Amid the escalating geopolitical circus, Ukrainian soldiers fighting in between order and chaos assert that the only way to stop Russia remains on the battlefield. The Kyiv Independent spent two weeks in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors of the front line in Donetsk Oblast, speaking to infantry and artillery commanders, medics, and the civilians now coming into Russia's line of fire.
While Ukraine heavily relies on foreign aid, the country’s war effort is also funded by its own people. In 2024 alone, individual volunteers and fundraisers have raised nearly $1 billion to buy critical weapons and equipment for the Ukrainian military. But why do ordinary Ukrainians continue donating when international aid exists? And how has Ukraine’s unique culture of giving become a lifeline for the country’s survival?
The Kyiv Independent team visited one of the last remaining operating mines in the Donbas region to highlight the resilience of the workers who continue their work despite danger and tough conditions.
Several months ago, most of these infantrymen were serving their sentences behind bars. Now, they are part of the 1st Separate Assault Battalion, known as "Da Vinci."
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko visited Pokrovsk and joined volunteers evacuating civilians from neighboring Selydove, stranded due to Russia’s rapid advance.
The Kyiv Independent got exclusive access to the POWs captured during the Kursk operation and interviewed them about their motivations and experience of fighting for Russia.
The Kyiv Independent traveled into Russia’s Kursk Oblast with Ukrainian soldiers during the ongoing Ukrainian cross-border offensive in the area.
Watch our exclusive report from Ukrainian infantry positions near Toretsk as Russia continues its push in Donetsk Oblast.
The Kyiv Independent visited a tank company of Ukraine's 110th Mechanized Brigade serving in one of the most intense parts of the eastern front line.
Rescuers of the Mobile Rescue Center of the State Emergency Service come to the sites of aerial attacks to sort through the most difficult rubble in search of living and dead people. We followed them to understand what it takes to be a first responder in wartime Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent follows one couple who escaped from embattled Vovchansk after losing their house and former life.
The Kyiv Independent visited Krasnohorivka, just 15 kilometers west of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, in February 2024, just two weeks before Russian forces unsuccessfully attempted to break into the city.
The Kyiv Independent visited the Shehyni-Medyka border crossing at the Polish-Ukrainian border on Feb. 14 where hundreds of trucks are unable to enter Ukraine as protestors block the border. With no end to the dispute in sight, Polish-Ukrainian relations are at risk of fraying.
Despite the West's effort to suffocate Russia's war machine through sanctions by banning export of crucial components, Western-made parts such as microchips are still found in Russian weapons. How did they end up there? Find out in our video.
Join us as we explore what Christmas in Kyiv looks like during the war, witnessing the resilient spirit of Ukrainians coming together to infuse Christmas magic into the lives of those affected by the harsh realities of Russia's ongoing aggression.
Cemeteries all across Ukraine are filled with the country’s flags, marking the graves of fallen Ukrainian soldiers who took up arms to resist the Russian invasion and paid the ultimate price. Join us in honoring their courage and dedication.
Ukraine keeps locations of Russian prisoner of war detention centers a secret. The Kyiv Independent got exclusive access to a Russian POW camp in western Ukraine, providing a glimpse into the daily life of captured soldiers.
Ruslan Lysenko and Serhii Kopyshchyk are among those who have taken on the challenge of getting back on their feet by obtaining prostheses at the Superhumans Center near Lviv. Watch their journey.
The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam had catastrophic consequences for several southern Ukrainian regions.The Kyiv Independent went to the affected areas to see the scale of the catastrophe.
Borodianka, located about 40 kilometers from Kyiv, suffered greatly from Russian airstrikes. One year later, many of its residents continue to live there either because they have nowhere else to go or because they feel emotionally attached to their hometown.
An overhaul of how the military determines bonus pay may cause more harm than good, six servicemen from multiple brigades told the Kyiv Independent. This change, which came into force in February, takes away the money that many service members need to both support their families and get vital military
These Khersonians residents were openly protesting against the occupation. But as Russia tightened its grip, some of them continued their protest in more subtle ways – despite the risks of being kidnapped or killed.
The Kyiv Independent was just a three-month-old startup when Russia launched an all-out war against Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. A year later, its team members look back at making the choice on whether to stay or flee, reporting from the front line.
In April, Russian forces wrecked the water supply line for the city of Mykolaiv. Since then, Mykolaiv residents have had no drinking water supply, relying for the past 10 months on alternative sources. Their main source of water is a system of wells.
Two survivors spoke to the Kyiv Independent about what they had endured.
Following a three-month break after the start of Russia’s all-out war, the National Opera of Ukraine resumed its performances. With some of its members serving in the army, and having dropped all Russian pieces from the repertoire, the theater team argues that art is always political. Culture Ministry: Russia
The Kyiv Independent spent a day with a family in Kyiv that is currently experiencing the hardships of living amid power outages.
In the village of Chornobaivka in Kherson Oblast, children had to hide in bomb shelters, schools were closed during occupation, and now, even after liberation, power outages and Russia's attacks make studying nearly impossible.
The liberation of Ukrainian settlements from Russian occupation inevitably comes with the revelation of new war crimes committed by Russian soldiers. In the liberated village of Chornobaivka, Kherson Oblast, at least 18 people were killed during its occupation.
ne of the recent victims of Russian barbarism is the Kherson Regional Local Lore Museum, which used to have around 180,000 exhibits in its collection. Now, the shelves of some of its halls stand completely empty.
The humanitarian situation has been worsening in Kherson since Russian forces occupied the city in March and continues to be difficult even after liberation. Local volunteers share how they helped fellow residents by delivering medicine and food .
Dozens gathered at the Kherson railway station on Nov. 19 to greet the first train from Kyiv that arrived in the city after eight months of Russia's occupation. Many have reunited with their loved ones for the first time in months.
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