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Yevhen Khmara in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 18, 2026.
Opinion

Shells, stalled contracts, and no armor for wounded — Ukraine's new defense minister's problem list

by Bohdan Miroshnychenko

Weapons production in Ukraine has a mountain of problems: short contracts, scandals over ammunition and other complex equipment procurement, inefficient drone purchasing, leaky quality control and oversight of manufacturers' capabilities, export rules that don't work, funding shortages, and more. All of this ultimately adds up to poor supply for troops at the front. Neither the dismissed minister Mykhailo Fedorov nor any other "six-month defense minister" has come even close to solving these p

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Sunday, August 30

Missile strike hits Belgorod, reportedly damaging Ozon facility and power plant

Russia's Belgorod came under a missile attack on Aug. 30, with a logistics facility housing an Ozon sorting center and delivery hub damaged in the strike, according to Russian officials and the company. The attack comes as Ukraine continues targeting Russian military and logistics infrastructure that supports Moscow's war effort. Acting Belgorod Oblast Governor Alexander Shuvaev said there were casualties and several fires following what he described as a Ukrainian attack. He did not specify t

Why Russia escalates attacks on Ukraine’s businesses, explained

Russia has sharply escalated its attacks on Ukrainian businesses, striking supermarket distribution centers, postal facilities, gas stations, warehouses, railway infrastructure, industrial plants, and Black Sea ports. The Kyiv Independent’s Dominic Culverwell sits down with Hlib Vyshlinsky, executive director of the Kyiv-based Center for Economic Strategy, to discuss why Russia is increasingly targeting Ukraine’s civilian economy — and what the campaign could mean for businesses, consumers, and

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