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Russia-Ukraine War

soldier holds a drone controller near a GARA UAV in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Oct. 16, 2026.
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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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Investigation: Rising hate against Ukrainians in Central Europe part of a coordinated campaign

Ukrainians in the three EU countries that have taken in the largest numbers of Ukrainian refugees are increasingly facing aggression — from insults on public transport to knife attacks. Journalists at the Kyiv Independent analyzed tens of thousands of posts on X and found that the same narratives circulating online are picked up and amplified by popular local politicians. Editor's Note: The story is based on the documentary "Dealers of Hate," published by the Kyiv Independent's War Crimes Inves

Another round of peace-talk masquerade awaits Ukraine

The planned resumption of trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi in early November is already being presented in several Western capitals as evidence that diplomacy has regained its momentum, but a return to the negotiating table should not be confused with genuine progress toward peace. Unless the process confronts the fundamental obstacles to a durable settlement, it risks rewarding Russia for prolonging a war it has failed to win on its original te

Putin meets with military commanders at a command center in Russia on Oct. 15, 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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