Here's what you helped us achieve in the last week

Dear Kyiv Independent community members, 

Thank you to everyone for your continued support and for standing with us as Russia's war continues. 

This week, the Kyiv Independent staff completed two days of hostile environment awareness training. Your support, among other things, helps us attend trainings like this, making us better prepared to respond to crisis situations. Scroll to the bottom of this update for a photo of some of our team members practicing responding to a neck bleed.

We'd also like to give a warm welcome to our 108 new members this week – we're glad you're with us! 

Here are some highlights from the Kyiv Independent over the last week:

• Our investigation into the International Legion made the list of finalists for the Mezhyhirya Fest Investigative Journalism Award. Read the story by Anna Myroniuk and Alexander Khrebet (pictured above at the award ceremony in Kyiv on Oct. 27)here, and see the list of finalists here. 

• This month, Russia has increased missile and drone attacks. We reported on how Russia uses Iranian drones to try to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defense and what the intensified attacks on energy infrastructure mean for this winter.

• We also wrote about the alleged conspiracy that a Ukrainian defense company supplied Russia during the war. Igor Kossov's story looks at the allegations that Motor Sich sold Russia parts for helicopters – the same helicopters being used to attack Ukraine.

• As more territories become liberated, evidence reveals that torture chambers are indicative of Russian occupation. Alexander Query's article looks at the network of torture chambers uncovered in Kharkiv Oblast and the organized effort to terrorize local populations.

• We reported from the front lines near Luhansk Oblast. Francis Farrell's story from Pershotravneve covers Russia's attempts to stop the Ukrainian counteroffensive and how civilian life has suffered.

• Other stories that show how civilians have been affected by the war include Daria Shulzhenko's piece about a woman awaiting the return of her boyfriend from captivity, after she survived occupation, and Thaisa Semenova's story about the disproportionate hardships that Ukrainians with disabilities endure.

• We interviewed Margaret Atwood. The Canadian author, famous for The Handmaid's Tale, talked about why Russian propaganda narratives don't hold up.

• We scheduled our first Twitter Space: a Q&A with Illia Ponomarenko. This event is open to the public. Set a reminder for "What's Next in the War?" here.

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

Our team members practice responding to a neck bleed during a hostile environment training in Kyiv on Oct. 26.