The Shadow Fleet Sanctions Act, introduced by Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen in September 2025, expands Washington's authority to penalize shadow fleet vessels and slaps new penalties on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other energy sector projects.

Under immense pressure by weeks of Russian missile strikes, blackouts, and freezing cold, Ukrainians may get a few days of reprieve — at least, according to Washington. Trump surprisingly announced on Jan. 29 that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed not to strike Ukrainian cities for a week, though Moscow said that this would concern only Kyiv, and last only until Feb. 1 — just before another cold snap. The halt on strikes — provided it would be prolonged — could indicate Russia is feeling

U.S. President Donald Trump issued another ultimatum to Iran on Jan. 28, threatening to strike the regime if it does not agree to a deal on limiting its nuclear weapons program. Earlier in January, Iran was rocked by nationwide protests fueled by high inflation and the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial. The protests quickly took a political turn, with demonstrators calling for the removal of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The scale of the unrest was unusually broad, with demonstra

If approved, the measure would prevent European companies from providing key services for transporting Russian oil.

The comment from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov came a day after Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to his request not to strike Kyiv as well as other Ukrainian cities and towns for a week.

Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' public newsletter, The Week Ahead, covering events from February 2-8. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events delivered directly to your inbox every week. Audio version of The Week Ahead is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. The biggest expectation of the coming days is a new round of peace talks, previously announced to begin in Abu Dhabi on February 1. At the same ti

This is Chris York and Yuliia Taradiuk reporting from Kyiv on day 1,437 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story: Russian shelling hit central Kherson around midday on Jan. 30, killing the driver of a city bus and wounding five other civilians, according to the Kherson Oblast Prosecutor's Office. According to the office, at around 12 p.m. Kyiv time, Russian troops fired  artillery  at the city of Kherson, striking a bus. The State Emergence Services said one of the shells

"The terrorist attacks were to be carried out by remotely activating homemade bombs," the SBU said on Jan. 30.

The Kyiv Independent’s Alisa Yurchenko investigates why China is buying Russian weapons, what Moscow gains from the deal, and what the deepening Russia–China military cooperation could mean for future conflicts.

Upon entering Daria’s apartment in a large complex in Rusanivka on Kyiv’s left bank, a faint smell of gas lingers in the cold, dim rooms. After Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure cut heat and power across parts of the city,  she uses the stove daily to raise the indoor temperature by a couple of degrees, but even then it barely reaches 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit). The warmth comes with consequences. "We don't want to live in mold. You come in from the street and

"They do not feel that it gives them anything," Zelensky said.

"I can just as well invite him to Kyiv, let him come. I'm openly inviting him, if he dares," Zelensky said during a briefing with journalists.

"We have close to 1 million combatants in Russia. They're mainly criminals; they are very dangerous people," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. "We have information that most of them will come to Europe after the war."

The European Union aims to impose a 20th sanctions package against Russia on Feb. 24, the day marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters on Jan. 29.

Ukraine has distributed industrial boiler equipment delivered by Italy among communities in 10 regions as part of a broader support program aimed at strengthening the country’s heating infrastructure, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said on Jan. 29.

"I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week," Trump said. "And he agreed to do that."

This is Kateryna Hodunova reporting from Kyiv on day 1,436 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story: Russian troops have stepped up aerial bomb attacks in the Pokrovsk sector of Donetsk Oblast, which could signal preparations for an offensive, Yuliia Stepaniuk, head of communications for the 117th Separate Mechanized Brigade, told Suspilne on Jan. 29. While there were two to three such attacks in the area earlier this week, Russian forces carried out 30 strikes over the p

Ukraine says it is working with SpaceX to stop Russian drones from using Starlink, after reports that satellite-connected UAVs are extending their range to strike deeper into Ukrainian territory.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a response from the White House. A senior U.S. envoy involved in efforts to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has displayed a lack of basic understanding of Ukraine's political system and the war itself while speaking in a closed conversation with a small group of reporters, the Kyiv Independent has learned. The official is engaged in high-level negotiations with both Moscow and Kyiv as Ukraine, Russia, and the United States reenter an

European foreign ministers also agreed to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, said Kaja Kallas, the EU's chief diplomat.

The news comes after the Telegraph reported that China has sent Russia tools used to build Oreshnik warheads.

The funds will support protection assistance, shelter, food, cash aid, psychosocial services, and access to water and healthcare for Ukrainians affected by the attacks.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow is prepared to ensure President Volodymyr Zelensky's security.

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) voted on Jan. 29 to cut its benchmark interest rate to 15%, the first change since March last year, as inflation cools and a new aid package from Europe eased pressure on the country's finances.

Russia confirmed that it had handed over 1,000 bodies to Ukraine under the Istanbul agreement in exchange for 38 bodies of fallen Russian soldiers, Kremlin-controlled news agency TASS reported on Jan. 29.

The Carlyle deal does not include Lukoil's assets in Kazakhstan and is still subject to approval by the U.S. Treasury Department, the Russian energy giant said.

The comments come after President Volodymyr Zelensky set 2027 as the target date for Ukraine's entry into the bloc.

As Kyiv's repair crews scramble to keep the lights and heat on after repeated Russian strikes, the work has become punishing — and, in recent weeks, deadly. Oleksandr Pitaichuk, a 31-year-old high-angle rescuer, died during emergency repair work at one of Kyiv's power facilities on Jan. 25, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. Pitaichuk fell from a height of 20 meters, and his injuries proved fatal, according to Klymenko. "He stood between chaos and normal life — so homes could have light and

Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks on several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv and surrounding areas, overnight on Jan. 28, local authorities reported.

This is Chris York reporting from Kyiv on day 1,435 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story: Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) on Jan. 28 released a video compilation of what it claimed was the destruction of more than $1 billion worth of Russian military aircraft in long-range drone strikes conducted by its "A" Special Operations Center, also known as "Alpha." "The enemy is used to feeling safe in the deep rear. But for the special forces of 'Alpha,' distance has long ce

Just over 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Kyiv, the Gostomel animal shelter in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast is trying to keep more than 700 cats and dogs alive and warm as Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure leave the country facing rolling outages, scarce heat, and long stretches without power. The shelter's small team of volunteers and full-time staff is stretched thin.  The lack of electricity and heat, both essential to caring for the animals, have become this winter's biggest challe

Colombians, many shaped by decades of armed conflict at home, have become one of the largest groups of foreign volunteers fighting for Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The Kyiv Independent's Jared Goyette speaks with a Colombian volunteer who spent two years fighting in Ukraine.