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Friday, January 30, 2026
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Firefighters extinguish a fire after a Russian strike on a residential building in Kryvyi Rih on Jan. 29, 2026. The attack killed one person and injured three others. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service / Telegram)
Trump claims Putin agreed not to strike Kyiv, other Ukrainian cities ‘for a week.’ “I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week,” Trump said. “And he agreed to do that.”
Ukraine repatriates bodies of 1,000 fallen soldiers. Russia confirmed that it had handed over 1,000 bodies to Ukraine under the Istanbul agreement in exchange for 38 bodies of fallen Russian soldiers, Kremlin-controlled news agency TASS reported on Jan. 29.
‘Without power, without heat’ — EU allocates over $170 million for Ukraine amid Russian attacks on energy. The funds will support protection assistance, shelter, food, cash aid, psychosocial services, and access to water and healthcare for Ukrainians affected by the attacks.
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Ukraine’s central bank cuts interest rate in first change in 10 months. The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) voted on Jan. 29 to cut its benchmark interest rate to 15%, the first change since March last year, as inflation cools and a new aid package from Europe eased pressure on the country’s finances.
Defense Ministry working with SpaceX to solve Russian use of Starlink on drones. Ukraine says it is working with SpaceX to stop Russian drones from using Starlink, after reports that satellite-connected UAVs are extending their range to strike deeper into Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine distributes boilers from Italy to support heating for up to 90,000 homes. Ukraine has distributed industrial boiler equipment delivered by Italy among communities in 10 regions as part of a broader support program aimed at strengthening the country’s heating infrastructure, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said on Jan. 29.
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‘They don’t consider their work heroic’ — 4 energy workers die amid Kyiv repairs following Russian attacks
As Kyiv’s repair crews scramble to keep the lights and heat on after repeated Russian strikes, the work has become punishing — and, in recent weeks, deadly.
Photo: Oleksandr Magula / AFP via Getty Images
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Ukraine war latest: ‘The enemy is likely preparing an offensive’ — Ukrainian forces report more aerial strikes in Pokrovsk sector
Russian troops have stepped up aerial bomb attacks in the Pokrovsk sector of Donetsk Oblast, which could signal preparations for an offensive, Yuliia Stepaniuk, head of communications for the 117th Separate Mechanized Brigade, told Suspilne on Jan. 29.
Photo: Marharyta Fal/Frontliner/Getty Images
International response
Germany’s Merz says Ukraine joining EU in 2027 ‘not possible.’ The comments come after President Volodymyr Zelensky set 2027 as the target date for Ukraine’s entry into the bloc.
Estonia warns Russian veterans could flood Europe after Ukraine war, urges EU entry ban. “We have close to 1 million combatants in Russia. They’re mainly criminals; they are very dangerous people,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. “We have information that most of them will come to Europe after the war.”
EU plans to impose 20th sanctions package against Russia on Feb. 24, Kallas says. The European Union aims to impose a 20th sanctions package against Russia on Feb. 24, the day marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters on Jan. 29.
China denies helping Russia produce Oreshnik missiles. The news comes after the Telegraph reported that China has sent Russia tools used to build Oreshnik warheads.
‘Repression cannot go unanswered’ — EU sanctions Iran over protest crackdown, Russia support. European foreign ministers also agreed to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s chief diplomat.
Lukoil agrees to sell most of its foreign assets to US investment group. The Carlyle deal does not include Lukoil’s assets in Kazakhstan and is still subject to approval by the U.S. Treasury Department, the Russian energy giant said.
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Lukoil agrees to sell most of its foreign assets to US investment group
The Carlyle deal does not include Lukoil's assets in Kazakhstan and is still subject to approval by the U.S. Treasury Department, the Russian energy giant said.Martin Fornusek (The Kyiv Independent)
Thursday, January 29, 2026
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A fire-stricken book lies on the ruins at the Holy Dormition Monastery after s Russian drone attack in Odesa, Ukraine, on Jan. 28, 2026. (Nina Liashonok/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Russia says it’s ready for Zelensky-Putin meeting — but only if Ukraine’s president travels to Moscow. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow is prepared to ensure President Volodymyr Zelensky’s security.
SBU releases greatest hits video of 2025 drone strikes on Russian aircraft. The accompanying video features first-person-view (FPV) drone footage showing $1 billion worth of Russian aircraft being targeted.
Casualties, damage to infrastructure reported as Russia launches missiles, drones at various regions of Ukraine. Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks on several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv and surrounding areas, overnight on Jan. 28, local authorities reported.
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Russian losses in Ukraine ‘more than any major power’ in any war since World War II, report says. The CSIS report, published Jan. 27, estimates that Russian forces have sustained nearly 1.2 million casualties — including troops killed, wounded or missing — since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in Feb. 2022. As many as 325,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, the report found.
Ukraine targets oil depot in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast, strikes several military facilities in occupied territories, General Staff says. Ukrainian forces struck the Khokholskaya oil depot, causing a fire at the facility that ignited stored petroleum products.
Pro-Ukrainian partisans sabotage substation in Russia’s Udmurt Republic, group claims. The Atesh partisan group sabotaged an electrical substation in Russia’s Udmurt Republic, disrupting power supply to the nearby “BUMMASH” military‑industrial plant, the group claimed in a Telegram post on Jan. 28.
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Exclusive: Trump envoy negotiating Ukraine’s fate displays ‘shocking’ lack of knowledge about war, politics
A senior U.S. envoy involved in efforts to end Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has displayed a lack of basic understanding of Ukraine’s political system and the war itself, the Kyiv Independent has learned.
Photo: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP via Getty Images
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As temperatures outside plunge, a Ukrainian pet shelter struggles to keep animals warm amid Russian attacks
Just over 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Kyiv, the Gostomel animal shelter in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast is trying to keep more than 700 cats and dogs alive and warm.
Photo: Anna Donets / The Kyiv Independent
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‘Impossible to ban grief’ — how Russia tries and fails to hide its casualties in Ukraine
Russia has tightened control over information about its battlefield losses in Ukraine, cutting off data and closing one public loophole after another. The effort has not stopped the evidence of the dead from surfacing.
Photo: Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
Human costs of war
At least 15 killed, 37 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day. Russia launched one missile and 146 drones of various types at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force reported. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 103 drones, but one missile and 36 drones struck 2 locations across the country.
Why Colombian volunteers are joining war in Ukraine
International response
Spain escorts shadow fleet vessel sanctioned for carrying Russian oil, Reuters reports. The Chariot Tide, formerly known as Marabella Sun, was flying a Mozambique flag when its engine broke down on Jan. 22 in international waters within Spain’s search-and-rescue zone.
Kyiv hoping to convince IMF to delay key condition for $8.1 billion loan. Kyiv is pushing to delay a new tax on self-employed entrepreneurs until after the war has ended, as well as raise the threshold at which entrepreneurs would start paying the levy, a person in the Ukrainian government familiar with the talks told the Kyiv Independent.
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Kyiv hoping to convince IMF to delay key condition for $8.1 billion loan
Kyiv is pushing to delay a new tax on self-employed entrepreneurs until after the war has ended, as well as raise the threshold at which entrepreneurs would start paying the levy, a person in the Ukrainian government familiar with the talks told the …Luca Léry Moffat (The Kyiv Independent)
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Yevheniia Yeremina, an 89-year-old pensioner, stands in her kitchen using a gas stove to warm her apartment, which has no electricity and heating, in Kyiv on Jan. 26, 2026, following Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. (Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images)
Russia continues attempts at breakthrough near Pokrovsk, brings up reserves, Syrskyi says. Despite the brutal conditions, Russia has still continued to push out north of the city of Pokrovsk, making occasional incremental gains according to open-source mapping projects.
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UK shipping company helped Russia raise $3.2 billion in LNG trade revenue in 2025, campaigners say. Seapeak’s share of Yamal LNG’s trade in 2025 amounted to 37.3%, more than any other company, according to Urgewald’s analysis based on Kpler data.
No matter what comes next, Ukraine Daily is there for you every morning.
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Opinions and insights
Ukraine war latest: Iranian missiles fail to take off on Ukrainian front
Iran gave hundreds of its missiles to Russia as a gift. So far, they’ve been plagued by failure. Ukrainian intelligence told the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 26 that of the over 350 Fath-360 missiles that Iran has given Russia, none have come down on Ukraine.
Photo: Iranian Leader Press Office / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Exclusive: Russian negotiators soften hardline stance in private, US officials say. Ukrainians urge caution
U.S. officials leading the talks are convinced that Russian negotiators have taken a more pragmatic tone behind closed doors than Moscow’s public hardline rhetoric suggests, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Photo: Alexander Kazakov / Pool / AFP via Getty Images
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Russia tightens passport rules for children in occupied Ukraine, complicating escape, activists say
A new Russian law requires Ukrainian children in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine to obtain Russian international passports to travel abroad; experts say the move complicates efforts to flee the occupation. A law that took effect Jan. 20 bars children under 14 from traveling abroad without a Russian international passport, Russian state media outlet TASS reported.
Photo: Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images
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Fact-check: Russia’s ‘most successful disinformation campaign’ targets free speech in Europe
Moscow’s propaganda machine has been hard at work depicting Europe as a “digital gulag,” hellbent on suppressing free speech online.
The latest campaign has targeted efforts by the U.K. and the EU to regulate X (formerly Twitter), even as the platform remains blocked in Russia, alongside Facebook, Instagram, and others.
Photo: Contributor / Getty Images
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Exclusive: Iran gave Russia over 350 Fath-360 missiles. Ukraine has yet to see one launched
Russia has not carried out a single confirmed launch of an Iranian-made ballistic missile against Ukraine during the full-scale war, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 26.
Photo: Fars Media Corporation/Wikipedia
International response
EU gives final approval to ban on Russian gas by 2027. A full ban on Russian LNG will take effect in early 2027, followed by pipeline gas imports in the autumn of that year.
Hungary, Slovakia to challenge EU Russian gas ban in court. Hungary and Slovakia plan to sue the European Union over its REPowerEU plan to phase out imports of Russian oil and gas, officials wrote on Jan. 26.
How Ukrainian soldiers cope with subzero temperatures | Ukraine This Week
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🇷🇺 🇺🇦 #Russia’s overnight missile and drone attack disrupted electricity and water service on #Kyiv’s left bank early Jan. 20 and injured one person, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, as the capital faces freezing temperatures and a deepening energy crisis.
kyivindependent.com/russia-att…
Russia targets nuclear power plant substations, thousands in Kyiv without power, water
At least one person in Kyiv has been injured, local authorities reported. Ukraine's Air Force has warned that Russian ballistic missiles are targeting multiple regions, including the capital.Abbey Fenbert (The Kyiv Independent)
🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Already facing chronic power shortages in freezing temperatures, #Kyiv's energy infrastructure was once again the target of Russian drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles overnight on Jan. 13 which came just four days after the last mass attack.
kyivindependent.com/russian-ba…
#ukraine #russia #russianwarCrimes
70% of Kyiv without electricity after Russia hammers Ukraine once again with drones, cruise, ballistic missiles
According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia launched 18 ballistic missiles, seven cruise missiles, as well as 293 Shahed-type drones.Volodymyr Ivanyshyn (The Kyiv Independent)
Monday, January 5, 2026
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
First responders work at the site of a Russian drone attack in Kyiv in the early hours of Jan. 5. (State Emergency Service / Telegram)
Russia targets capital and Kyiv Oblast, killing at least 2, damaging medical center. A privately owned medical center in Kyiv’s Obolonskyi district was damaged in the attack, and at least two people were injured, according to Tymur Tkachenko, who heads the Kyiv City Military Administration.
‘We don’t believe that happened’ — Trump dismisses Putin’s claim of Ukrainian attack on his residence. Russia had publicly accused Ukraine of launching 91 drones toward a residence used by Putin — a claim Putin personally conveyed to Trump during the phone call.
Russian missile parts factory in flames after Ukrainian drone attack, media report. The Energia factory in Lipetsk Oblast produces components for Russian missiles and drones, including batteries for the Iskander ballistic missile system and cruise missiles.
Ukrainian drones target Moscow, trigger airport closures, Russia says. Russian air defense systems shot down 132 Ukrainian drones overnight on Jan. 3-4, including 11 intercepted over Moscow Oblast, the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed.
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Ukraine prepared to continue fighting if diplomacy with Russia fails, Zelensky says. Kyiv is ready for “both options,” Zelensky said: the diplomatic track, or ongoing active defense against Russia. “Ukraine will never surrender,” he added.
Ukraine denies Russia’s claim of capturing town near Pokrovsk, maintains ‘control over key positions.’ “Control over key positions is maintained. The enemy is suffering significant losses in manpower and equipment,” Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces said.
Ukraine slaps sanctions on companies supplying Russia’s military industry. The new measures target 95 individuals and 70 entities, including manufacturers of communications, electronic warfare, and microelectronics for Russia’s military-industrial complex and security agencies.
Soldier injured in car explosion, classified as terror attack in Kyiv. The blast occurred as the soldier was opening the trunk of his car, the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office said.
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**Ukraine war latest: Ukraine denies Russia’s claim of capturing town near Pokrovsk, maintains ‘control over key positions’
**
Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces refuted on Jan. 4 Russia’s reports about the capture of the town of Rodynske in Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainian soldiers continue to hold the defense inside Rodynske and its outskirts, the military said.
Photo: Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Russian missile attack on Kharkiv kills 6 people, including 3-year-old-child, injures at least 31. The death toll has risen as rescue workers uncover the remains of more victims buried beneath the rubble of a destroyed apartment building.
Russian attacks kill 4, injure 5 in Ukraine over past day. Ukrainian forces downed 39 out of the 52 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Thirteen drones struck nine different locations, according to the statement.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,211,530 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.
The number includes 900 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day, the General Staff said.
Global sport reopens doors to Russia | Ukraine This Week
In other news
After US attack on Venezuela, Trump’s Greenland ambitions spark renewed alarm. “We do need Greenland, absolutely,” Trump told the Atlantic in an interview on Jan. 4, saying the island is “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.”
Serbia’s Russian-owned oil refinery to resume operations in mid-January, Vucic says. NIS, one of the few remaining Russian energy assets operating in Europe, was sanctioned by Washington last January as part of broader efforts to restrict Russian energy exports.
Zelensky dismisses Deineko as head of State Border Guard, names First Deputy Vavryniuk interim chief. Deineko has been appointed as an adviser to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. A permanent replacement to lead the State Border Guard Service will be named shortly, Zelensky said.
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🇷🇺 🇺🇦 An overnight Russian air attack on #Kyiv and its region killed two people, #Ukraine’s authorities said on Monday, in what appeared to be the first reported deaths in Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital this year.
Saturday, December 20, 2025
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Polish President Karol Nawrocki and President Volodymyr Zelensky inspect the Polish Army Representative Regiment during the welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, on December 19, 2025. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Russia attacks Odesa Oblast with ballistic missiles, at least 7 killed, 15 injured. Russian ballistic missiles “massively attacked” a port facility in the region, Governor Oleh Kiper said. Seven are dead and 15 injured victims have been hospitalized.
Ukrainian drones hit Russia’s shadow fleet tanker in Mediterranean Sea for the first time, source says. In “a new unprecedented special operation” in neutral waters more than 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine, Russia’s QENDIL tanker sustained “critical damage” and can no longer be used for its intended purpose, the source claimed.
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Ukraine says 1,003 bodies of fallen soldiers return home. Ukraine will conduct necessary examinations to identify the bodies, which Russia says belong to Ukrainian soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
Ukraine’s delegation meets American officials in US for new round of talks. “We agreed with our American partners on further steps and the continuation of our joint work in the near future,” delegation leader Rustem Umerov said after the meeting.
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Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian drones hit Russia’s oil platform in the Caspian Sea and shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) struck a Russian oil platform in the Caspian Sea with drones for a fourth time in recent weeks, a source in the agency said on Dec. 19. The SBU’s Alpha Special Operations Center’s drones hit an oil rig run by Russian oil giant Lukoil, the source said.
“The SBU continues to systematically reduce oil dollar revenues to the Russian war budget,” the Security Service source told the Kyiv Independent. “All facilities that provide funding for the aggression against Ukraine are absolutely legitimate targets.”
Image: Ukraine’s Security Service
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Investigation: Sick Ukrainian children exploited in fraudulent charity campaigns linked to US, Israel
When scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, one may come across ads showing a crying child in a hospital bed, accompanied by a heartbreaking plea for donations to treat the child’s cancer. The message is always urgent, stating that a child suffers from a severe form of cancer and needs treatment in the U.S.
The Kyiv Independent identified several children and their parents featured in these campaigns and found that they live in Ukraine with no plans to receive treatment in the U.S. Each family has received less than $2,000 out of the $600,000 to $700,000 intended to be raised.
Photo: Karolina Gulshani / The Kyiv Independent
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International response
‘Without independent Ukraine, Russia will come for Poland,’ Zelensky says as he meets Nawrocki. “There are sometimes difficult moments in our societies, but as presidents, we must define policies that keep us united. Without our independence, Moscow will inevitably push further into Europe and will come for Poland,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Warsaw.
Opinions and insights
Fact-check: Debunking Russian propaganda about ‘persecution of Christians’ in Ukraine
The supposed “persecution of Christians” in Ukraine ranks among the most popular tropes of Russian disinformation. Kremlin propaganda has sought to cast the state’s push to limit the influence of the Kremlin-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) — whose clergymen have aided Russia during the war — as an assault on Christians.
Image: Roman Pilipey / AFP / Getty Images
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Putin says Russia never attacked Ukraine, outlines conditions for war with Europe
Russian President Vladimir Putin used his annual end-of-year press conference on Dec. 19 to reaffirm the Kremlin’s maximalist demands for ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, rejecting territorial compromise while repeating false claims about the invasion. Opening the tightly choreographed event, Putin said Moscow remains willing to engage in peace talks only on the terms he first outlined last year.
Photo: Sefa Karacan/Anadolu via Getty Images
In other news
US launches large-scale strike in Syria targeting ISIS. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X.
US ‘not concerned’ about Russia as it ramps up aggression against Venezuela, Rubio says. “We’re not concerned about an escalation with Russia, with regards to Venezuela … I think they have their hands full in Ukraine,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Dec. 19.
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US 'not concerned' about Russia as it ramps up aggression against Venezuela, Rubio says
"We're not concerned about an escalation with Russia, with regards to Venezuela ... I think they have their hands full in Ukraine," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Dec. 19.Abbey Fenbert (The Kyiv Independent)
Saturday, December 13, 2025
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky films an address near the entrance to the front line city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast on Dec.12, 2025, amid reports of successful Ukrainian counterattack in the region. (President Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram)
‘Reality speaks for itself’ — From war-torn Kupiansk, Zelensky praises troops after reports of successful Ukrainian counterattack. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised troops in the Kupiansk direction and said battlefield gains strengthen Ukraine’s diplomatic position, as the National Guard’s 2nd Khartiia Corps reported a counterattack north of the city.
Witkoff to meet Zelensky, European leaders over the weekend to discuss US peace plan, WSJ reports. The reported meeting involving Zelensky follows news that Kyiv and its European partners handed Washington their revisions to the U.S.-proposed peace framework, with territorial concessions dominating tensions between the parties.
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Ukraine confirms drone strike on major Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl. Russia’s Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl, one of the country’s five largest, is reportedly on fire after being struck in an overnight drone attack on Dec. 12, officials and local Telegram channels said.
Explosions reported at Russian oil refinery amid drone attack. Explosions were reported in Russia’s Saratov Oblast overnight on Dec. 13 as officials warned of a possible drone attack, with unverified local reports indicating the Saratov oil refinery had been targeted.
Ukraine strikes Russian oil facilities in Caspian Sea again, SBU source says. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) carried out a second drone strike this week on Russia’s Vladimir Filanovsky oil production platform in the Caspian Sea, also hitting the nearby Korchagin platform, an SBU source said Dec. 12.
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Ukraine war latest: ‘No military purpose’ — Russia strikes cargo ship in Odesa Oblast
Russian forces launched a missile strike on the civilian port of Chornomorsk in Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast, damaging a cargo ship, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 12.
Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine / DSNS
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Peace plan drama — Ukraine and Europe hand US revisions as Trump grows ‘sick of meetings’
Ukraine and its European partners have handed Washington their revisions to the U.S.-proposed peace framework aimed at ending Russia’s war, the Kyiv Independent has learned.
Photo: Roberto Schmidt / Henry Nicholls – WPA Pool / Getty Images / Collage by the Kyiv Independent
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Explainer: Why Russia’s nuclear industry has escaped major sanctions
Since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly threatened the use of atomic weapons, yet its much-prized nuclear industry has faced little in the way of meaningful sanctions.
Photo: Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images
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EU indefinitely freezes Russian assets, moving closer to financial lifeline for Ukraine
The European Union has agreed to indefinitely freeze Russian central bank reserves, moving the bloc a step closer to securing a financial lifeline to Kyiv as the war heads into its fourth year.
Photo: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
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Opinions and insights
Ukraine world’s deadliest conflict in 2025 despite US-brokered peace talks, analysis finds
Russia’s war in Ukraine was the world’s deadliest conflict in 2025, according to a new report that tracks conflicts globally, despite U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the nearly four-year invasion.
Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images
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15 Ukrainians are suing US tech factories over chips in Russia’s deadly weapons
Despite years of sanctions and export controls, U.S.-made electronic components — which have unique markings and cannot be copied — continue to appear in Russian cruise missiles and drones. Investigations have repeatedly found these chips inside weapons used in some of the war’s most devastating attacks.
Photo: Anya Korzun
Russia’s air defenses have a Flamingo-sized weak spot, report suggests
Ukraine’s domestically produced cruise missiles could help deal a devastating blow to Russia’s air defense production, enabling increasingly effective long-range drone strikes against other targets inside Russia, a new report published on Dec. 12 says.
Photo: militarnyi.com
International response
Europe must prepare for war with Russia, NATO chief warns. “We must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned.
Moscow files lawsuit against Euroclear as Russian assets debate continues. The Russian Central Bank said in a press release that it had sued Euroclear, the Belgian financial institution holding the vast majority of Europe’s frozen assets, in a Moscow court on Dec. 12.
In other news
SBU says it detained 3 suspected Russian agents over deadly Kyiv bombing that killed National Guard serviceman. Ukraine’s Security Service said Friday that it detained three men suspected of planting two homemade bombs that killed a National Guard serviceman and wounded four other people in Kyiv a day earlier.
‘I will come after each of you’ — Ukraine’s prosecutor general threatens critics after resignation rumors. “You don’t need to hide; I will come after each of you personally,” said Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, responding to a wave of anonymous posts alleging he had submitted a letter of resignation.
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'I will come after each of you' — Ukraine's prosecutor general threatens critics after resignation rumors
"You don't need to hide; I will come after each of you personally," said Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, responding to a wave of anonymous posts alleging he had submitted a letter of resignation.Tim Zadorozhnyy (The Kyiv Independent)
EU to Trump: Putin must not be pardoned for war crimes
The European Union has warned that US President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker peace in Ukraine must not allow Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to escapeBYTESEU (Bytes Europe)
Russia declares #HumanRightsWatch an 'undesirable organization'
“Our work hasn’t changed, but what’s changed, dramatically, is the [Russian] government’s full-throttled embrace of #dictatorial policies, its staggering rise in #repression, and the scope of the #WarCrimes its forces are committing in #Ukraine,” said Philippe Bolopion, executive director at Human Rights Watch.
The designation under #Russia's controversial "undesirable organizations" law prohibits groups from operating within Russia and makes it a criminal offense for individuals to participate in their activities. The law has been widely criticized by #HumanRights advocates.
kyivindependent.com/russia-dec…
#RussianAggression #RussianWarCrimes
Russia declares Human Rights Watch an 'undesirable organization'
Russia’s Ministry of Justice has designated Human Rights Watch an “undesirable organization,” effectively banning the group from operating in the country, on Nov. 28.Sonya Bandouil (The Kyiv Independent)
Russia declares #HumanRightsWatch undesirable organization
Our work hasn’t changed, what’s changed is #Russian government’s full-throttled embrace of #dictatorial policies, staggering rise in #repression, & scope #WarCrimes its committing in #Ukraine
The designation prohibits groups from operating within Russia & makes it a criminal offense for individuals to participate in their activities
kyivindependent.com/russia-dec…
#RussianAggression #RussianWarCrimes
Russia declares Human Rights Watch an 'undesirable organization'
Russia’s Ministry of Justice has designated Human Rights Watch an “undesirable organization,” effectively banning the group from operating in the country, on Nov. 28.Sonya Bandouil (The Kyiv Independent)
Friday, November 28, 2025
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A screenshot of footage that purports to show a drone attack on Saratov, Russia overnight on Nov. 28, 2025. (ExileNova+/Telegram)
Explosions reported in several Russian cities amid Ukrainian drone attack.
Explosions were reported in several Russian cities, including Taganrog, Novorossiysk, and Saratov, overnight on Nov. 28 amid a widespread drone attack.
Amid chaotic Ukrainian withdrawal, Russian forces reportedly execute 5 POWs in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. At least five Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were executed by Russian soldiers amid a chaotic withdrawal near Huliaipole, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, it was reported on Nov. 27.
Putin demands Ukrainian troops withdraw before ceasefire, as Witkoff set to visit Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 27 reiterated his demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from their current positions as a condition for a ceasefire, even as the U.S. attempts to reinvigorate peace talks.
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US to discuss Ukraine security guarantees after peace deal signed, Rubio tells allies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured allies during a Nov. 25 call that the U.S. plans to address security guarantees once an agreement is reached, Politico reported.
Explosion, possible drone strike reported in Grozny, Chechnya.
An explosion occurred at a military base in Grozny, Chechnya, several Telegram channels reported on Nov. 27.
Occupation authorities to send 400 Ukrainian children to Russia for mandatory ‘exchange’ program. Approximately 400 Ukrainian children will be sent to Russia from occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast for a mandatory “exchange” program by year’s end, the Center for National Resistance (CNR) reported on Nov. 27.
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Ukraine war latest live: Russia presses Huliaipole front, DeepState says situation stabilizing
A Ukrainian unit withdrew from its position near Huliaipol in an ‘uncoordinated manner,’ allowing Russian troops to penetrate the flanks of Ukrainian forces, Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces, said on Nov. 27.
Photo: Oles Kromplias/Global Images Ukraine
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In bomb-shelter classrooms, Ukrainian university students turn to weapons engineering
The needs of the war effort and, particularly, Ukraine’s new defense industry are changing the job market for new graduates in Ukraine. Students of a techie bent are increasingly turning away from software development and toward hard engineering to deliver future weapons.
Photo: Serhii Korovayny / The Kyiv Independent
Russia’s coy game: Why Kremlin won’t commit to Trump’s peace push
Even though the original peace plan unveiled by the U.S. last week was skewed in Russia’s favor, it is not clear if Moscow would have accepted it since it still falls short of its sweeping demands.
Observers note that Moscow has never clearly signaled readiness to accept the proposals.
Photo: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
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Opinions and insights
The light Ukraine cannot lose: Justice
“Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure have brought rolling blackouts back to Kyiv,” writes Assistant Researcher with Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia Division, Kseniya Kvitka.
“Our food, our movement, and, more often than not, our mental health are dictated by the schedule of power outages that change depending on the scale of Russia’s latest strikes.”
Photo: Serhii Korovayny / The Kyiv Independent
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The wrong way to peace in Ukraine
“(U.S. President Donald) Trump’s yearning to win a Nobel Peace Prize – one of the most well-known vulnerabilities in the history of international relations – has led to an ill-conceived attempt at a peace settlement that, if implemented, all but ensures future conflict,” writes
American author and historian Timothy Snyder.
“Besides the basic injustice of allowing an aggressor to decide the outcome of the war it started, there are six fundamental problems with this ‘peace’ plan.”
Photo: Graeme Sloan / Bloomberg / Getty Images
International response
‘Historical precedent’ — Ukraine, UK sign license agreement for Octopus interceptor drones. Ukraine and the U.K. have signed a license agreement to produce Octopus interceptor drones, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Nov. 27.
In other news
Ukrainian oligarchs fail to pay $3 billion fine in landmark Privatbank case.
Given two weeks to voluntarily pay the sum in a landmark ruling on Nov. 10, notorious Ukrainian oligarchs Ihor Kolomoisky and Hennadiy Boholyubov failed to make any payments before a Nov. 24 deadline, PrivatBank said in a statement.
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan damaged after Russia’s ‘Soyuz’ launch to the International Space Station. Russia’s Roscosmos space agency reported that the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan sustained significant damage during the Soyuz MS-28 launch to the International Space Station, according to multiple Russian media reports published on Nov. 27.
Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream case extradited to Germany.
A Ukrainian national was extradited to Germany on Nov. 27 over suspected involvement in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Reuters reported, citing Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office.
Ukraine ex-energy chief saga drags on as political pressure stalls case, critics say. A Kyiv court delayed the appeal of the former head of Ukraine’s state-owned national power company until mid-December, a step that seems aimed at dragging out what is widely considered a politically motivated case.
Company news
The Kyiv Independent introduces a new e-store collection inspired by the history of the Ukrainian Trident. The Kyiv Independent has launched a new collection, “The Ukrainian Trident — Through History and Modernity,” designed to visualize the symbol of Ukrainian sovereignty in its diversity.
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Tuesday, November 25, 2025
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze in a high-rise apartment building hit by a Russian attack in Kyiv on Nov. 25, 2025. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service / Telegram)
Ukrainian homes burn as Russian missiles hit Kyiv — at least 2 killed, 7 injured in mass attack. Several multistory residential buildings caught fire and at least two people have been killed in what the Energy Ministry called “a massive combined attack…on infrastructure facilities.”
Russian forces attempt to push Ukrainian army from eastern bank of Oskil River in Kharkiv Oblast, military says. While the situation in the settlements of Kupiansk and Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi remains unchanged, Russian troops are trying to advance east of them.
Ukraine’s drones strike Russian chemical factory in Crimea, number of energy facilities ‘blacked out.’ The Brom plant is a major manufacturer of bromine and related salts, the only one of its kind in Eastern Europe.
Ukrainian drones target Russian military aircraft manufacturer in reported strikes. In Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, a fire reportedly broke out at the Beriev Aircraft Company, which produces Russian amphibious seaplanes and the rare A-50 spy plane.
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Kremlin rejects European counter-proposal to US peace plan for Ukraine. Kyiv’s European partners reportedly pitched the plan as a counter-proposal to a 28-point document backed by the Trump administration, which was criticized for heavily favoring Russia.
Ukraine reiterates its ‘red lines’ amid speculations about military size, territory. Ukraine remains ready for peace talks with Russia but will never legally recognize the Russian occupation or accept restrictions on its army size or alliances, Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said.
US 28-point peace plan cut down after talks, new draft includes ‘right elements,’ Zelensky says. The revised version is more aligned with Ukraine’s position, but negotiating a final agreement is “very difficult,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 25.
Ukraine says no plans for Trump-Zelensky meeting yet, despite media reports. There are no plans for the president’s next visit to the U.S. so far, but no options are off the table, the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington told the Kyiv Independent on Nov. 24.
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Russian strikes spared Ukraine’s nuclear plants. Corruption didn’t
While Russian attacks pounded Ukraine’s power system, one energy company was mostly unscathed — becoming the cash cow behind the largest corruption scheme of Zelensky’s term.
Photo: Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images
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How Russia’s propaganda machine weaponizes mobilization in Ukraine
As Ukraine faces the grueling demands of prolonged war, its mobilization system has become an especially sensitive topic — precisely the space where Russian disinformation thrives.
Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos / Getty Images
Human cost of war
At least 6 killed, 36 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 125 drones. Thirty-seven drones made it through, striking 15 locations, while debris from downed drones fell on one additional site.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,166,450 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. Russia has lost around 1,166,450 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Nov. 24.
International response
Czech company accused of overcharging Ukraine for drones, media reports. A Czech company has been accused of selling Chinese-made drones to Ukraine at steep markups — sometimes nearly 20 times the original price — and is under investigation for alleged tax evasion, Czech media reported on Nov. 24.
Poland charges another Ukrainian over suspected Russian-backed railway sabotage. Volodymyr B. was charged with assisting what Warsaw called an “unprecedented act of sabotage,” allegedly orchestrated by Russian intelligence.
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In other news
Ukrainian agencies deny preparing charges against head of Zelensky’s faction, chief anti-graft prosecutor. The report comes amid speculation that the President’s Office was allegedly preparing to retaliate against Klymenko and Arakhamia over their independent stances on a large-scale corruption scandal at state nuclear power monopoly Energoatom.
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Ukrainian agencies deny preparing charges against head of Zelensky's faction, chief anti-graft prosecutor
The report comes amid speculation that the President's Office was allegedly preparing to retaliate against Klymenko and Arakhamia over their independent stances on a large-scale corruption scandal at state nuclear power monopoly Energoatom.Oleg Sukhov (The Kyiv Independent)
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
France’s President Emmanuel Macron (R) and President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) shake hands after signing an arms agreement on November 17, 2025. (Christophe Ena / POOL / AFP / Getty Images)
Mike Pompeo joins advisory board of scrutinized Ukrainian defense firm Fire Point. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has joined the advisory board of a Ukrainian defense company known for its Flamingo long-range missiles, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Nov. 17, citing the company’s executives.
Russia’s largest silicon plant ‘forced’ to halt output as demand collapses. Kremniy, located in east-central Irkutsk Oblast, is the country’s largest refined silicon producer with a yearly capacity of 34,000 tons.
Ukraine’s HUR releases new data on foreign equipment used in Russian weapons, focusing on eastern Asian companies. Ukraine has long highlighted Western and foreign components used in Russian weapons to call for tougher sanctions.
Ukraine to purchase 100 Rafale jets, Zelensky says after signing defense declaration with Macron. Zelensky told TF1-LCI news channel that Ukraine aims to buy 100 Dassault-made Rafale fighters, a 4.5-generation multirole aircraft.
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Russia’s flagship oil price drops as buyers retreat ahead of US sanctions. Discounts on Urals relative to Brent reached $23.5 per barrel, the widest gap since June 2023.
‘Our defense is falling apart’ — Prominent Ukrainian activist criticizes military, political leadership. Sternenko’s warning comes as Russian troops pierce through Ukrainian defenses on multiple hot spot sectors of the war.
IMF and Ukraine begin talks for new loan program amid looming financing shortfall. “The discussions will cover the authorities’ economic policy objectives (…) and structural policies to strengthen governance, combat corruption, and enhance growth,” Priscilla Toffano, the IMF’s representative in Ukraine, said in a press release.
Ukraine reportedly strikes thermal power plant in occupied Donetsk Oblast. Videos posted on social media appear to show a large explosion and subsequent fire emanating from the Zuivska Thermal Power Plant in the occupied community of Zuhres in Donetsk Oblast, following a projectile strike on the target.
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Ukraine war latest: Russia bombed itself 8 times in 11 days, HUR intercepted call suggests
A Russian woman living in Belgorod Oblast has said that Russian forces dropped eight bombs in the area over the course of 11 days, according to an intercepted call released by Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) on Nov. 17.
Photo: Stringer / AFP
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From Poseidon to Kinzhal: Why Russia’s ‘super weapons’ may matter less than the Kremlin claims
For the first time in years, the Kremlin has officially claimed to have tested one of its so-called “super weapons” — the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile — one of six “next-generation” strategic arms introduced in 2018.
Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense / Telegram
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Several law enforcement agencies come under fire over alleged involvement in Ukraine’s biggest graft scheme
Several law enforcement agencies were lambasted by a parliamentary commission on Nov. 17 for failing to investigate their employees’ alleged involvement in a large-scale corruption scheme at state nuclear power company Energoatom.
Photo: Ihor Kuznietsov / Novyny LIVE/ Global Images Ukraine / Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Russian missile strike on Kharkiv Oblast kills 3, wounds 15, including 3 children. “Unfortunately, calls about possible victims continue to come in,” authorities said.
International response
‘Act of sabotage’ — Explosion hits Polish railway track used for Ukraine aid shipments, Warsaw says. “We will catch the perpetrators, whoever they are,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, noting that the route was “crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine.”
Romania evacuates border village after Russian drone struck LPG tanker at Ukrainian port. Between 100 and 150 people are to be evacuated from the Plauru village, which lies just across the Danube River from the Ukrainian port city of Izmail, hit by a Russian drone attack overnight.
Poland reopens 2 border crossings with Belarus after their years-long closure. Poland reopened the Kuznica and Bobrowniki crossings with Belarus after they had been closed for years, citing economic reasons and strengthened security along the eastern frontier.
As reparations loan talks stall, EU proposes 90 billion euro grant to cover Ukraine’s financing needs. Based on International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates, the EU expects that if the Russia-Ukraine war ends in 2026, Kyiv will face a financial gap of 135.7 billion euros ($157 billion) in the 2026-2027 period.
Poland in ‘pre-war’ period amid increased Russian sabotage efforts, top Polish general says. Russia has begun preparing for war with Poland as Moscow continues to scale its cyberattack and acts of sabotage on Polish soil, the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Wieslaw Kukula said on Nov. 17.
Congress to move on legislating Russia sanctions bill following Trump’s ‘blessing,’ US Senator Graham says. The United States Congress will renew its efforts to move forward in an attempt to pass a Russia sanctions bill into law, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham announced on Nov. 17.
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Several law enforcement agencies come under fire over alleged involvement in Ukraine's biggest graft scheme
Several law enforcement agencies were lambasted by a parliamentary commission on Nov. 17 for failing to investigate their employees' alleged involvement in a large-scale corruption scheme at state nuclear power company Energoatom.Oleg Sukhov (The Kyiv Independent)
Thursday, November 13, 2025
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Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A drone attack on Russian Stavrolen petrochemical enterprise, Nov. 12, 2025. (Exilenova+/Telegram)
Ukraine withdraws from positions near another settlement in Zaporizhzhia Oblast amid ongoing Russian offensive. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the village of Rivnopillia in northeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast late on Nov. 11, Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces reported.
Russia establishes Unmanned Systems Forces, Ukraine says it’s just ‘copying our successful approaches.’ A separate branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces dedicated to unmanned systems was formed in 2024.
SBU exposes Russian agent from Crimea planning terrorist attacks on Kyiv metro and malls. A 55-year-old resident of Crimea, the alleged organizer of terrorist attacks, has been charged in absentia.
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UK backchannel contacts failed to develop, Kremlin says. The comments follow reporting by the Financial Times (FT) that British national security advisor Jonathan Powell tried to open a backchannel with Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov earlier this year.
Ukraine’s foreign minister meets Rubio, other G7 partners to push for defense, energy support. After talking to Rubio at the G7 meeting in Canada, Sybiha praised Trump’s “peace efforts and very effective energy sanctions against Russia.”
Ukraine’s Special Forces confirm ‘successful fire attack‘ on Russia’s Stavrolen petrochemical plant. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces confirmed its “successful fire attack” on Stavrolen petrochemical enterprise, a Lukoil-owned petrochemical complex in Budyonnovsk, southern Russia, overnight on Nov. 12.
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Biggest corruption scandal of Zelensky’s presidency is in his own ranks
During his presidential campaign, Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted two key failings of then-President Petro Poroshenko: corruption and nepotism.
Six years into his own presidency, Zelensky has found himself on the receiving end of the exact same criticism.
Photo: Celestino Arce/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Analysis: With all eyes on Pokrovsk, Russia drives forward in Zaporizhzhia Oblast
On November 11th, the same day that Russia’s wretched Mad Max–style convoy of troops was filmed entering Pokrovsk through the fog, the Ukrainian military announced its withdrawal from five villages north of the small city of Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
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An investor’s guide to Ukraine
As it became clear that the war would not end any time soon, the hype around reconstruction quickly evaporated. Since then, many foreign investors have preferred to stay on the sidelines, attending conferences while waiting to come after the war ends.
But there are those who have invested and found success, undeterred by the risks and idiosyncrasies of doing business in wartime Ukraine.
Photo: Mykhaylo Palinchak / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images
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Ukraine war latest: Recent Russian assault on light equipment in direction of Pokrovsk was ‘partially successful,’ Ukraine’s military says
A large-scale assault by Russian troops in light vehicles on the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast was “partially successful,” the 7th Corps of Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces reported on Nov. 12.
Photo: Taras Ibragimov/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC “UA:PBC”/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Opinions and insights
Today we start a new chapter
Our fourth year was a challenging one. The
exhaustion of the war builds up, making every next year a harder one. But also, the news cycle was…something else.
Who helped us through it? Our community.
Never have we gotten so much support and
appreciation from our readers and members as during this tumultuous year. On behalf of the whole team — thank you all so much.
Photo: Kyiv Independent
Brazilian fighter on South American crime links to foreign volunteers in Ukraine
In other news
Zelensky to impose sanctions against close associate following large-scale corruption probe, source says. The two are implicated in the $100 million corruption scandal centered on the state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom, which has rocked the country since Monday.
Prosecutors describe influence-peddling network in Ukraine’s biggest graft case. Specifically, suspects in the Energoatom corruption case have discussed who should be appointed to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko’s Cabinet and whether Justice Minister Halushchenko should be appointed as ambassador to the U.S.
Two Ukrainian ministers implicated in major corruption scandal step down. Halushchenko is being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) as part of a large-scale corruption case into Energoatom involving Timur Mindich, a close associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Energoatom corruption scheme suspects funded luxury houses for top officials, journalists say. Ex-Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov was financing a construction of high-end houses near Kyiv. The money he spent was obtained through the energy corruption scheme now rocking Ukraine, the Bihus.info investigative journalism project reported on Nov. 12.
Congress votes to reopen government after longest shutdown in US history.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Nov. 12 to reopen the federal government and end a 43-day shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, multiple outlets reported.
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Sunday, November 9, 2025
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
Dark streets and residential buildings during a major blackout in Kyiv on November 8, 2025, following massive Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. (Maxym Marusenko / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Commander charged with negligence after Russia hits military award ceremony in eastern Ukraine. The Russian strike killed 12 servicemen and seven civilians, while 36 others were injured, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Ukraine’s state-owned energy company says all of its power plants are down after Russia’s ‘largest-ever attack.’ The recent Russian attack destroyed all restored capacity, leaving the plants generating no power, the state-owned energy company Centrenergo said on Nov. 8.
Russian Ka-226 helicopter crashes in Dagestan, killing weapons plant employees. The Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant produces equipment for Russian Sukhoi and MiG aircraft and has been sanctioned for its role in the war against Ukraine.
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Kyiv faces over 12 hours of emergency power cuts following ‘one of the largest’ Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Russia launched yet another wide-ranging attack on Ukrainian cities overnight on Nov. 8, using a combination of drone and missiles to strike targets across the country.
Ukrainian attacks in Russia’s Belgorod, Kursk oblasts leave over 20,000 without power. A local power plant was reportedly damaged, causing widespread blackouts in the city of Belgorod and the surrounding region.
Russia targeted substations powering nuclear plants during large-scale overnight energy attacks, Sybiha says. Russian forces targeted energy substations that power the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants overnight on Nov. 7-8, amid its large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
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War Notes
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‘We had only a few seconds before it hit’ — Russian drones force journalists farther from Ukraine’s front lines
With incessant Russian drones flying all over areas near the front that once were safer, it has become increasingly difficult for journalists covering the war in Ukraine to keep doing their jobs. In October alone, three journalists were killed and five were wounded while working in eastern Donetsk Oblast. The Russian attacks happened relatively far from the front, sometimes more than 20 kilometers (12 miles) away.
Photo: Artem Stepanov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
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Human costs of war
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,150,100 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The number includes 1,190 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Russian attacks kill at least 11, injure 44 in Ukraine over past day. Ukrainian forces downed 406 out of the 458 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Russia also launched 45 cruise and ballistic missiles, nine of which were downed, the statement said.
Russia strikes residential building in Dnipro, killing 3, injuring 12. Russia carried out a drone attack on the city of Dnipro overnight on Nov. 8, killing at least three people and injuring 12 others, including two children, officials reported.
One night with interceptor drone squad hunting Russian Shaheds
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Saturday, November 8, 2025
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
The aftermath of a Russian drone attack on a residential building in Dnipro overnight on Nov. 8, 2025. The attack killed one person and injured 11 others, including two children. (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Vladyslav Haivanenko/Telegram)
Russia launches ‘massive’ missile attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, drone attack sparks fires in Kyiv. Russia launched yet another wide-ranging attack on Ukrainian cities overnight on Nov. 8, using a combination of drone and missiles to strike targets across the country.
Drones hit key Russian petrochemical plant in Republic of Bashkortostan, Ukraine’s HUR says. HUR claims that the drone strike on Nov. 6 led to a fire in the workshop producing an additive known as agidol, used for aviation fuel.
Ukraine estimates its long-range weapon production at over $30 billion in 2026. In a closed-door briefing with journalists, Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and Oleksandr Kamyshin, an advisor on Strategic Industries to the President’s Office, said that the current production capacity (for this year) of the Ukrainain defense industry is around $35 billion per year.
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Ukraine secures 300 million cubic meters of American LNG amid Russian attacks on gas production. Orlen will deliver three cargoes of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2026.
Kremlin denies Lavrov fell out of favor with Putin after canceled Trump summit. “I will give you a brief answer: there is nothing true in these reports,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
‘Full sanctions exemption‘ granted as Orban meets Trump in Washington to discuss Russian oil, war against Ukraine. The U.S. and Hungary are also planning to sign a “significant nuclear cooperation agreement,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
Zelensky blames ex-energy chief for grid’s failure to withstand Russian assaults amid talk of scapegoating. “He was the head of a large system, and this system was supposed to ensure the security of our energy sector. He was obliged to do this — and he did not,” the president told journalists on Nov. 7.
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Ukraine war latest: Special Forces drones hit oil depots, trains, logistic facilities in Russian-occupied Crimea
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) said on Nov. 7 that its long-range drones struck an oil depot and logistic facilities in the Russian-occupied peninsula of Crimea.
Photo: Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces/Telegram
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AI soldiers: How deepfakes are manipulating Ukraine’s mobilization narrative
Tears, panic, and young Ukrainian soldiers pleading for help — a new disinformation campaign using artificial intelligence (AI) to fabricate videos of Ukraine’s mobilization efforts is flooding social media platforms.
Photo: Screenshot of the account spreading AI-generated videos
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This investment fund is betting on Ukraine’s struggling farm sector
The Kyiv Independent spoke with Dan Yakub, founding partner at Diligent Capital Partners, to discuss why he and his partners launched the fund now, the opportunities they see in Ukraine’s agricultural sector amid the war, and their long-term vision for the country’s agrifood industry.
Photo: Nina Liashonok/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images
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Can the West win a сeasefire with Russia?
Since 2014, every ceasefire Russia has signed has ended the same way: with Russia in a stronger position, and the West scrambling to catch up when Russia decides to escalate again.
Photo: Contributor/Getty Images
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Human costs of war
Kyiv holds farewell for 28-year-old Ukrainian photographer, soldier Huzenko. A farewell ceremony was held in Kyiv on Nov. 7 for for Kostiantyn Huzenko, a photographer-turned-soldier, killed in a Russian strike on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Nov. 1.
Russia strikes residential building in Dnipro, killing 1, injuring 11. Russia carried out a drone attack on the city of Dnipro overnight on Nov. 8, killing one person and injuring 11 others, including two children, officials reported.
International response
Gunvor withdraws bid for Russia’s Lukoil assets after US calls it ‘Kremlin’s puppet.’ Gunvor, which is registered in Cyprus and headquartered in Switzerland, was founded in 1997 by Gennady Timchenko, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Swedish billionaire Torbjörn Törnqvist.
Sweden has helped fund 400 drones for Ukraine’s strike campaign on Russian oil refineries. Denys Shmyhal’s announcement comes as Ukraine aims to strike deeper into Russian territory in an attempt to disrupt its logistics and grind down its war machine from a distance.
EU tightening visa rules for Russian nationals, citing security risks. The European Commission adopted stricter rules on issuing visas to Russian citizens, who will be largely banned from receiving multi-entry visas, the EU announced on Nov. 7.
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Thursday, October 23, 2025
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
Russian air strike on a kindergarten in Kharkiv on Oct. 22. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine / Telegram)
In Trump first, US sanctions Russia’s oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil after White House cancels Putin meeting. “Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine.”
‘Budanov’s sanctions’ — HUR confirms Ukrainian drone strike on Dagestan oil refinery. Russian air defenses intercepted 44 Ukrainian drones overnight and into the morning of Oct. 22, including eight over Dagestan, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry. No drones were reportedly shot down over Mordovia.
Explosions reported near military base in southern Russia, blasts allegedly rock ammunition plant 1,700 km from Ukraine. Explosions were reported near a military base just outside the southern Russian city of Stavropol late on Oct. 22, and additional explosions allegedly rocked an ammunition plant in the central city of Kopeysk, local media reported.
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Intercepted radio suggests Russian commander ordered troops to shoot civilians near Pokrovsk, HUR says. Intercepted calls released by Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) suggest a Russian commander ordering his soldiers to shoot civilians near the embattled city of Pokrovsk.
SBU reveals next-gen Sea Baby naval drones, confirms use in June Crimea Bridge attack. In a video, the SBU revealed two versions of the new drones.
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War Notes
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As Zelensky set to land in Brussels, EU rushes to offset Trump’s pressure on Ukraine
EU leaders, meeting in Brussels on Oct. 23, are expected to weigh in on a wide range of measures in support of Ukraine — including whether to unlock frozen Russian Central Bank assets for Kyiv.
Photo: Nicolas Economou / NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Russian assault on Ukraine’s power grid leaves over 100,000 without power in north, east
A massive Russian attack pummeled Ukraine’s energy and port infrastructure on Oct. 22 as Moscow shows no sign of slowing down its plan to freeze out Ukrainians as winter draws closer.
Photo: Ukraine’s Energy Ministry/Telegram
Analysis: Pokrovsk on the brink as Russian troops, drones infiltrate deeper into Ukraine’s fortress city
After more than a year as the rock upon which Russia’s territorial ambitions in Donbas were broken, cracks are opening in Ukraine’s defense of Pokrovsk, and the end may finally be near.
Photo: Taras Ibragimov / Suspilne Ukraine / JSC “UA:PBC” / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
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Why every call with Putin changes Trump’s Ukraine policy
Human cost of war
6 killed, 29 injured in Kyiv oblast during mass Russian overnight missile and drone attack. Explosions rocked Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight on Oct. 22 as Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack against Ukraine.
Russia just hit a kindergarten in Kharkiv. Russia attacked Kharkiv with drones on Oct. 22, damaging a kindergarten and killing one person, injuring at least 10, local authorities reported.
‘Any one of us could have died’ — Russian drone attack on Kyiv damages residential buildings, injures 7. A Russian drone attack injured seven in Kyiv, damaged buildings, and set fires throughout the city late on Oct. 22.
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International response
Up to 150 Gripens — Ukraine, Sweden move toward long-term deal on Swedish jets. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Zelensky are meeting in the city of Linkoping, home to the defense company Saab, which produces Gripen fighter jets and other arms.
Opinions and insights
Editorial: Europe, it’s time to finally be brave. Start with Russian assets
“What is needed is a direct European military presence in Ukraine, with or without a ceasefire,” the editorial states. “The road to achieving a robust peace and the road to ensuring Ukraine’s (and Europe’s) security in the future are the same road.”
Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
In other news
Poland hopes Ukraine knocks out Druzhba pipeline — Sikorski taunts Hungary.
“I hope your brave compatriot, Major Magyar, finally succeeds in knocking out the oil pipeline that feeds Putin’s war machine and you get your oil via Croatia,” Sikorski told Szijjarto on X.
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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Alexandra Brzozowski, Dominic Culverwell, Tim Zadorozhnyy, Kateryna Hodunova, Yuliia Taradiuk, Francis Farrell, and Volodymyr Ivanyshyn.
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Poland hopes Ukraine knocks out Druzhba pipeline — Sikorski taunts Hungary
"I hope your brave compatriot, Major Magyar, finally succeeds in knocking out the oil pipeline that feeds Putin's war machine and you get your oil via Croatia," Sikorski told Szijjarto on X.Martin Fornusek (The Kyiv Independent)
Genocide, Russia, and Poland. Interview with Wojciech Tochman
Wojciech Tochman is a Polish reporter, writer, and volunteer whose books, translated into many languages, examine post-genocide societies in the formerBYTESEU (Bytes Europe)