From reporting from Kramatorsk to speaking to Kellogg, here’s what you helped us do this week
Dear Kyiv Independent community members,
Thank you for your continued support.
On Monday, Ukraine marked 35 years of independence from the Soviet Union. With Russia’s war showing no sign of stopping, there were no parades or public celebrations. We did, however, get together as a team with a Sunday afternoon barbeque by the river — though as seen in the photo above, taken by our editor-in-chief Olga Rudenko, a team effort was required to understand how to actually light a barbeque.
We'd like to give a warm welcome to the 275 new members who joined this week. As always, we're grateful to have our members with us, as you give us the stability we need to keep going.
Here's what you helped us do at the Kyiv Independent this week:
We spoke to Keith Kellogg on his first visit to Kyiv since leaving his post as U.S. President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy. Kellogg likened Putin's territorial demands to Hitler's claim on the Sudetenland in 1938, and said that taking all of Donbas would not stop the war.
In an exclusive, we revealed that a Swedish-led letter has reopened the EU debate over Russia's frozen assets. Chris Powers obtained a draft dated Aug. 27 and co-signed by the foreign ministers of Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain, urging the bloc to make further use of the more than €200 billion in immobilized Russian assets.
One of our most-read stories this week was on how Russia has turned its war on Ukraine's economy. Dominic Culverwell reported on the impact of a campaign of strikes on ports, depots, and logistics hubs, which are leaving supermarket shelves empty gas stations without fuel. As one analyst put it, the Russians "are utilizing everything except nukes."
We reported from Kramatorsk, where residents are bracing for the worst as Russian forces inch closer. With Russian forces just 10 kilometers from the city, Asami Terajima spoke to civilians who continue to live and work in Kramatorsk. Even as attacks intensify, many say they cannot bring themselves to leave.
We covered how Ukraine is struggling with swarms of Russian jet-powered drones, which are faster and more difficult to down than conventional Shahed-type drones. Jimmy Rushton’s article shows how Ukrainian engineers are now in a race of their own to develop interceptors fast enough to catch them. As Russia’s ballistic missile attacks hit Ukraine’s cities harder than ever, we also published a video explainer on how air defense against ballistic missiles works and what makes Patriot interceptors special.
We also examined how NATO's patience with Russian drone incursions is wearing thin. As NATO has started shooting drones down after years of restraint, Martin Fornusek explains the dilemmas facing European countries as they’re forced to pit $400,000 missiles against $35,000 drones.
We also told the story of a U.S. Marine who fought — and died — for Ukraine. Uliana Boichuk wrote about the life of Shane Tackett, a 36-year-old former Marine from Prague, Oklahoma, who arrived in Ukraine in August 2025 and was killed on Nov. 30, 2025 while serving with the Azov Brigade's international battalion. He left behind his wife, Amariah, and two daughters, one of them just three months old.
We analyzed how Russian disinformation is testing its playbook for a Ukrainian election. Martin Fornusek reported on the wave of contradictory narratives that followed ex-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov’s dismissal and subsequent call for elections. The goal, one political scientist told us, is not to convince anyone of anything in particular, but to undermine trust in “the democratic process itself.”
We covered another corruption scandal reaching into President Zelensky's office. Oleg Sukhov reported that Zelensky's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, allegedly features in tapes tied to the case against former deputy chief of staff Iryna Mudra, who is accused of laundering money to post bail for an ex-minister charged in the Energoatom probe. Asked about it, Budanov responded with "let the court sort it out." Oleg also stepped back to show what scandal tells us about how Zelensky governs.
We also revealed a years-long scheme that allegedly used a nationalized bank as a tool for insider corruption. In an exclusive, Business Reporter Dominic Culverwell revealed how a number of Zelensky’s president's allies turned Sense Bank, which was nationalized in 2023 after being seized from its Russian owner, into what one insider called "almost like a piggy bank." The scheme laundered some $3.4 million needed to post bail for a minister facing charges in the $100 million Energoatom case.
We continued to cover Russia’s weaponization of culture. Kate Tsurkan wrote about the "Pavilion of (Dis)sense," an exhibit in Venice conceived by exiled Russian artist Katia Margolis in protest at Russia's readmission to the Venice Art Biennale. The exhibit’s artworks reflect on the experiences of Russian political prisoners, Ukrainian civilians, prisoners of war, and members of Russia's indigenous communities.
In a new episode of “Ukraine This Week,” Anna Belokur examines why Russia never accepted Ukraine’s independence, tracing the historical roots of Moscow’s refusal to recognize Ukrainian sovereignty. You can watch the video here.
We also spoke with a young Ukrainian who grew up under Russian occupation in Donetsk Oblast. Yuliia Taradiuk interviewed Dmytro Kruk, who endured FSB filtration and describes Russian mobilization, passportization, and propaganda. You can watch the video here.
Finally, a reminder that we’re coming to London on Oct. 2. After a sold-out debut in New York, the Kyiv Independent is bringing its live event series to the U.K. and we can’t wait to meet you in person. You can buy your tickets here — if you’re not able to come to London, you can also buy a ticket to the livestream of the event.
And last but not least: Just ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day on Aug. 24, we released a very limited run of 35 vyshyvankas, marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. This special edition is available only to our community, and there are only a few pieces left. Don’t forget to use the code WELOVEYOU for your 15% member's discount.
Thank you for standing by our side as we bring independent, locally sourced news from Ukraine to the world.