Share

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.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

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.

No matter what comes next, Ukraine Daily is there for you every morning.

Russia’s war against Ukraine didn’t end with the new year, and neither did the need for reliable reporting. As a reader-funded newsroom, we rely on members to sustain our journalism. Your support helps keep the world informed about what’s really happening in Ukraine. Become a member today.

BECOME A MEMBER

MAKE A DONATION

You can cancel at any time

Read our exclusives

‘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

Learn more

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

Learn more

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.

This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Click here for more details.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Kateryna Hodunova, Tim Zadorozhnyy, Martin Fornusek, Dmytro Basmat, Luca Léry Moffat, Yuliia Taradiuk, and Sonya Bandouil.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.

Share

Share

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.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

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.

No matter what comes next, Ukraine Daily is there for you every morning.

Russia’s war against Ukraine didn’t end with the new year, and neither did the need for reliable reporting. As a reader-funded newsroom, we rely on members to sustain our journalism. Your support helps keep the world informed about what’s really happening in Ukraine. Become a member today.

BECOME A MEMBER

MAKE A DONATION

You can cancel at any time

Read our exclusives

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

‘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

Learn more

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.

This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Click here for more details.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleg Sukhov, Kateryna Hodunova, Chris York, Tim Zadorozhnyy, Yevgeniya Doluda, Abbey Fenbert, and Volodymyr Ivanyshyn.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.

Share

Share

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.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

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.

No matter what comes next, Ukraine Daily is there for you every morning.

For 4 years, we’ve been delivering you the latest news every day despite drone attacks and power outages. Become a member or gift a membership to someone close to you and help us keep going this winter.

BECOME A MEMBER

GIFT A MEMBERSHIP

You can cancel at any time

Read our exclusives

**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

Learn more

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.

This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Click here for more details.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Francis Farrell, Kateryna Denisova, Abbey Fenbert, and Olena Goncharova.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.

Share

Share

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.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

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.

Read our exclusives

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

No matter what comes next, Ukraine Daily is there for you every morning.

For 4 years, we’ve been delivering you the latest news every day despite drone attacks and power outages. Become a member or gift a membership to someone close to you and help us keep going this winter.

BECOME A MEMBER

GIFT A MEMBERSHIP

You can cancel at any time

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

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.

This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Click here for more details.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Asami Terajima, Kateryna Denisova, Tim Zadorozhnyy, Luca Léry Moffat, Martin Fornusek, Yuliia Taradiuk, Linda Hourani, Svilen Oprikov, Abbey Fenbert, and Volodymyr Ivanyshyn.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.

Share

Share

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.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

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.

Read our exclusives

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

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.

BECOME A MEMBER

MAKE A DONATION

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

Learn more

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.

This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Click here for more details.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Tim Zadorozhnyy, Luca Lery Moffat, Jared Goyette, Kate Tsurkan, Toby Woodall, Chris York, Tania Myronyshena, Lucy Pakhnyuk, and Dmytro Basmat.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.

Share

Share

The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]

Our journalism is independent because it’s funded by our members. Can you help us get to 25,000 members by the end of 2025?

Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief

at the Kyiv Independent

BECOME A MEMBER

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.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

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.

Read our exclusives

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

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.

Quality journalism takes work — and

a community that cares

Help us reach 25,000 members by the end of 2025.

BECOME A MEMBER

MAKE A DONATION

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.

This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Click here for more details.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Chris York, Oleg Sukhov, Kateryna Hodunova, Lucy Pakhnyuk, and Abbey Fenbert.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.

Share

Share

The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]

From Kyiv to New York — the Kyiv Independent brings stories from democracy’s front line

GET TICKETS

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.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

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.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN…

War Notes

Get the latest news from the front lines in your inbox every Friday

SUBSCRIBE

Read our exclusives

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

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

Learn more

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN…

One story from Ukraine

Monday to Friday, get an email with our most important story of the day

SUBSCRIBE

Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 1,000 supports us financially. One membership might not seem like much, but to us, it makes a real difference. If you value our reporting, consider becoming a member — your support makes us stronger.

BECOME A MEMBER

MAKE A DONATION

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.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN…

WTF is wrong with Russia?

A weekly newsletter about Russian politics, history, and culture

SUBSCRIBE

This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Click here for more details.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Asami Terajima, Tim Zadorozhnyy, Liliane Bivings, Chris York, Kateryna Denisova, Volodymyr Ivanyshyn, and Dmytro Basmat.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.

Share