Key developments on Sept. 27: * Trump meets with Zelensky, says his views on ending the war 'as soon as possible' have not changed * Crimean bridge defenses being bolstered by underwater drone traps, according to reports * US intelligence warns of risks in permitting Ukraine's long-range strikes, NYT reports * Ombudsman denies reports
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect comments made by President Volodymyr Zelensky during his evening address. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said everything possible must be done to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Zelensky made the remarks on Sept. 27 after meeting
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko visited Pokrovsk and joined volunteers evacuating civilians from neighboring Selydove, stranded due to Russia’s rapid advance.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed below are those of the author(s) and signatories and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Dear U.S. President Joe Biden, As Ukrainian cities continue to be targeted by Russian missiles and drones, bringing death and devastation to
In a meeting with a top Russian militant, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko admits to a decade-long cooperation with occupied Donetsk and complicity in hosting abducted Ukrainian children. The U.S. condemns Belarusian state-owned TV channel for broadcasting “repentance” of U.S. citizen turned Belarusian political prisoner Yury Ziankovich. Far-right German
A Russian assault near the village of Pishchane in Kharkiv Oblast was repelled, and dozens of vehicles damaged and destroyed, the Achilles drone strike battalion of Ukraine's 92nd Separate Special Forces Brigade claimed on Sept. 27. Commander Yurii Fedosenko said Moscow's forces had attempted to advance toward Kolesnykivka and Kruhliakivka
A top aide of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has criticized Ukraine's resistance to Russia's full-scale invasion, calling it "irresponsible" and suggesting his country would have advised against fighting back if it had been asked. Balazs Orban – no relation to the prime minister – made the comments when discussing Hungary's anti-Soviet
Kyiv did not conduct a Qatar-brokered "exchange" of children with Moscow, Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Sept. 27. Lubinets refuted an AFP report citing an unnamed Qatari official who claimed nine children and one adult had allegedly returned to Ukraine, while four children "will be reunited with their families
Editor's note: This story is being updated. A Russian missile struck a district police department in the city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Governor Serhii Lysak reported on Sept. 27. One woman was killed and at least six men were injured, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed eight people and injured at least 49 others over the past day, regional authorities said on Sept. 27. Ukrainian forces downed 24 out of 32 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. One more drone was "lost," and another entered Romanian airspace,
Russia has lost 649,170 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Sept. 27. This number includes 1,370 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day. According to the report, Russia has
The U.K. Defense Ministry announced on Sept. 26 that it will provide Ukraine with 16 AS90 self-propelled artillery howitzers instead of 12. The announcement comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky continues his visit to the U.S., where he hopes to gain support for his recently announced "victory plan." The
Key developments on Sept. 26: * US announces nearly $8 billion military aid package for Ukraine * Germany approves additional $447 million for military aid to Ukraine * Ukraine's 72nd Brigade releases video from Vuhledar, denies claims about withdrawal * 3 energy infrastructure facilities struck in overnight Russian strikes, Ukrainian PM says * Ukraine considers
The German parliament's lower chamber, the Bundestag, has approved the German government's proposal to increase funding for military support for Ukraine by nearly 400 million euros ($447 million), according to the Sept. 25 statement. The Bundestag announced the decision to increase financial aid following a meeting under the Ukraine Compact,
Ukraine has 55,000 citizens in its unified register for persons missing under special circumstances, Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Tymchenko told Ukrinform in an interview published on Sept. 26. The register includes people who have disappeared due to war, occupation, or natural and man-made disasters. The figure underscores the humanitarian
Ukraine reportedly using two of the highly sophisticated German air defense systems.
U.S. President Joe Biden will convene a leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany in October "to coordinate the efforts of the more than 50 countries supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression," he announced on Sept. 26. The announcement comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky
Though full details have not been revealed yet, the plan has been presented by Zelensky as a bit to force Russia into peace talks and a fair resolution
An overnight Russian drone and missile strike targeted three Ukrainian energy transmission facilities, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sept. 26. "But the Russian terrorists did not achieve their goals — Ukraine's energy system is operating in a balanced mode, no power cuts are planned," he added in a post on
Ukraine's 72nd Mechanized Brigade on Sept. 26 refuted reports that it was retreating from the embattled town of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast. The brigade released a video purportedly from Vuhledar saying it had been filmed there earlier in the day. "We want to dispel all doubts and the pseudo-experts' thoughts
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed eight people and injured at least 44 others over the past day, regional authorities said on Sept. 26. Ukrainian forces downed 66 out of 78 Shahed-type drones and four Kh-59/69 cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight from, the Air Force reported. Eight more drones
A Russian attack on the city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, on Sept. 25 injured three representatives of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society while on a humanitarian mission, the organization said. Russia targeted the city center with two guided aerial bombs, damaging two high-rise buildings, shops, and cars. At least two
Editor's note: The story was updated with comments by Kyiv authorities. Explosions were reported in Kyiv on the morning of Sept. 26 almost immediately after an air raid alert went off in the city, but authorities later denied Russia had attacked the capital. Ukraine's Air Force said that the alert
More than 30 countries and the European Union adopted the Joint Declaration of Support for Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine during a meeting in New York on Sept. 25, Ukraine's Presidential Office said. Backed during the Group of Seven (G7) + Ukraine meeting, the document contains several points including helping to
Returning from their summer recess, European Union leaders have a packed agenda. At the top of the list are strengthening the bloc’s readiness for conflict and bolstering its economic competitiveness. For decades, the EU relied on economic influence as a substitute for hard power. But in an era of
Russian President Vladimir Putin denies Ukraine’s right to sovereignty, having invaded it twice since 2014. Thankfully, his efforts to subjugate the country have been thwarted by the courage of the Ukrainian people. After two and a half years of fiercely defending their homeland, it has become abundantly clear that
Russia has lost 647,800troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Sept. 26. This number includes 1,400 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also
According to a White House spokesperson, the U.S. expressed deep concern over a report claiming that Russia has established a secret drone production project in China. A Reuters report suggests that a Chinese company is providing lethal assistance to a U.S.- sanctioned Russian firm, IEMZ Kupol, which
Editor's Note: The following is the transcript of a speech delivered by President Volodymyr Zelensky at the UN General Assembly on Sept 25. It was published by the President's Office online and is republished here without changes. Zelensky delivered the address in English. Dear leaders, Your excellencies, Today, I want
Key developments on Sept. 25: * Russia preparing to attack 3 nuclear plants in Ukraine, Zelensky tells UN * No Russian troops on Vuhledar outskirts, governor claims * Around 20 Russian soldiers captured during operation to recapture Vovchansk aggregate plant, military intelligence claims * Ukraine has 'extensive' 3-year plan for drone, ground robotics production,
Russia destroyed all thermal power plants and almost all hydroelectric capacity in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 25 during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Russia launched nine coordinated attacks against Ukraine's electricity infrastructure between March and August, striking facilities in 20 oblasts.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's stance on "forcing" Russia to peace is a "fatal mistake" and will have "consequences for Ukraine," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sept. 25, according to Russia's state-owned Ria Novosti outlet. Peskov's statement comes after Zelensky's speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, in
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, eight years after it annexed the Crimean Peninsula and led an armed aggression in Ukraine’s east.
In February 2014, almost immediately following the end of the EuroMaidan Revolution in Ukraine, Russia swiftly moved to annex and occupy Crimea. Within months, Russian proxy forces took control of parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
By the start of 2022, Russia had amassed nearly 200,000 troops on Ukraine’s border. At 4:50 a.m. on Feb. 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a speech that Russia was to carry out “a special military operation.” Within minutes, missile strikes were launched on Ukrainian cities and the full-scale invasion had begun.
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