least 52 civilians were deported from the village of Hrabovske, located just 200 meters from Russia’s border, after Russian troops detained them two days earlier. "These were civilians, Uk

As President Volodymyr Zelensky unveiled details of a U.S.-Ukraine draft peace plan on Dec. 24, aimed at ending Russia's full-scale war, two key provisions remain unresolved. The disagreements center on provisions 12 and 14 of the 20-point proposal. Both deal with issues Kyiv calls existential: territories and the future of critical infrastructure. The Kyiv Independent breaks down where negotiations are stalling and what Ukraine is offering instead. Zelensky reveals full 20-point peace plan d

In a hypothetical runoff between the two, Zaluzhnyi would secure a decisive victory, winning 64% of the vote compared to Zelensky's 36%, according to the poll.

The Kyiv Independent’s Myroslava Chauin speaks with Kateryna Rashevska, a legal expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights and a children’s rights activist, about evidence that Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories were transferred to a children’s camp in North Korea.

The plant, located in the town of Efremov, produces dual-use synthetic rubber and polymers used in military vehicle tires, armored personnel carriers, and other weapons-related applications.

When a Shahed drone struck Serhii Haidarzhy’s home in Odesa on Dec. 13, it was the second time in less than two years that a Russian weapon had shattered his life. The first attack, on March 2, 2024, killed 12 people, including his wife, Anna Haidarzhy, and his four-month-old son, Tymofii. Haidarzhy and his daughter Yelyzaveta – whom he calls Lizi – survived. She is now four years old. The second attack struck Haidarzhy’s and his daughter’s new home as Russian drones swarmed Odesa on Dec. 13,

"The role of unmanned systems on the battlefield is growing, and therefore the production of innovative instruments of war is our number one priority," Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

From the rollercoaster of U.S. President Donald Trump's foreign policy to continued Russian attacks on the front line and hundreds of miles beyond, 2025 has been a hell of a year for Ukraine. As we enter 2026, here are 25 articles that reflected the year, and that our audience loved reading as much as we felt compelled to write. As Russian losses in Ukraine mount, Putin faces 'devastating' demographic timebomb News operations editor Chris York reported on how Russia's losses in Ukraine has h

While many respondents expressed hopes for an end to the fighting, they largely expect it to conclude on terms "proclaimed as its goals," reflecting continued alignment with the Kremlin's narrative.

After weeks of talks, Ukraine and the U.S. have prepared a draft of the revised peace plan to end Russia’s full-scale war. The initial 28-point plan, which effectively pushed Ukraine toward capitulation, has been reworked into a 20-point framework, which President Volodymyr Zelensky presented to journalists on Dec. 23 for the first time. In addition, a three-party security guarantee draft between Ukraine, the U.S., and Europe has been developed, as well as a bilateral security guarantee agreem

The number includes 1,090 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"No one can guarantee that the shelter facility will remain standing after that. That is the main threat," plant director Serhii Tarakanov said.

A Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's Belgorod Oblast killed one person and injured three others, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed late on Dec. 23.