We reported on the US presidential race: Here's what you helped us achieve in the last week

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support. This week, we celebrated our business reporter Dominick Culverwell's 29th birthday – with a cake made in a Ukrainian bakery, but ordered by his mom and the Ukrainian woman she's hosting back in the UK. The cake is pictured above.

We'd also like to give a warm welcome to our 45 new members this week! We're proud to be reader-funded – we wouldn't be here without you.

Here are some highlights from the Kyiv Independent this week:

• We reported on Thursday's presidential debate. Though neither candidate focused heavily on foreign policy, nor did they present a specific peace plan for Ukraine, Owen Racer's article explains the takeaways from this debate: Trump said he would reject Putin’s peace terms, while Biden's shaky performance unnerved Democrats.

• We reported from the U.S. on the political divides in Ukrainian communities. Owen Racer's story shows how Philadelphia's local Ukie club is divided on whom to support in the upcoming presidential elections – giving a snapshot into the range of opinions present in crucial swing states like Pennsylvania.

• We published a video explainer which looks at life in wartime Kyiv, amid severe power blackouts. Russia's increased attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure has left much of the country without electricity, with daily and lengthy interruptions. Daria Shulzhenko explains how Kyiv – including citizens, businesses, and medical clinics – keep going, despite the blackouts.

• We explained the political opposition in Ukraine. Andrea Januta's article breaks down how Russias full-scale invasion and the introduction of martial law have affected political opposition – although its presence is diminished, it still affects Ukraine's politics.

• We wrote an explainer on Ukraine's midsummer festival Ivan Kupala. Alexandra Keeler's article explains where the tradition came from and what the rituals mean, like creating wreaths to wear and jumping over a bonfire. We also published a photo story showing how Ukrainians celebrated Ivan Kupala this year during war.

• This week Belarus Weekly takes a look at the decision of the U.S. to designate Belarus as state sponsor of human trafficking – one of 13 states, along with Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.

• Finally, we have a favor to ask you! We’re excited to trial a new product: a mobile web application reader for the Kyiv Independent called “KI Pulse.” Before we launch it though, we want to test it. We're looking for volunteers to use KI Pulse for a week, then fill out a survey letting us know what they thought and how we can improve. We’re hoping to get about 50 people from our community who will install KI Pulse on their mobile device, use the app for a week, then take our survey. You can indicate your interest on this sign-up form here. We'll let you know if you've been selected to participate.

Thank you for standing by our side as we bring independent, locally sourced news about Ukraine to the world.