We published a photo story showing how Ukraine's fallen soldiers are recovered: Here's what you helped us achieve last week
Dear Kyiv Independent community members,
Thank you for your continued support.
First, we want to give you an update on our fundraiser for the Ukrainian charity Veteran Hub. During the month of March, the profits from our "I Stand With Ukraine" shirt will be donated to Veteran Hub's mental support program, helping soldiers transition to civilian life, as well as their operating costs. We have closed the fundraiser, and with your help, we were able to raise nearly $20,000. Thank you to everyone who bought a T-shirt! If you have a photo of you in your "I Stand with Ukraine" shirt and would like to be featured on our social media, please email it to community@kyivindependent.com. Thank you to those who have already sent in pictures in your Kyiv Independent merch.
We'd like to give a warm welcome to the 167 new members who joined this week. We wouldn't be here without readers like you, who have chosen to make a difference.
Here's what you helped us accomplish at the Kyiv Independent last week:
We published a photo story showing how Ukraine's fallen soldiers are recovered. Ukrainian photographer Viacheslav Ratynskyi said that his goal with this photo series was to "lift the veil on this hidden process and document the journey of the fallen — from the mine-laden forests to black body bags, from refrigerated trucks to forensic examination tables and DNA labs, and finally, to their eternal resting place in the soil." Pictured above is one of the photos by Ratynskyi.
One of our most popular stories this week was about Putin's decree that leaves Ukrainians living in occupied territories a "choice" to either submit to Russian law by Sept. 10 or face punishment, as a way to force the Ukrainians there to accept Russian passports.
Another widely-read story was Asami Terajima's piece about Ukraine's recent raid into Russia's Belgorod Oblast, while Russia retakes settlements in Kursk Oblast. Asami also wrote about the rise and fall of Ukraine's Kursk gambit, which takes a look at the inevitable withdrawal of the Ukrainian troops and whether the grueling, months-long incursion achieved any strategic aims.
We also reported on Ukraine's desperate race to train more soldiers. Asami Terajima's story looks at how soldiers who have not received proper training end up on the front lines, as the Ukrainian military faces an endemic manpower shortage and is forced to scramble for people to fill in the gaps in the infantry depleted by the war.
We explained how Trump's tariffs will affect Ukraine. Dominic Culverwell interviewed Oleksandra Myronenko from Kyiv's Center for Economic Strategy who explains what exactly the new 10% tariff means for Ukraine and which sectors will be impacted most.
We interviewed Yale historian Marci Shore, one of the three Yale professors who are leaving the U.S. for Canada over concerns about the increasingly authoritarian political situation under Trump's administration. You can watch the video interview here.
We also interviewed the former chief of staff of Ukraine's Azov Brigade about the need to reform Ukraine's army. Bohdan Krotevych also discusses the situation on the front line, three years into Russia's full-scale invasion and his opinions on Russia's next moves after a potential ceasefire.
Thank you for standing by our side as we bring independent, locally sourced news about Ukraine to the world.