Ukrainian soldiers carry the coffin of Nazar Matlak, a Ukrainian serviceman, who was killed fighting Russian troops in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, during the funeral service on June 27, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey/Getty Images)
Ukraine has returned the bodies of 44 fallen Ukrainian soldiers from the occupied territories, the Reintegration Ministry reported on Aug. 4.
The transfer was reportedly carried out by the Office of the Commissioner for Missing Persons, Ukrainian law enforcement, the military, the Joint Center of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and international organizations.
Upon identification, the bodies of the fallen soldiers will be returned to their relatives for burial.
On July 14, Kyiv retrieved the bodies of 62 fallen service personnel.
The budget foresees Hr 4.8 trillion ($115 billion) in expenditures and Hr 2.9 trillion ($70 billion) in revenues — meaning a deficit of 18.5% of GDP, according to Kyiv-based think tank Center for Economic Strategy (CES).
Russia has centralized volunteer drone units like Rubikon into a professional system that is eroding Ukraine’s early edge in UAV warfare and threatening its front lines.
"Today we have finally restored historical justice and turned the page on years of distortions that were used for political pressure and to legitimize Russification. We have demonstrated our maturity as a European state," Language Ombudsman Olena Ivanovska said on Dec. 3.
The Kyiv Appeals Court ordered on Dec. 3 the release of Ruslan Mahamedrasulov, a detective with Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), who had been investigating the country's largest corruption case involving the state-run nuclear power monopoly Energoatom.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said that the EU would cover two-thirds of Ukraine's needs over the next two years, which she said amounts to 90 billion euros, leaving the rest to international partners.
The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek speaks with U.S. Senator Peter Welch about the bipartisan Senate backlash to the Trump administration’s 28-point Ukraine peace plan. Welch explains why the U.S. must defer to Ukraine on the terms of peace and why he supports tougher sanctions and stronger military aid to counter Russia’s aggression.
Only about 19.4% of Ukrainians consider a potential entry into NATO as the best possible security guarantee, a 10% drop from last year, according to a survey.
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Independent, under fire — and unstoppable with you on board
Independent journalism is never easy, and it’s even harder in wartime. Yet we can do it without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise — because of our community. Help us reach 25,000 members by the end of 2025.
Daria Shulzhenko
