Who does Crimea really belong to?
This chapter of Ukraine's True History will explore the historical context that led to Crimea as it is today and answer why Russia doesn't have a "historic right" to annex Ukrainian Crimea.
Video
Inside the mission to evacuate civilians from Ukraine's front lines: Interview with UK volunteer
British photographer turned volunteer Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke and his team have evacuated thousands of Ukrainians to safer locations in Ukraine and abroad. We spoke with him about evacuation challanges and why people refuse to leave despite danger.
This Week in Ukraine Ep. 7 – Why Russia relies on private militaries, like Wagner, for its war effort
“This Week in Ukraine” is a video podcast hosted by Kyiv Independent’s reporter Anastasiia Lapatina. Every week, Anastasiia sits down with her newsroom colleagues to discuss Ukraine’s most pressing issues.
Russia's many attempts to erase Ukrainian language, culture
Russia has not only killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians and ruined much of the country's infrastructure since the start of the full-scale invasion. It aimed at destroying the core of Ukrainian identity — language, and culture — in the territories it occupied.
Life in Borodianka 1 year after Russia’s devastating airstrikes
Borodianka, located about 40 kilometers from Kyiv, suffered greatly from Russian airstrikes. One year later, many of its residents continue to live there either because they have nowhere else to go or because they feel emotionally attached to their hometown.
This Week in Ukraine Ep. 6 – Ukrainian grain exports, and the mayhem they cause in Europe
Episode of This Week in Ukraine video podcast #6 is dedicated to Ukrainian grain exports, and how they destabilize European domestic markets.
This Week in Ukraine Ep. 5 – Everything we know about Ukrainian attacks inside Russia
Episode #5 of the video podcast "This Week in Ukraine" is dedicated to Ukrainian attacks deep behind enemy lines – on Russian soil, and in occupied Crimea.
How Russia has been trying to conquer Ukraine for centuries
When did Russia's war against Ukraine start? Spoiler: not in 2022. Moscow has been trying (often successfully) to subjugate the territories that make up modern Ukraine for nearly 400 years.
This Week in Ukraine Ep. 4 – Russia's strategy of evil: 80,000 war crimes in Ukraine
Episode #4 of "This Week in Ukraine" is dedicated to Russian war crimes in Ukraine and beyond, the culture of violence within the Russian military, and the attempts to keep Russia accountable for the crimes committed in Ukraine.
10 popular misconceptions about Ukrainian history
In the first episode of the Kyiv Independent's new series – "Ukraine’s True History" – we explain and debunk the 10 most common misconceptions about Ukrainian history that Russian propaganda has been spreading for years.
This Week in Ukraine Ep. 2 – Why Ukraine is finally kicking out Russian church
Episode #2 of "This Week in Ukraine" is dedicated to Ukraine’s attempts to eradicate the influence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, a large church in Ukraine that still follows religious leaders in Russia, despite the war.
This Week in Ukraine Ep. 1 – Why does Ukraine keep up costly defense of Bakhmut?
Episode #1 of "This Week in Ukraine" is dedicated to Ukraine’s military strategy in Bakhmut, an embattled city in Donetsk Oblast in the east of Ukraine. The battle for Bakhmut has already proven to be one of the most brutal and costly fights of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
What is happening in Bakhmut and what does it mean for Russian-Ukrainian war?
Kyiv Independent reporter Francis Farrell speaks to John Spencer, U.S. veteran and chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point.
How Kherson residents resisted Russian occupation
These Khersonians residents were openly protesting against the occupation. But as Russia tightened its grip, some of them continued their protest in more subtle ways – despite the risks of being kidnapped or killed.
The Kyiv Independent: Opinion. Alexander Query on why Europe romanticizes Russia (VIDEO)
The Kyiv Independent: Opinion is a series of videos where our journalists share their thoughts on various political, social, and other issues. In this video, our reporter Alexander Query, a native of France, contemplates why many in his home country, and in Europe in general, romanticize Russia.
How do some Western anti-war protests help Russia?
The so-called “anti-war” rallies in Europe and the U.S. have marched against arming Ukraine, which in the demonstrators’ view would bring an end to Russia’s war of aggression. In reality, such protests play into Russia’s hands.
What will the war bring in 2023? Illia Ponomarenko interviews Michael Kofman and Rob Lee
The Kyiv Independent's Illia Ponomarenko sits down with military analysts Michael Kofman, director of the Russia Studies Program at CNA, and Rob Lee, senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Eurasia Program.
Video: One year of Russia’s all-out war through the eyes of one Ukrainian newsroom
The Kyiv Independent was just a three-month-old startup when Russia launched an all-out war against Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. A year later, its team members look back at making the choice on whether to stay or flee, reporting from the front line.
How Mykolaiv residents survive without drinking water supply
In April, Russian forces wrecked the water supply line for the city of Mykolaiv. Since then, Mykolaiv residents have had no drinking water supply, relying for the past 10 months on alternative sources. Their main source of water is a system of wells.
Survivors of Russian torture chamber in Kherson share stories of abuse
Two survivors spoke to the Kyiv Independent about what they had endured.
Ukraine's National Opera loses members to Russia’s war, says art is always political
Following a three-month break after the start of Russia’s all-out war, the National Opera of Ukraine resumed its performances. With some of its members serving in the army, and having dropped all Russian pieces from the repertoire, the theater team argues that art is always political. Culture Ministry: Russia
One day of a Kyiv family struggling with power outages
The Kyiv Independent spent a day with a family in Kyiv that is currently experiencing the hardships of living amid power outages.
In Chornobaivka, children face one obstacle after another to go to school
In the village of Chornobaivka in Kherson Oblast, children had to hide in bomb shelters, schools were closed during occupation, and now, even after liberation, power outages and Russia's attacks make studying nearly impossible.
‘Killed for nothing’: Evidence of Russian war crimes emerges in liberated Chornobaivka
The liberation of Ukrainian settlements from Russian occupation inevitably comes with the revelation of new war crimes committed by Russian soldiers. In the liberated village of Chornobaivka, Kherson Oblast, at least 18 people were killed during its occupation.
This museum in Kherson is the recent victim of Russian robbery
ne of the recent victims of Russian barbarism is the Kherson Regional Local Lore Museum, which used to have around 180,000 exhibits in its collection. Now, the shelves of some of its halls stand completely empty.
Kherson volunteers risked their lives to help others during Russian occupation
The humanitarian situation has been worsening in Kherson since Russian forces occupied the city in March and continues to be difficult even after liberation. Local volunteers share how they helped fellow residents by delivering medicine and food .
Joyful tears as Kherson welcomes first train from Kyiv after Russian occupation
Dozens gathered at the Kherson railway station on Nov. 19 to greet the first train from Kyiv that arrived in the city after eight months of Russia's occupation. Many have reunited with their loved ones for the first time in months.
‘Three weeks of hell' — residents of Chernihiv Oblast village recall Russian occupation
Like many other villages in northern Ukraine, Lukashivka was among the first to take the brunt of Russia's full-scale invasion. For almost the entire month of March, its residents lived under shelling and occupation as the Russian army was destroying their homes and killing their neighbors.
War and Storytelling in Ukraine
Moderated by Ryan Evans, CEO of the War on the Rocks, speakers discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine, why Russia failed to conquer Kyiv in three days, and what to expect from Moscow next.
Why Russian relocation of Ukrainians is not an evacuation
On Oct. 18, Moscow-installed proxies in occupied Kherson announced an organized relocation of Ukrainians to the Dnipro River’s east bank, away from the city. Many media, even some in Ukraine, called it an evacuation. The Kyiv Independent’s Iryna Matviyishyn explains why it’s a dangerously wrong label.
What Russia's 'partial' mobilization means for Ukraine
On Sept. 21, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced a "partial mobilization." Russia aims to draft at least 300,000 new soldiers. The Kyiv Independent explains why the mobilization doesn't appear to be "partial" as Putin claims and what it could mean for Ukraine.
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