Here's what you helped us achieve in the last week
Dear Kyiv Independent community members,
Thank you for your solidarity. Pictured above Francis Farrell reports from flooded Kherson Oblast earlier this week, after Russia destroyed the Kakhovka dam on Tuesday, June 6.
It's your support that keeps our team reporting from the front lines, documenting the atrocities of the war, and showing the rest of the world the reality of Russia's full-scale invasion.
We'd also like to welcome our 88 new members this week. Thank you for your support.
Here are some highlights from the Kyiv Independent over the last week:
We've just won the European Press Prize! Anna Myroniuk and Alexander Khrebet's investigation into the leadership misconduct in the International Legion won the European Press Prize in the Special Award Category. It's the most prestigious journalism award in Europe.
We reported on Russia's demolition of the Kakhovka dam. We wrote about the consequences of destroying the dam – humanitarian, ecological, economic, military, and legal – and compared satellite photos of Kherson Oblast before and after the flood of 18 cubic kilometers of water was released from the reservoir.
We wrote about Russia's refusal to evacuate or help those trapped in flooded areas. Daria Shulzhenko and Igor Kossov spoke to people either living or having family in Russian-occupied areas on the lower eastern bank of the Dnipro. Residents report waiting on rooftops, being blocked from evacuation, and even being fired at, as some towns completely submerge.
We reported from Kherson, looking at the evacuation from the city as water levels rise. Francis Farrell's story follows the efforts to save residents, pets, and livestock from the floodwaters, as well as from Russian shelling.
Ukraine's counteroffensive reportedly started this week. Ukraine has not confirmed these reports, following calls for public silence on details of the operation. The Russian government and military bloggers, as well as Western media, have made announcements that they believe the counteroffensive is underway.
We reported from Donetsk Oblast on soldiers preparing for the counteroffensive. Asami Terajima's story follows Ukraine’s 24th Mechanized Brigade and their two-week assault training course from an ex-lieutenant from Sweden.
We interviewed retired U.S. General David Petraeus. Petraeus gave his analysis of the war and said "now it's inevitable – we should give the ATACMS," the long-range tactical ballistic missile system Ukraine has requested.
We interviewed American investor and self-proclaimed "Putin's number one enemy" Bill Browder. Browder, known for successfully pushing 35 governments to adopt Magnitsky Acts to deny visas and freeze assets of human rights abusers, now says the West must hand Russian Central Bank’s $350 billion to Ukraine for reconstruction.
Finally, we have two upcoming events. Next week, on June 14, the Frontline Club will host the Kyiv Independent for an in-person panel discussion and Q&A in London. Fill out this interest form to be put on the guest list. The following week on June 22, Michael Kofman will join the Kyiv Independent for an online discussion about what's next in Russia's war. Find the details and register here.
Thank you for standing by our side as we bring independent, locally-sourced news about Ukraine to the world.
Comments (3)
15 June Edit: The Kyiv Post just ran this as their top story. https://www.kyivpost.com/post/18307 . Neither leader perfect on the anti-corruption front. Interestingly the Post article did not cover any details about: 1. Who specifically mandated the shelters and was responsible for their maintenance and operation? 2. How much money was budgeted for their operation? 3. If the money was not spent on the shelters where did it go? Maybe I am cynical... but appeared that the entire point of the article was to create confusion and redirect the blame away from Klitschko rather than figure out what happen and why it happened. By far, the most important thing, even if it is politically risky is for the media to provide transparency on the decision making process, who benefits, and who loses from those decisions. ----- A valuable article for the future would be a follow-up on the Kyiv bomb shelter situation. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-minister-disbelief-closed-kyiv-bomb-shelters-2023-06-04/ This story is particularly interesting because it highlights several Ukrainian challenges: 1. Bomb shelters are static locations publicly identified on a map and serve a 100% humanitarian purpose. There is no reason that any part of the information behind the story should be confidential. 2. Both the federal level and the city of Kyiv mandated working bomb shelters. 3. The questions become why were so many mandated shelters not in working condition? If they were not needed, should they have been taken off the list of mandated shelters? If they were needed, why were they not operating? This topic is important as it speaks directly to the Ukrainian Government's ability to implement what it mandates. This serves as a canary in the coal mine for many Western donors on Ukraine's ability to govern effectively in light of the reconstruction money it is requesting. As a solid supporter of Ukraine, I suggest that these situations contribute significantly to Western donor fatigue. Maybe there is a reasonable explanation. The more problematic explanation is that there are still enough people in power who are each 'skimming off the top.' By the time the money gets down to the level where it serves the population, most of it has disappeared. Either way, these are the types of stories that need to be handled transparently in order for Ukraine to evolve into a successful nation-state. The difference between long term success and failure as a state will be effective governance supported by a transparent media.
Congratulations on your win of the European Press Prize. Onwards and upwards!
Thank you all for this painful reporting. I was wearing my KI sweatshirt. A local out whomwas walking his dog saw it and stopped to chat. Yes, born in Ukraine! It is a small world. Slava Ukr. 😭