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Russia-Ukraine War

Valentyn, a 26-year-old platoon commander in the 25th Air Assault Brigade, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Jan. 23, 2026.
War

Ukrainian infantry fight to survive on the Pokrovsk front as Russia closes in

by Asami Terajima

DONETSK OBLAST — Walking through the mine-infested field under intense Russian drone surveillance was the scariest part of the mission for 22-year-old infantryman Mykola. "If you stop, you die," said Mykola, a small-framed soldier with dark circles under his eyes and a tired stare. "When we were walking to get to the positions, it wasn't hard to walk — it was hard to realize that you may not walk out alive because there were a lot of our dead around." The walk to his positions near the easter

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Wednesday, February 18

Investigation: Brazilian recruit’s death in Ukraine points to abuse, torture in foreign fighter unit

A 28-year-old Brazilian recruit died after a brutal punishment handed out in a unit that regularly used discipline practices described as "torture" by those who both witnessed and suffered them, a Kyiv Independent investigation can reveal. The man, Bruno Gabriel Leal da Silva, died overnight Dec. 28-29, 2025, according to former fellow fighters who spoke to the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation. The unit in question is a Brazilian-led formation called A

investigation found allegations that a Brazilian-led unit used violent “discipline” practices

Chart of the week: Russia’s attacks push Ukraine’s energy system to the brink

As Ukraine experienced its coldest January in over a decade, Russia launched 4,442 drones and 135 missiles at the country — most of which targeted energy infrastructure, depriving millions of heat, electricity, and water. The scale of Russia's energy terrorism is captured in a striking graph, part of a new dashboard launched last week by Ukrainian energy think tank Green Deal Ukraina (GDU). While Ukraine maintained over 40 gigawatts of installed electricity capacity before the full-scale invas

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Russia's mobilization arithmetic. How many can the Kremlin send to war?

Russia's mobilization arithmetic. How many can the Kremlin send to war?

When Russia announced a "partial" mobilization in the fall of 2022, its society experienced a genuine shock. The queues at the Upper Lars border crossing into Georgia and the chaotic roundups of reservists are still fresh in public memory. The Russian authorities learned from that episode and shifted tactics toward a more concealed form of mobilization. Several tools were deployed at once: mass recruitment from prisons, sending convicts to the front in exchange for pardons, and aggressive enli

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