Russia-Ukraine War

soldier holds a drone controller near a GARA UAV in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Oct. 16, 2026.
War

Export hurdles and visa waits for Ukrainian companies force Pentagon to slow its drone contest

by Leo Greenberg

One morning in June, the head of export at Ukrainian drone company Stellarion found himself unexpectedly in need of a U-Haul outside the Detroit Metro Airport in Michigan. Stellarion was set to test its drones in front of American soldiers at a competition organized by the Pentagon at Camp Grayling, a military base three hours away. But while many of its 48 invited competitors were American companies that had had weeks to modify, prepare, and fit warheads onto their drones, Stellarion was facin

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Ukraine war latest: 'Russia's mass murder' — Deadly Russian strikes on Dnipro, Chernihiv, Kremenchuk

Key developments on Oct. 28: * 'Russia's mass murder:' Drone strike on Dnipro station kills 14 amid deadly daytime attacks on Chernihiv, Kremenchuk * Ukraine destroys 2 Russian Su-34 bomber jets in Neptune missile strike on airfield, Navy says * Route demining completed in Russian-occupied Oleshky as humanitarian convoy prepares to enter, Ukraine's ombudsman says * Ukraine strikes Russian 'drone port' in Bryansk Oblast, damaging storage facilities, military says * UN appoints Russian diplo

Why did Russia agree to the Oleshky ceasefire?

Moscow's consent to a temporary ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky seems like a long-overdue and welcome concession from a country that has repeatedly rejected or violated ceasefire proposals during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. So why is the Kremlin so on board with Oleshky? Experts, as well as information from Oleshky itself, suggest Russia's motives go far beyond addressing the humanitarian catastrophe it created itself. Instead, the highly publicized ceasefire brokered by U.S. Fir

An aerial view of Russian-occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine in a photo published on Sept.16, 2026.

About War

The Kyiv Independent's coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, after eight years of aggression against Ukraine that began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and fighting in Donbas. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties and displaced millions of Ukrainians. NATO and Western allies have provided military aid to Ukraine while the conflict continues across fronts in Ukraine’s south and east.

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