You can pre-order Illia Ponomarenko's book, "I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv," on Bloomsbury or Amazon. See the end of the article for more information on the book's release. The Battle of Kyiv, one of the critical events of Russia’s full-scale invasion of
The Ukrainian military has passed another milestone by starting to master the M1 Abrams, the top-notch main battle tank to be provided by the U.S. According to the Pentagon, some 400 Ukrainians are training for the job at U.S. Army bases in Germany. After many months of deliberations
You're closely following the living history of a nation bravely resisting an imperialistic war of aggression that has inspired the world when, all of a sudden, you come across a picture of a Ukrainian soldier wearing a Totenkopf "skull and crossbones" patch or giving the Nazi salute. Rightfully so, the
When the Kremlin says something, it should always be taken with a grain of salt. When it says something about its military prowess, one should take the claim with an entire salt mine. For years, Russia’s Kinzhal missile was portrayed by the Kremlin’s propaganda machine as an invincible,
The wait is over — after almost a year of refusals and hesitation, Western-provided MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems have finally arrived and become operational in Ukraine. On April 21 and 26, Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed the full employment of two Patriot batteries. As Ukraine’s own Soviet-era air defense
The main rule of Russia's power diplomacy says: If something goes wrong with their war effort in Ukraine, reach for the nuclear intimidation card. That’s what the Kremlin did two months ago, when Vladimir Putin announced Russia would "suspend" its participation in the New START, the only remaining U.
Still unable to achieve air supremacy, Russia is nevertheless finding ways to threaten Ukraine from the sky. Early this year, Russia introduced guided bombs — essentially, the regular gravity bombs modified to be dropped by multirole fighter-bombers from safe distances and deal precise and very damaging strikes in front-line areas and
The long-running drama over the reform of UkrOboronProm, Ukraine’s problematic state-owned defense production giant, is seeing a new round amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of the country. On March 21, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers issued a decree initiating the conglomerate’s transformation into a stock company titled
The Kyiv Independent's Illia Ponomarenko sits down with military analysts Michael Kofman, director of the Russia Studies Program at CNA, and Rob Lee, senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Eurasia Program.
Feb. 24, 2022, was supposed to bring the existence of a 40-million European nation to an end. Long before the dawn of light, Ukrainian cities were set alight in blazes of burning airfields and the scattering of artillery impacts. Endless armored convoys broke into highways, and helicopters roared over the
The dramatic fight for Soledar, part of the Battle of Bakhmut, is over — although Ukraine's leadership is still reluctant to acknowledge the loss. As a result of a localized offensive operation in January, Russian forces managed to gnaw through Ukrainian defenses and, after fierce urban fighting, seize what's left of
BAKHMUT, Donetsk Oblast — It’s the last days of December and the heat of the holiday season. But an artillery battalion with Ukraine’s 24th Mechanized Infantry just couldn’t care less. For them, it’s like Groundhog Day – just another day of war that keeps repeating over and over.
In December 2021, most forecasts voiced in the media did not give Ukraine much of a chance in case of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ten months after it started on Feb. 24, 2022, experts and media discuss where Ukraine will strike next, and what else Russia can do to save
Over the last few weeks, the question of Israeli support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia has returned to the spotlight. After many months of ambiguity and silence, rumors circulating in the media suggest that Israel, amid Russia's ravaging brutality and its new alliance with Iran, secretly initiated the
The Russian defeat in Kherson Oblast was almost inevitable — but it happened sooner than many expected. The Nov. 9 announcement on Russia’s “uneasy decision” to leave Kherson, voiced by General Sergei Surovikin, has drawn the line under a months-long Ukrainian effort to undermine the Russian presence on Dnipro’s
The war in Ukrainian skies is now as intense as the battles on the ground. It’s been weeks since Russia switched to an airstrike campaign against Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure. Cities plunged into darkness, but the Ukrainian Air Force says it is steadily adapting to the threat, intercepting
Editor’s Note: The following is the transcript of the speech given by the Kyiv Independent’s defense reporter Illia Ponomarenko at the annual meeting organized by the Raam Op Rusland think tank, in Amsterdam, on Oct. 25. For republication, reach out to [email protected]. Greetings! Hello, and thank
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. BRUSSELS — Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s defense minister, was in an excellent mood after several intense days of closed-door meetings at the NATO headquarters. The Alliance hosted a meeting of defense ministers of all 30 member nations on Oct.
BRUSSELS — As Russia unfolds a massive bombing campaign against Ukraine’s vital public infrastructure, Kyiv’s international backers say they work to accelerate defense assistance — and provide Kyiv with air defense. Following a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said members of the
When Russia’s Vladimir Putin is in trouble, he threatens to start a global nuclear holocaust. The Russian president has a long history of nuclear brinksmanship, always implicit in his rhetoric yet never manifesting in reality. And now, as his war of conquest in Ukraine is failing, Putin is again
The first week of Russia's earth-quaking mobilization campaign has topped all expectations — in terms of its harshness, hastiness, and chaos. With the Russian positions in Ukraine rapidly deteriorating, the Kremlin upped the ante and risked announcing a draft. The regime aims to draft between 300,000 and over 1.2
BALAKLIIA, Kharkiv Oblast — In the early morning on Sept. 6, Alla Nikulina, an exiled school principal from the village of Verbivka, got a sudden and emotional phone call. “It’s happening,” Nikulina’s colleague was saying with her voice trembling. “Our boys are coming.” The Ukrainian military suddenly launched a
KHARKIV – In warfare, there's no such thing as a miracle. Yet what happened in early September in the east of Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast may ascend in history as the Miracle on the Oskil River. Within a few days, a Ukrainian strike prompted the collapse of the Russian front in the
Today, everyone in Ukraine knows about the Come Back Alive charity. It is everywhere — government agencies, mobile banking apps, and the biggest online marketplaces recommend it as the organization one should visit to help the Ukrainian military. Come Back Alive became one of the symbols of Ukraine’s popular war
Join our community Support Ukraine's independent journalism in its darkest hour Support us Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is already going down in history as the biggest tank slaughter Europe has seen since World War II. The Kremlin’s reckless and unsuccessful blitzkrieg on Kyiv resulted in the loss
Shock and awe roared over Kyiv Oblast in the early hours of Feb. 24, 2022. Dozens of Russian Ka-52 and Mi-8 helicopters rushed south at low altitude over the Dnipro River, carrying 200-300 elite stormtroopers with the 11th Guards Air Assault Brigade. Some of the helicopters were downed and fell
Sometimes, it just makes sense to admit that clairvoyance is a rare gift. And that not too many people can explain the future. Especially concerning things as complex as the largest European war since WWII. Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine is about to cross the six-month point. It feels
Russian heavy artillery — the Kremlin’s deadliest weapon against Ukraine — is still a superior force that has no mercy. Almost six months into the full-scale invasion, Russian advances remain generally stalled. But despite much effort with Western-provided advanced weaponry, Russia's artillery force is still inflicting heavy losses on Ukraine and
The third phase of Russia's war on Ukraine is coming. The first, the Kremlin's brazen blitzkrieg in late February that culminated in the Battle of Kyiv, failed. The months-long Battle of Donbas in Ukraine’s east making up the second phase has gotten bogged down, with Russia having barely enough
More than 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war have reportedly been killed in what is believed to be a Russian attack on a prisoner camp in Russian-occupied Donbas on July 28. This is possibly the worst crime against captive combatants since Russia launched its full-scale war. "It was a deliberate Russian
It’s been nearly a month since U.S.-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, had their long-awaited debut in Ukraine, but their combat record is already extensive. Using all the heavy and long-range weaponry available to it, including HIMARS, Ukraine began a campaign that has destroyed dozens
One way or another, according to Ukraine’s leadership, it's bound to happen. Even though the Battle of Donbas is far from over, Ukraine is expected to open the next chapter of the war sometime in the near future — a highly anticipated, major counter-offensive operation in the south, particularly to
