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The Hidden Canon: Discover Ukrainian literary classics

A Kyiv Independent project backed by the Ukrainian Institute

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Ukraine's wartime action thriller 'Killhouse' reaches global audience on Netflix

by Kate Tsurkan

Ukraine's new action film "Killhouse" is set to reach a global audience, hitting the Netflix streaming platform on June 26 in Ukraine, with international distribution planned for autumn. Few scenes hit as hard in "Killhouse" as when Ukrainian soldiers decide to launch a high-risk mission to rescue a near-death civilian from the gray zone, a territory sandwiched between Ukrainian and Russian lines. In the film, the Russian commander watching them from his position assumes that the civilian bein

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Ukraine war latest: Cabinet appoints acting SBU chief as acting defense minister after day of uncertainty

Key developments on July 17: * Cabinet appoints Yvhen Khmara as acting defense minister after day of uncertainty * Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl Oblast, vessels in Black, Azov seas, among other targets, General Staff says * Ukrainian drones strike 12 Russian 'shadow fleet' vessels in Black Sea as Crimea comes under large-scale attack * Russian Tu-95 bomber suffered 'critical damage' in strike on Engels air base, Zelensky says * Ukrainian drone units strike over 1 milli

Second day of protests erupts as Zelensky stands by decision to oust Defense Minister Fedorov

Editor's note: This story is being updated with additional details. Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv and other cities on July 17 for a second straight day to protest President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to dismiss Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov while retaining Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. The renewed demonstrations came after Zelensky said following the first day of protests on July 16 that he "understands, hears, and responds" to public concerns. Protesters argue, however, that he h

Veteran and lead figure in pro-Fedorov protests accuses 'people close to Syrskyi' of intimidation

A former combat medic and one of the lead figures in this week's protests against the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister believes people "close to (Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr) Syrskyi" are "trying to intimidate me in order to stop the protests," he told the Kyiv Independent on July 17. Dmytro Koziatynskyi, who formerly served in the Da Vinci Wolves battalion, urged people to take to the streets on July 16 to "show the president that we are against constant reshuffles in the gov

Ukraine protests Zelensky’s decision to fire defense minister

The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Denisova and Kateryna Hodunova speak with military analyst Mykola Bielieskov and opposition lawmaker Inna Sovsun about the conflict between Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, why Zelensky sided with Syrskyi, and what the shake-up could mean for Ukraine’s military, domestic politics, and war against Russia.

Ukrainian media defy court ban, publish forbidden report on top official's brother

According to the report, Oleksiy Sukhachov’s brother Oleksandr has bought 143 apartments at a price far below their market value, with an apartment being valued at the price of a smartphone. The construction of the apartment buildings involved has been investigated by Oleksiy Sukhachov’s State Investigation Bureau, raising questions about a potential conflict of interest.

About Culture

Our reporting on literature, films, art, and traditions from Ukraine and the latest news on culture in Eastern Europe.

Ukrainian culture
Ukrainian culture has survived centuries of Russian attempts to appropriate Ukrainian art, silence Ukrainian artists, and erase the Ukrainian language. Modern Ukrainian writers, filmmakers, and musicians — some of whom are serving on the front lines — continue to develop Ukrainian culture and fight for Ukraine’s future.

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This is a developing story and is being updated. President Volodymyr Zelensky's dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister has drawn a wave of criticism from soldiers, veterans, and civil society figures, who argue Ukraine is losing one of its most effective wartime officials without an adequate explanation. Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran who was a leading organizer of last summer's mass protests against a law curbing the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, called fo

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