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

Dear KI community members, 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to our poll about a new platform for our community members – we've been reading all your responses and appreciate the suggestions you've given us. 

The option with the most votes currently is "I am interested in another platform for a community members group, but not Facebook." We are looking into potential ways we could set this up for the community members interested in this idea.  

We'd also like to give a warm welcome to our 136 members who joined us this week! Thank you for your support! We wouldn't be here without you. 

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

• We created a short video about the origins of the Kyiv Independent. Watch "The Kyiv Independent: From a media startup to the voice of Ukraine in the world" here.

• We reported from liberated Kherson. Read Igor Kossov and Francis Farrell's dispatch from Kherson, which looks at the celebrations and Zelensky's visit, and their story about tortured Khersonians speaking about Russia’s crimes during occupation. Pictured above is a Ukrainian flag mounted on Freedom Square in Kherson, on Nov. 14, taken by Francis Farrell.

• More coverage about Kherson, the only regional capital that Russia managed to occupy, includes Asami Terajima's "Kherson chronicle: From quick fall to liberation," which gives an overview of the city during the past eight months, and Francis Farrell's "Why Ukraine chooses to negotiate on the battlefield, not at peace talks," which explains why Ukraine's total victory is necessary, as opposed to a negotiated ceasefire.

• Two other important developments this week were Russia firing 90 missiles at Ukraine on Nov. 15 and the Hague District Court findings that Russian-controlled proxies were responsible for downing MH17 with a surface-to-air missile in 2014. 

• We interviewed Michael Kofman, military analyst and Research Program Director in the Russia Studies Program at CNA. Kofman said, "After Kherson, gains for Ukraine may come at slower pace."

• One popular article this week was Katie Marie Davies' story which looks at why there aren't Russian anti-war protests at the same scale that conscription-age Russians have fled mobilization. 

• This week, Belarus Weekly includes Ukraine's efforts to build a fence along the border and the mass mobilization drills planned in Belarus.

• Episode five of our podcast Power Lines was released. This week, co-hosts Anastasiia Lapatina and Jakub Parusinki discuss "The Future of Eurasia." Next Tuesday, Anastasiia and Jakub will join our next community event for a Q&A about the podcast. Find the details, submit your questions, and register here. 

• Finally, please welcome our new social media manager! We're happy to announce that Joseph Roche joined the team this week as social media manager. 

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