The explosions came just minutes after an air raid alert was issued.

The full extent of the casualties and damage is still being assessed.

The Foreign Ministry said the recommendation comes amid new EU rules governing temporary protection for Ukrainians.

This week's charges against Iryna Mudra, a presidential deputy chief of staff, and other suspects in a high-profile graft case marked the latest chapter in the corruption saga that has gripped Ukraine since last year. An investigation centered around state nuclear power monopoly Energoatom has prompted a political earthquake in Ukraine, becoming the biggest corruption case of President Volodymyr Zelensky's tenure. Specifically, the investigation led to the resignation of Zelensky's Chief of St

Pyotr Verzilov, a co-founder of the publication, told the Kyiv Independent that the designation only "adds power to the incredible reporting that the Mediazona team is doing."

Mykytas is a suspect in a large-scale money laundering and corporate raiding case unveiled by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) earlier this week.

Key developments on Aug. 21: * Zelensky confirms drone attack on oil refinery in Russia's Perm * Russian double-tap strike on shopping center in Kryvyi Rih kills at least 14, injures more than 100 * Ukrainian attack on Russian air base damages Su-34 bomber * Retired FSB general found dead in Moscow, Russian media report * More than 80 Ukrainian soldiers deserted during training in Germany, media reports President Zelensky confirmed a drone strike on Russia's Perm oil refinery overnight on

The broad consensus among Russia-watchers is that the country is facing a prolonged bout of stagflation. Growth this year is unlikely to exceed 1%, and inflation is still stuck at 6% (or more). Moreover, the most promising option for reviving the economy is the least likely to be pursued, because it requires President Vladimir Putin's willingness to end the war in Ukraine. The downside risks are legion. Russian troops have barely advanced in Ukraine this year, and Russia cannot spend more on i

According to the Infrastructure Ministry, the U.S. delegation led by Kellogg was shown the damage from Russian attacks on port infrastructure and briefed on measures being taken to maintain operations.

The Akhtubinsk air base is home to Russia's 929th State Aircraft Test Center of the Ministry of Defense.

The Kyiv Independent's Deputy Chief Editor Oleksiy Sorokin and Chief Editor Olga Rudenko debate whether Ukraine could hold an election during the war, what would need to change to make it possible, and whether delaying elections indefinitely could become a threat to Ukrainian democracy.

"The Australian government (should) consider legislation to seize Russian sanctioned entity assets and consider legislation to disburse these assets to Ukraine," recommends a Senate report.

Editor's note: This story is being updated. Key takeaways: * Investigators release tapes implicating top officials in money laundering * The suspects include former presidential Deputy Chief of Staff Iryna Mudra, lawmaker Vadym Stolar, former lawmaker Maksym Mykytas, and top executives of state-owned Sense Bank * The suspects are accused of laundering Hr 150 million ($3.4 million) and transferring the funds through Sense Bank to post bail for former Justice and Energy Minister Herman Halush

The 83-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to the head in his apartment according to Russian outlets.

Governor Oleh Hryhorov said one of the strikes directly hit the building, injuring six residents, including a 16-year-old girl.

Four years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian House has been allowed to continue operating at its location on Friedrichstrasse, one of Berlin's most famous streets.

The soldiers had been sent to Germany for training before returning to Ukraine to fight Russia, according to Die Zeit.

The 27-year-old man may face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of attempting to engage in intentional foreign interference.

The meeting will take place on Ukraine's Independence Day and be the third time the grouping has met in Kyiv since it was established by France and the U.K. in March 2025, with the aim of agreeing on security guarantees for a post-ceasefire Ukraine.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 325 Ukrainian drones overnight.

The figure includes 1,390 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya claimed on Aug. 20 that mass mobilization of Russian soldiers is not currently planned, while stopping short of ruling out its possibility following next month's Russian parliamentary election.

The report follows an uptick in Russian military flights near NATO's eastern border, which NATO countries describe as "provocations" and acts of aggression meant to test the country's air defenses.

Among the targets of the latest measures are former lawmaker Yurii Ivanyushchenko and the creators of the animated Russian series "Masha and the Bear."

Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi announced that the Finance Ministry has been instructed to sell Sense Bank and transfer the proceeds to the military.

The attack has killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more, along with damage to a kindergarten, children's hospital, apartment buildings, and food warehouses.

PAVLOHRAD, DNIPROPETROVSK OBLAST — When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the city of Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, roughly 75 kilometers (45 miles) from the front line, became a relatively safe haven for those fleeing the war further east. But as the war drags on and the range of Russian weaponry increases, those living there fear their home now faces the same fate as cities in neighboring Donetsk Oblast, many of which Russia has reduced to rubble. Just a month ago, on July 20, t

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that during the daytime attacks, a critical infrastructure facility in Kyiv was "deliberately targeted" for the first time in several months.

Key developments on Aug. 20: * At least 15 dead after hours-long Russian missile, drone attack on Kyiv, children's hospital damaged * Ukraine strikes Russia's Taneco oil refinery, Tamanneftegaz terminal, General Staff confirms * Ukraine hits Russian drone-launch airfields in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied Donetsk, HUR says * Russia still has 50 Kinzhal missiles after pausing production, HUR claims * Defense ministry procurement chief announces early resignation after new minister takes offic

HUR operators struck Russian drone storage and launch sites, as well as two radar systems — the 55Zh6U Nebo-U and 55Zh6UM Niobiy, the statement read.

The tapes feature President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former Deputy Chief of Staff Iryna Mudra, lawmaker Vadym Stolar, and former lawmaker Maksym Mykytas, a law enforcement source told the Kyiv Independent.

Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has broken one of Ukraine's most politically sensitive wartime taboos by publicly calling for elections, bringing into the mainstream a debate that Kyiv had largely rejected when raised by Russia and the United States. Fedorov said Ukraine needs a "safe and realistic mechanism" to hold elections during wartime that protects the voting rights of soldiers, Ukrainians abroad, and people in front-line regions. "We must not let Putin decide when Ukrainians c