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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KI Insights launches new podcast: Ukraine Insights

The Kyiv Independent’s separate analytical unit, KI Insights, is excited to announce the launch of its podcast, Ukraine Insights — a show dedicated to unpacking Ukraine’s politics, security, economy, and international relations through in-depth, expert-driven conversations.

How Russia games Interpol to target Ukrainians

For over a century, Interpol has served as a valuable tool for law enforcement agencies. Not as a world police force, as Hollywood would have it, but more of a vast communications hub linking national agencies into a single, if fragile, response to cross-border crime. Perhaps the most significant tool at Interpol's disposal is its Red Notice system. Designed to help track serious criminals across borders, it has been quietly absorbed into the modern autocrat's playbook. Red Notices are now rout

President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 28, 2025.

He is 30. And he lost his limbs in war

In December 2023, Hlib Benia, a Ukrainian soldier with the 79th Separate Air Assault Brigade, was delivering supplies to his comrades when Russian FPV (first-person view) drones struck. Two of his fellow soldiers were killed. He survived but lost an arm and a leg.

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