The War Crimes Investigations Unit of the Kyiv Independent marks its third anniversary today: three years of documenting, exposing, and investigating war crimes committed during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.t

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced the program with Ukrainian real estate developer Stolitsa Group on March 6.

Key developments on March 6: * Ukraine secures release of 300 POWs, 2 civilians in second stage of exchange with Russia * 'Russians preparing spring offensive' — Zelensky visits Donetsk Oblast, meets commanders amid risk of new Russian push * Ukrainian drones successfully hit Russian aircraft repair plant in occupied Crimea, SBU says * Ukraine's HUR releases video of strikes on Russian military assets in occupied Crimea Ukraine has secured the release of 300 prisoners of war and two civili

At the moment the grey mass of radio static gives way to a clear image on the drone detector screen, the hunter still seems deceptively far away. Looking down on the central neighbourhood of Kherson from a bird’s-eye view, it remains unclear where the Russian drone is coming from or who it is stalking. Catching the analog radio signal of the first-person-view (FPV) drone’s video transmitter, the detector shows exactly what the Russian pilot sees through his goggles as he flies from the occupi

"At the moment, they are already safe and have crossed the Ukrainian border," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

"The Russians are not abandoning the war, and here, in Donetsk Oblast, they are preparing an offensive for the spring," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"It doesn't matter to us what they have done in the past in the combat field," International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons said.

Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' public newsletter, The Week Ahead, covering events from March 9-15. 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, and YouTube. The crisis in the Middle East is likely to intensify next week, with serious implications for Ukraine due to critical shortages of missile intercep

The long-range drones hit the production workshops of the Yevpatoria Aircraft Repair Plant, located in western Crimea, as well as two Pantsir-S2 systems near a Russian military airfield in Dzhankoi, which sits in the peninsula's northeast, according to the SBU source.

Americans like to believe they are exceptional — a pioneer nation born in revolution, animated by liberty, individual freedom, and committed to the democratic separation of powers. In the spring of 2022, at a refugee camp on the Polish-Ukrainian border, I began to suspect that this belief, while powerful, may no longer describe us as accurately as we assume. I was at the Medyka crossing for only two weeks, but the experience changed me forever. Decades earlier, I had been a Soviet Studies majo

Peter Magyar, the leader of the Tisza Party, urged EU leadership to "sever all ties with Ukraine until President Zelensky clarifies his words and apologizes to all Hungarian citizens for his statements."

One unnamed U.S. official described the support as "comprehensive," the Washington Post reported.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian courts have convicted thousands of people of collaboration and treason. The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Hodunova and Olena Zashko report from a penal colony in southeastern Ukraine that holds women who sided with Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 5 he hopes the blocking of a 90 billion euro ($107 billion) European Union loan for Ukraine by "one person" will end, warning that otherwise he could give that individual's address to Ukraine's military.

Since Dmytro Volynets studied mechanical engineering at university over a decade ago, he's worked in retail, call centers, and on a warehouse floor. Unable to join the army due to a spine injury, the 35-year-old has struggled to find a coherent career path related to his studies — even as several industries offering high paying jobs face labour shortages. In large part because of Russia's full-scale invasion, Volynets' story is typical right now in Ukraine — despite possessing some of the high

"We have stopped gasoline shipments to Ukraine, we are not delivering diesel either; we are still supplying electricity for now, and we will also stop the goods important to Ukraine that pass through Hungary," Orban said on Kossuth Radio.

The youngest freed serviceman is 26, captured at 22 in 2022, while the oldest is 60.

Among the reported targets were a Project 22460 patrol ship.

Ukrenergo told the Kyiv Independent that Ukraine resumed electricity exports on March 5 for the first time since November 2025.

Russian forces launched 141 different types of drones against Ukraine overnight.

The number includes 950 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Sergei Kiriyenko, a powerful Kremlin aide, has reportedly been tasked with overseeing the Russian operation in Hungary, applying the same set of methods deployed during Moscow-backed meddling in Moldova.

The Kyiv Independent’s separate analytical unit, KI Insights, is excited to announce the launch of its podcast, Ukraine Insights — a show dedicated to unpacking Ukraine’s politics, security, economy, and international relations through in-depth, expert-driven conversations.

"To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market, the Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on March 5.

EU ambassadors on March 5 pushed back against a proposal to fast-track Ukraine's entry into the European Union, rejecting a European Commission idea known as "reverse enlargement," Politico reported.

U.S. media outlet Fox News aired footage of a Ukrainian interceptor drone destroying a Shahed-type drone but presented the video as showing American drones countering Iranian drones in the Middle East, Ukrainian drone manufacturer Wild Hornets said.

The U.S. voted against a resolution condemning attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors on March 5, joining Russia, China, and Niger in opposing the measure.

Ukraine has brought home 200 soldiers held in Russian captivity in the latest prisoners of war (POW) exchange on March 5, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed releasing 200 Ukrainian POWs in exchange for the same number of Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine, in a swap brokered by the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates. The released Russian POWs are currently in Belarus, receiving medical and psychological assistance, according to the ministry. "Every

Zelensky's statement comes after the Financial Times reported on March 5, citing Ukrainain industry figures, that the Pentagon and at least one Gulf state are holding talks to purchase Ukrainian-made interceptors to counter Iranian drones.

Kyiv said it was an attempt to worsen Ukraine's relations with Hungary as part of Russia's hybrid aggression against Europe.

Two points remain high on Ukraine's agenda: surviving the Russian onslaught and joining the European Union. President Volodymyr Zelensky believes the two should be tied together, with his office proposing to engrave a set date for Ukraine's EU membership in a potential peace deal with Russia. Tom Berendsen, the new Dutch foreign minister, disagrees with this approach. "If you set a date, you need to make sure that you get (everything done before) the date. It needs to be a realistic date," Be

Dmytruk has been charged with assaulting a soldier and a law enforcement officer in separate altercations.