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Bardella or Le Pen: What France's far-right choice means for Ukraine
Europe

Bardella or Le Pen: What France's far-right choice means for Ukraine

BRUSSELS, Belgium — For months, opinion polls have indicated that France's far-right National Rally (RN) is well placed to win the 2027 presidential election, after President Emmanuel Macron reaches his constitutional term limit. But a court ruling on July 7 has upended expectations over who will lead the party's presidential ticket — a decision that could also have implications for Ukraine. The uncertainty centers on Marine Le Pen, the longtime face of the French far right. After a lower cour
Concerns mount as Zelensky turns sanctions into tool for punishing critics, former allies
Politics

Concerns mount as Zelensky turns sanctions into tool for punishing critics, former allies

When President Volodymyr Zelensky slapped sanctions on ex-lawmaker Boryslav Bereza on July 7, many were left wondering what, if anything, linked him to Russia or posed a threat to Ukraine's national security. Bereza has never publicly expressed any sympathies for Russia and has been a pro-Western politician and blogger throughout his entire career. Sanctions, which were introduced by Ukraine when Russia started its war in 2014, were initially intended as a tool for fighting Moscow and its prox
Who is Vadym Iermolaiev, the sanctioned tycoon injured in the Monaco attack?
 (Updated:  Crime

Who is Vadym Iermolaiev, the sanctioned tycoon injured in the Monaco attack?

Editor's note: A Ukrainian military intelligence officer has confessed to killing a woman suspected of attempting to assassinate businessman Vadym Iermolaiev in Monaco, the Prosecutor’s Office and the Security Service (SBU) said on July 7. Read about it here. Ukrainian businessman Vadym Iermolaiev, who faced an assassination attempt in Monaco on June 29, is little-known nationwide but wielded immense influence in the city of Dnipro. Iermolaiev is controversial. He has renounced his Ukrainian
How one questionable photo fueled confusion over Russia's attack on Kyiv Lavra

How one questionable photo fueled confusion over Russia's attack on Kyiv Lavra

The Kyiv Independent found that a mass Meta ban on posts about the Russian attack on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra stemmed from two causes: one questionable photo and a technical glitch on Meta's part. Facebook and Instagram have been restricting and labeling posts about Russia's attack on the historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as containing false information, social media users and Ukrainian media, including the Kyiv Independent, report. The Kyiv Independent's social media team was among those affected.
'Everything just kept detonating' — Devastating Russian attack hits quiet Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve

'Everything just kept detonating' — Devastating Russian attack hits quiet Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve

Residents of the small town of Vyshneve, on Kyiv's western edge, have described scenes of terror amid Russia's latest devastating missile and drone attack on the capital, as they found themselves fleeing a series of massive explosions after a strike on the town. "A huge mushroom cloud rose into the sky. Burning fragments kept flying behind us. They were so high, but it felt like everything was on fire," Diana Liashchuk, 21, told the Kyiv Independent. "I called my mom just to tell her not to wo
Ukraine war latest: For second time in 4 days, Russia targets Kyiv, killing at least 26 in mass missile attack
War

Ukraine war latest: For second time in 4 days, Russia targets Kyiv, killing at least 26 in mass missile attack

Key developments on July 6: * For second time in 4 days, Russia targets Kyiv with mass missile attack, killing at least 26 * Russia’s largest oil refinery in flames as Ukraine strikes Omsk, 2,500 km away from border * Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl Russia launched waves of missiles and drones toward Kyiv overnight on July 6, killing at least 26 people and injuring dozens more, including seven children, just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of yet another la
Exclusive: Trump, Zelensky to discuss strategy to pressure Russia into peace talks
 (Updated:  Trump & Ukraine

Exclusive: Trump, Zelensky to discuss strategy to pressure Russia into peace talks

President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump will exchange ideas on how to end Russia's all-out war against Ukraine during a July 8 meeting at the NATO summit in Ankara, two people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. The meeting comes as Ukraine believes that there is now an opportunity to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in direct negotiations with Zelensky. Kyiv hopes to capitalize on what it views as growing pressure on the Kremlin, while a
'We pay taxes in Russia that helps war' — Oreo-maker's confession demands action on Russia remainers
Opinion

'We pay taxes in Russia that helps war' — Oreo-maker's confession demands action on Russia remainers

The CEO of the U.S. snacking giant Mondelez has openly acknowledged that the taxes the company pays in Russia help Russia’s war against Ukraine, but that it was the "right decision" to remain in the aggressor country. Just three days after that shameless interview, Russian drones struck a Mondelez factory in Ukraine, injuring two people. However much the management of Russia remainers may wish to look away, corporate entanglement in Russia's war economy has real and violent consequences. These
'We have nothing to use' — Kyiv currently defenseless against Russia's ballistic missiles

'We have nothing to use:' Kyiv currently defenseless against Russia's ballistic missiles

Supplies of Patriot PAC-3 interceptors have dried up, leaving Ukrainian air defense units powerless to defend Kyiv against Russia's fastest and most deadly munitions.   "We simply don’t have the missiles. We have nothing to use against ballistic missiles," Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, a military expert and adviser to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, told Radio NV on July 6. The shortage of interceptors was starkly demonstrated a few hours earlier when Russia launched the second massive attack
The peace in Ukraine that worries NATO
Europe

The peace in Ukraine that worries NATO

A potential ceasefire would provide Ukraine a much-needed respite — but would raise difficult security questions for NATO states along Russia's frontier. Even as the U.S.-led peace push has slowed, officials in Kyiv still hope they can end the active phase of fighting before winter. And while Europe firmly backs these efforts, its planners are increasingly sounding the alarm about the prospect of battle-hardened, modernized Russian armies freed for deployment along the Baltic or Nordic borders