The arrest and detention of a former top energy official in Ukraine this week is an alarming new episode of democratic backsliding, Ukraine's civil society and lawmakers say — the latest in a series of politically motivated attacks on individuals and institutions. Volodymyr Kudyrtskyi, formerly head of Ukraine’s state grid operator Ukrenergo, was arrested on Oct. 28 in western Ukraine and accused of hiding from pre-trial investigation, his lawyers told the Kyiv Independent. The accusations aga

Hi, this is Asami Terajima reporting from Kyiv on day 1,346 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story: About 170,000 Russian troops are deployed in the Pokrovsk sector in eastern Donetsk Oblast to aiming capture the semi-surrounded city, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on Oct. 31. "All their forces are there," Zelensky told journalists in a briefing, as cited by Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. "There are Russians in Pokrovsk. Our guys are destroying them, d

Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro has a close relationship with Moscow, bolstered by their shared animosity toward the West.

In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Independent, Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of Kharkiv Oblast, shares the harsh realities of life under constant attack.

October is coming to an end and as winter approaches, many Ukrainians find themselves more vulnerable than ever in the face of mounting Russian air attacks. In Kyiv, Russian combined missile and drone attacks routinely result in mass casualty events. Smaller-scale drone attacks which occur on a near-nightly basis have until recently posed much less of a threat. But overnight on Oct. 26, three people were killed and 32 others — including three children — were injured when two multi-story reside

"The Ukrainian military continues to demonstrate that no enemy rear is safe," the Navy added on Telegram.

When Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship, a move that immediately ended his political career, some local residents erupted in celebration. The questionable practice of stripping Ukrainian citizens of their citizenship was applauded by those who spent years battling the tainted mayor. Seen by his opponents as pro-Russian and corrupt, Trukhanov, who led Odesa since 2014, was charged with negligence soon after his passport was revoked. He was bound to house ar

SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk later specified that the missile was destroyed at the Kapustin Yar missile range in Russia’s Astrakhan Oblast.

This marks the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion that Ukraine has handed over a Russian prisoner of war to a foreign country for criminal prosecution.

Three Bulgarians charged in the act have been brought to trial, while the fourth one continues to evade custody.

The purchases demonstrate how Indian refiners are adapting to new U.S. sanctions while maintaining access to Russian crude, seeking alternative suppliers to avoid penalties.

The secretive meeting will focus on increasing aid to Ukraine and coordinating security guarantees to ward off future Russian aggression, El Mundo reported.

"You know, what's happening there is that... You never know where the bullet will come from: from your own side or from the Ukrainians," Dmitry, a Russian soldier, told the independent outlet Verstka.

The viewer count ticks upward — dozens, then hundreds, sometimes nearly a thousand. Just about everyone has tuned in for the same reason: to hear Tetya (Auntie) Fania’s latest predictions about the threat of Russian attacks against Ukrainian cities. “(Let’s look at) Kyiv in November,” she says during a recent broadcast, picking cards from a shuffled deck. “There could be problems with resources beyond electricity, gas, and the like. There will be serious water problems in Kyiv…Maybe rolling bla

According to the officials who spoke to Reuters, Russia attacked Ukraine with the missile 23 over August 2025 alone, as well as on several occasions in 2022.

Russia has resumed military flights to Syria as it tries to maintain its presence in the country. Recent flight data showed Russian planes arriving at the Khmeimim air base, Bloomberg reported.

Russia launched guided bombs and drones at several Ukrainian cities and regions on Oct. 30, triggering air raid alerts and explosions across the country, with civilian casualties reported in Sumy.

Hi, this is Chris York reporting from Kyiv on day 1,344 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story so far: Russia on Oct. 30 bombed the Sloviansk Thermal Power Plant in Donetsk Oblast killing two people and injuring others, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. "This is exclusively terror. Normal people do not fight like this, and there must be an appropriate reaction of the world to such a Russian war," he said in a post on social media. It is unclear whether the power p

Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, Russia has used a wide range of tools to sway him to its side. "It's a mixture of flattery (Trump deserved the Nobel Prize), threats (Tomahawks will mean a new level of escalation and do serious damage to U.S.-Russia relations), promises (great trade and economic deals are just waiting around the corner once there is peace), and manipulation (Ukraine and Europe are playing Trump and have undermined the positive momentum after the Alaska

A source attributed the explosion to someone trying to send a part of a grenade launcher by mail.

Two soldiers working at a draft office in the city of Kremenchuk in Poltava Oblast have been injured, after a man shot them while being mobilized, the regional recruitment center said on Oct. 30.

The accident at the power plant in the city of Shchastia in Luhansk Oblast reportedly led to the shutdown of boiler rooms and pumping stations.

Russian soldiers have advanced further into the city of Pokrovsk, threatening not only to take the city, but to complete a larger encirclement of the surrounding area, as independent analysts and commanders report a serious deterioration of the Ukrainian position in the area. The defense of the major city in Donetsk Oblast, which has held out for over a year of heavy fighting as one of the main hotspots of the front line, looks to have begun falling apart as Russian soldiers in their hundreds h

Russian drone attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy injured at least 4, including the head of local television, local authorities said on Oct. 30.

"We agree the sides are locked in fighting... but (Xi) is going to help us, and we're going to work together on Ukraine," U.S. President Donald Trump said.

Gunvor, which is registered in Cyprus and headquartered in Switzerland, was founded in 1997 by Gennady Timchenko, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Swedish billionaire Torbjörn Törnqvist.

The Russian plane, flying without a filed flight plan and with its transponder turned off, did not violate Polish airspace and was escorted out of the zone of responsibility, Poland's military said.

The far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), whose leader has argued against aid to Ukraine, lost nearly a third of its seats in parliament, according to the latest results.

The Consulate remains in close contact with the family of the deceased and is assisting with the repatriation of the body to Ukraine, the ministry added.

Air raid alerts were issued across the entire county overnight, with Ukraine's Air Force tracking Shahed-type drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.

"Because of the tremendous destructive power, I hated to do it, but had no choice!" Trump said. "Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within five years. Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis."

Despite overwhelming political pressure and legal hurdles, Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies have managed to bring charges against a number of top officials. High-profile cases, however, have been stalled in courts for years. Oleksandr Klymenko, Ukraine's chief anti-corruption prosecutor, argued in an interview with the Kyiv Independent that the problem must be solved urgently. Many of the major corruption cases will soon be closed unless measures are taken, he said. "In 2026, 2027, and 2028