Kyiv Independent
Ukrainian soldiers rescue stork tangled in anti-drone netting on front line
- Title
- Ukrainian soldiers rescue stork tangled in anti-drone netting on front line
- Runtime
- 0:31
- Date posted
- 15 days ago
- Description
- Soldiers from Ukraine’s 15th Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade spotted and rescued a stork tangled in front-line anti-drone netting.
According to the brigade, the bird was freed quickly without suffering injuries and was released back into the wild.
Video: 15obrar / Instagram.
- Title
- How Russia traps Kenyan recruits in the war against Ukraine
- Runtime
- 1:28
- Date posted
- 15 days ago
- Description
- In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur explores how Moscow is increasingly leaning on foreign recruitment to offset its severe battlefield casualties.
In the video, Fritz Habekus, the international climate and environment correspondent for Die Zeit, shares his recent investigative findings from Kenya. His research reveals a pattern of coercion, where vulnerable men are lured into the Russian military only to find themselves trapped in a conflict that is entirely alien to them.
Watch the full video on our YouTube channel.
- Title
- Estonia’s spy chief on Russia’s long-term strategy
- Runtime
- 13:22
- Date posted
- 16 days ago
- Description
- The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek speaks with Kaupo Rosin, director general of Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, about Russia’s long-term strategy against Ukraine and Europe, the risks facing NATO’s eastern flank, and why Moscow still views the United States as its main adversary. Rosin explains whether Putin’s regime is weakening under wartime pressure, why Russia is unlikely to stop at Ukraine, and how sabotage campaigns, hybrid operations, and military reforms are reshaping Europe’s security landscape.
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00:00 Intro
00:24 Is Putin under pressure?
03:00 Chances of a ceasefire in 2026
05:48 Support inde...
- Title
- The gray zone where Ukraine's most brutal fighting takes place
- Runtime
- 1:02
- Date posted
- 17 days ago
- Description
- Ukraine's recent counterattacks in the south were officially presented as a major success, with Kyiv claiming hundreds of square kilometers recaptured from Russian forces. But most battlefield maps barely changed. So what is really happening on the front line?
The answer lies in the growing "gray zone" - vast contested areas where drones dominate the battlefield, infantry infiltrates enemy positions, and traditional front lines are becoming increasingly difficult to define.
- Title
- Dark truth about Russia’s African fighters | Ukraine This Week
- Runtime
- 1:08
- Date posted
- 17 days ago
- Description
- In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines Russia’s growing recruitment of fighters from African countries — and the tactics used to lure vulnerable people into military service.
As Russia struggles to sustain high battlefield losses in Ukraine, Moscow has intensified efforts to recruit abroad, targeting countries with high youth unemployment and limited economic opportunities.
- Title
- The real toll of Russia’s Oreshnik missile
- Runtime
- 1:36
- Date posted
- 17 days ago
- Description
- The reality on the ground at an Oreshnik missile impact site reveals a stark contrast between Kremlin propaganda and actual tactical destruction. While Moscow touts this weapon as a revolutionary force, the physical evidence tells a very different story. Its true impact is psychological, designed to terrorize civilian populations and project an illusion of overwhelming power.
In the video, Nadiia, a resident of Bila Tserkva who lived through the attack, shared what it was actually like to experience the May 24 strike firsthand.
- Title
- Diplomats visit site of Russia’s attack on Kyiv
- Runtime
- 1:26
- Date posted
- 18 days ago
- Description
- Ukraine’s Foreign Minister and the Foreign Diplomatic Corps visited Kyiv’s most devastated neighborhoods following Russia’s May 24 missile strike — a market, a shopping mall, a metro entrance, and a residential building where numerous lives were lost.
Diplomats and ministers laid flowers in memory of those who died in the attack.
- Title
- The Kyiv Independent celebrates Vyshyvanka Day
- Runtime
- 0:52
- Date posted
- 18 days ago
- Description
- We may be biased — but our team agrees: The Kyiv Independent.
Our independent journalism runs on people who believe and care about our work. Every member keeps us going – that's why the Kyiv Independent has recently launched its largest and most ambitious membership campaign to date, seeking 4,000 new members from across the world.
Join us: https://kyivindependent.com/membership/
- Title
- Ukrainian toddler reunites with soldier father after long break
- Runtime
- 0:43
- Date posted
- 18 days ago
- Description
- A touching video captures the moment 1.5-year-old Maksym is reunited with his father, a Ukrainian serviceman, returning home after a month and a half of service.
Video: @margarita.levchuk.official / Instagram.
- Title
- The dark truth about Russia’s African fighters | Ukraine This Week
- Runtime
- 27:31
- Date posted
- 19 days ago
- Description
- In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines Russia’s growing recruitment of fighters from African countries — and the tactics used to lure vulnerable people into military service. As Russia struggles to sustain high battlefield losses in Ukraine, Moscow has intensified efforts to recruit abroad, targeting countries with high youth unemployment and limited economic opportunities. While some recruits knowingly sign military contracts, others report being promised ordinary jobs or education in Russia before being pressured into joining the army. The episode explores how these recruitment networks operate, why African workers are particularly vulnerable to coercion and deception, and what happens to many recruits once they reach the battlefield.
Watch full interview with African POWs: https://youtu.be/PM9DnRxxWC0?si=f2QZjOVBQBcwKWYR
Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.
Become a member of our c...
- Title
- Residents describe surviving Kyiv massive attack
- Runtime
- 1:50
- Date posted
- 19 days ago
- Description
- Russian forces launched a large-scale combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight on May 24, killing two and injuring over 80 others.
Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground reported a massive series of wall-shaking explosions in Ukraine’s capital from around 1 a.m local time, and then again multiple times between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m, as Russia launched waves of ballistic and cruise missiles at the city.
Among other damage to infrastructure in Kyiv, Russian missiles and drones struck a supermarket and shopping center, office center, dormitory, service station, garage, parked vehicles, and multiple warehouses across various neighbourhoods of the city.
Video: The Kyiv Independent.
- Title
- Footage captures moment of massive Russian strike on Kyiv
- Runtime
- 0:21
- Date posted
- 19 days ago
- Description
- Eyewitness footage captures the moment a Russian missile struck Kyiv on May 24. Russia launched a massive combined attack overnight, deploying 90 missiles and 600 drones that primarily targeted the capital.
The devastating overnight assault marks one of the largest mass attacks on Ukraine over the last year.
Video: @the_sip_and_swish ; @davydenko_vadym / Instagram.
- Title
- Zelensky slams Russia’s 'inadequate' mass strike on Ukraine, confirms Oreshnik use
- Runtime
- 1:09
- Date posted
- 19 days ago
- Description
- President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned a large-scale Russian overnight strike on May 24, calling the Russian leadership “truly inadequate” for targeting schools, a market, and a water supply facility.
Zelensky confirmed that Russia deployed 90 missiles — including 36 ballistic missiles — and 600 drones, with Kyiv as the primary target. He also confirmed that Russian forces launched an Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile at the city of Bila Tserkva, stating that such actions must not remain without consequences for Russia.
Video: President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- Title
- At least 2 killed, 56 injured in a large-scale Russian strike on Kyiv
- Runtime
- 1:01
- Date posted
- 19 days ago
- Description
- Russian forces launched a large-scale combined attack on Kyiv overnight on May 24, deploying over 50 missiles and 700 drones. Local officials reported that residential buildings were hit, leaving at least two people dead and 56 others injured with damage recorded in all 10 district of the city. The strike marks one of the largest mass attacks on the capital over the last year.
Video and photo: State Emergency Service / Telegram.
- Title
- British drone operator on frontline adaptation in Ukraine
- Runtime
- 1:34
- Date posted
- 20 days ago
- Description
- The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell spoke with «Henri», a British volunteer and drone operator serving in the Azov Corps’ international battalion.
Despite losing part of his leg in a mine explosion in Donbas, Henri underwent rehabilitation and returned to active service. In the video, he shares insights into how ordinary individuals from diverse backgrounds quickly adapt to constant artillery and FPV drone strikes, transforming the chaos of the front lines into a daily routine.
- Title
- Support independent reporting from Ukraine – become a member
- Runtime
- 0:47
- Date posted
- 20 days ago
- Description
- At a time when much of the world is moving on from Russia’s war against Ukraine, our community continues to choose to support Ukraine and independent journalism from the ground.
The Kyiv Independent is now running its biggest membership campaign yet, with a goal of welcoming 4,000 new members to help us continue and expand our reporting from Ukraine.
Join our community: https://kyivindependent.com/membership/
- Title
- NATO countires must adopt Ukraine’s ‘hard-learned’ drone lessons to avoid major losses
- Runtime
- 1:33
- Date posted
- 21 days ago
- Description
- “We need to actually properly implement what we’re seeing here [in Ukraine],” said “Henri,” a drone pilot serving in the Azov Corps’ international battalion.
Speaking to the Kyiv Independent, the British volunteer emphasized the need for entire platoons or companies dedicated to drone operations. He warned that entering a conflict tomorrow with current readily deployable Western militaries would result in quite high losses in the beginning before tactics could be changed.
- Title
- A secret program, 'suicidal' missions, and death, torture in occupied Ukraine
- Runtime
- 3:00
- Date posted
- 21 days ago
- Description
- A months-long investigation by the Kyiv Independent uncovered how millions in British and Canadian funding meant for a Ukrainian resistance movement was secretly funneled to a Dubai-based British-run communications company — and it's not really clear what they did with it.
The actual "resistance operation" was an automated Telegram chatbot telling activists in Russian-occupied Ukraine to do things like take pictures with Ukrainian symbols or listen to Ukrainian songs in public — any expression of Ukrainian identity that could put you in grave danger in occupied territory.
While they were all raking in the cash, Ukrainian civilians were risking, and in some cases losing, their lives — just for the sake of a picture and a few retweets.
- Title
- How drones erased the front line in Ukraine, explained
- Runtime
- 15:30
- Date posted
- 21 days ago
- Description
- Ukraine’s recent counterattacks in the south were officially presented as a major success, with Kyiv claiming hundreds of square kilometers recaptured from Russian forces. But most battlefield maps barely changed. So what is really happening on the front line? The answer lies in the growing “gray zone” — vast contested areas where drones dominate the battlefield, infantry infiltrates enemy positions, and traditional front lines are becoming increasingly difficult to define. As both Russia and Ukraine adapt to a new kind of war, maps themselves are struggling to keep up. The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell explains how drones, infiltration tactics, and battlefield mapping are reshaping the war — and what it could mean for the 2026 campaign.
Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.
Become a member of our community: https://kyivindependent.com/membership/?utm_source=video_explainer_mapsexplainer&utm_medium=mapsexplainer...
- Title
- Ukrainian Su-27 pilot "Air Hooligan" takes to the sky in a vyshyvanka
- Runtime
- 0:20
- Date posted
- 21 days ago
- Description
- Ukrainian Su-27 combat pilot, known as "Air Hooligan," marked Vyshyvanka Day on May 21 by flying a mission in the traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt. The annual occasion celebrates the garment as a living symbol of Ukrainian national identity and heritage.
Video: __air_hooligan__ / Instagram.
- Title
- Ukraine strikes Russian FSB headquarters in occupied Kherson Oblast
- Runtime
- 0:31
- Date posted
- 22 days ago
- Description
- Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) Alpha special forces unit struck an FSB headquarters in occupied Kherson Oblast, killing and wounding about 100 Russian troops, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 21.
"The Russians must realize that they have to bring this war to an end. Ukraine's medium- and long-range sanctions will continue to take effect," Zelensky said. He did not specify when the operation took place.
Video: Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram
- Title
- British fighter on returning to war in Ukraine after injury
- Runtime
- 1:26
- Date posted
- 22 days ago
- Description
- The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell speaks with a British volunteer and drone operator serving in the Azov Corps’ international battalion about Russia’s war against Ukraine and how drone warfare has transformed modern combat. After losing part of his leg in a mine explosion in Donbas, “Henri” underwent rehabilitation and returned to service.
- Title
- The hidden history behind Ukraine's black vyshyvanka from Borshchiv
- Runtime
- 1:35
- Date posted
- 22 days ago
- Description
- Today is Vyshyvanka Day, a time when Ukrainians wear their beautifully embroidered shirts to celebrate who they are. But behind the bright colors and festive atmosphere lies a much deeper story of resilience, identity, and memory.
In the video, the Kyiv Independent's Nastia Kasinchuk explores this profound connection between tradition and resilience, noting how these embroidered patterns carry both light and sorrow. While every region in Ukraine boasts its own unique patterns, the famous black embroidery of the Borshchiv region carries a profound history of loss.
- Title
- Ukraine marks Vyshyvanka Day
- Runtime
- 0:31
- Date posted
- 22 days ago
- Description
- Ukraine marks Vyshyvanka Day on May 21, celebrating the traditional embroidered shirt as a living testament to national heritage and identity. To honor the day, Ukrainians from different walks of life shared what this iconic garment means to them today. What was once a historical tradition has evolved into a powerful, modern statement worn proudly across generations.
Video: @Video: @prokkkkkkk; @klets_vika; @katerina.moskalenko; @kateryna_chornenka; @mari.ri.na; @solomiamelnyk / Instagram; SLM News / Getty Images.
- Title
- High-stakes operation: Unexploded Russian drone defused in Odesa high-rise
- Runtime
- 0:27
- Date posted
- 22 days ago
- Description
- An unexploded Russian drone was successfully defused on May 20 after striking a 24-story residential building in Odesa.
The drone wedged itself into the facade on the 15th floor with a 50-kilogram explosive payload that failed to detonate. In a highly complex operation, emergency services and police explosives experts used a high-rise lift to manually defuse and extract the warhead before safely transporting it away for controlled destruction.
Video: State Emergency Service / Telegram.
- Title
- Inside Ukraine’s last stand in Mariupol
- Runtime
- 0:53
- Date posted
- 22 days ago
- Description
- On May 20, 2022, the last Ukrainian troops surrendered at Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, a plant in the embattled city of Mariupol where Ukrainian forces held out under constant bombardment and deteriorating conditions after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Mariupol fell under siege on February 24, 2022, with thousands of civilians killed in the ensuing 86 days before the city was fully encircled and captured by Russia. Several thousand Ukrainian servicemen held their ground at the Azovstal plant for months until they were ordered to surrender, with many being taken prisoner by Russia immediately.
Video: AP; 1st Azov Corps; Russia's Defense Ministry
- Title
- Residents of Vilnius shelter during drone threat
- Runtime
- 0:19
- Date posted
- 23 days ago
- Description
- Lithuania has issued an urgent air alert on May 20 after a suspected drone from Belarus was detected near the border.
NATO Baltic Air Policing has been activated to secure the airspace. Residents were told to seek immediate shelter and remain in safe locations.
Video: Associated Press
- Title
- British fighter on returning to war in Ukraine after injury
- Runtime
- 33:06
- Date posted
- 23 days ago
- Description
- The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell speaks with a British volunteer and drone operator serving in the Azov Corps’ international battalion about Russia’s war against Ukraine and how drone warfare has transformed modern combat. After losing part of his leg in a mine explosion in Donbas, “Henri” underwent rehabilitation and returned to service. He explains why foreign volunteers continue to join Ukraine’s war effort, how drone operators fight on today’s front lines, and what NATO countries should learn from Ukraine to adapt to the realities of modern warfare.
Our frontline report with Henri and other volunteers serving in Ukraine’s Azov Brigade International Battalion: https://youtu.be/KIE0Blthync?si=vfWlhu9fqbc50j_3
Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.
Become a member of our community: https://kyivindependent.com/membership/?utm_source=video_interview_henryazovsoldier&utm_medium=henryazovsoldier
- Title
- Russian attack strikes residential area in Sumy Oblast
- Runtime
- 0:25
- Date posted
- 23 days ago
- Description
- A Russian attack on the city of Konotop in Sumy Oblast struck a multi-story building, killing a woman and injuring at least 11 people, regional Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported.
The attack caused three stories of a residential building to collapse. Several people were extracted from the rubble, and emergency responders were working to determine the number of victims.
Video: Ukraine’s State Emergency Service / Telegram
- Title
- Did Zelensky really reform Ukraine’s system?
- Runtime
- 1:48
- Date posted
- 23 days ago
- Description
- Today marks exactly seven years since Volodymyr Zelensky took office as a political outsider promising a "clean slate" for Ukraine. In this snippet from Ukraine This Week, host Anna Belokur sits down with journalist Danylo Mokryk to analyze whether the system actually changed under Zelensky's leadership. Mokryk, who spent years covering Ukraine’s domestic politics before joining the Kyiv Independent's war crimes investigations unit, argues that despite renaming key institutions like the Presidential Office, the actual functioning of political power remained the same.
Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel.
- Title
- Kyiv mourns two young sisters killed in Russian attack
- Runtime
- 0:29
- Date posted
- 24 days ago
- Description
- On May 19, family and friends gathered at Kyiv’s St. Michael’s Monastery for the funeral of sisters Liubava, 12, and Vira, 17, who were killed last week in a Russian missile attack that claimed 24 lives in the capital.
The tragedy comes three years after their father, Ukrainian serviceman Yevhen Yakovliev, was killed on the frontline in 2023. Following the loss of her husband and both daughters to Russia’s war, their mother is now the family’s sole survivor.
Video: Andriy Zhyhaylo; Ihor Kuznietsov; Alex Babenko / Getty Images.
- Title
- Russians react to Ukraine’s strikes inside Russia
- Runtime
- 1:11
- Date posted
- 24 days ago
- Description
- As Ukraine intensifies strikes inside Russia, videos circulating online show Russians reacting to the war increasingly reaching their own regions, including during one of the latest large-scale attacks on the Moscow region.
Overnight on May 16–17, a joint operation by Ukraine’s SBU and Armed Forces targeted military-industrial sites, oil infrastructure, and air defense systems across Moscow Oblast and occupied Crimea. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the operation a fair response to Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
Kyiv has stepped up long-range strikes in recent months, demonstrating an apparent growing ability to hit targets in areas heavily protected by Russian air defenses.
Video: supernova_plus; exilenova_plus / Telegram.
- Title
- Has Zelensky changed since 2019?
- Runtime
- 2:24
- Date posted
- 24 days ago
- Description
- In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines how Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidency has changed over seven years in office, and whether he still represents the anti-establishment promises he campaigned on in 2019. Elected as a political outsider who vowed to fight corruption, Zelensky became the wartime leader who rallied the country after Russia’s full-scale invasion. But as his presidency stretches beyond its original term under martial law, growing scandals involving figures from his circle have intensified debate over corruption, accountability, and democratic reform. Featuring analysis from journalist Danylo Mokryk and reactions from Kyiv residents, the episode examines whether Zelensky’s government still reflects the political change voters demanded seven years ago.
Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.
- Title
- What Ukrainians think of Zelensky
- Runtime
- 2:21
- Date posted
- 25 days ago
- Description
- In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines how Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidency has changed over seven years in office, and whether he still represents the anti-establishment promises he campaigned on in 2019. Elected as a political outsider who vowed to fight corruption, Zelensky became the wartime leader who rallied the country after Russia’s full-scale invasion. But as his presidency stretches beyond its original term under martial law, growing scandals involving figures from his circle have intensified debate over corruption, accountability, and democratic reform. Featuring analysis from journalist Danylo Mokryk and reactions from Kyiv residents, the episode examines whether Zelensky’s government still reflects the political change voters demanded seven years ago.
Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.
- Title
- Claims about Zelensky using drugs, explained
- Runtime
- 1:56
- Date posted
- 25 days ago
- Description
- The claim that Zelensky is a drug addict has been circulating for years. But where did it start, who's pushing it, and what is it really designed to do?
In the video, the Kyiv Independent's Tim Zadorozhnyy breaks down the origins of the drug addict claim against Zelensky — and why it keeps spreading despite zero evidence.
- Title
- Can Congress stop Trump’s foreign policy agenda?
- Runtime
- 1:02
- Date posted
- 26 days ago
- Description
- The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek speaks with U.S. Congressman Mike Levin about shifting American support for Ukraine, internal political divisions in Washington, and the future of transatlantic alliances. Levin explains why parts of the U.S. political system are pushing to reduce support for Ukraine, how Congress is struggling to counter decisions by the Trump administration, and what this means for NATO, Europe, and the future of the war.
Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.
- Title
- Has power changed Zelensky? | Ukraine This Week
- Runtime
- 31:03
- Date posted
- 26 days ago
- Description
- In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines how Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidency has changed over seven years in office, and whether he still represents the anti-establishment promises he campaigned on in 2019. Elected as a political outsider who vowed to fight corruption, Zelensky became the wartime leader who rallied the country after Russia’s full-scale invasion. But as his presidency stretches beyond its original term under martial law, growing scandals involving figures from his circle have intensified debate over corruption, accountability, and democratic reform. Featuring analysis from journalist Danylo Mokryk and reactions from Kyiv residents, the episode examines whether Zelensky’s government still reflects the political change voters demanded seven years ago.
Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.
Become a member of our community: https://kyivindependent.com/membership/?utm_source=weekly_show_...
- Title
- Inside the corruption case shaking Ukraine’s political elite
- Runtime
- 1:50
- Date posted
- 27 days ago
- Description
- The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Denisova speaks with one of Ukraine's most prominent investigative journalists, Mykhailo Tkach, about the newly published recordings exposing corruption and money laundering inside President Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle. Tkach explains what the so-called “Mindich tapes” reveal about alleged influence networks around Zelensky’s circle, wartime contracts, and attempts to weaken Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions. The conversation also explores how corruption allegations intersect with Ukraine’s EU ambitions, public trust, and the future of wartime governance.
Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.
- Title
- Russian forces target clearly marked UN humanitarian vehicles in Kherson
- Runtime
- 0:50
- Date posted
- 27 days ago
- Description
- Russian forces targeted clearly marked UN humanitarian vehicles in Kherson on May 15. Footage published by Russian propaganda channels shows FPV drones intentionally striking cars bearing the insignia of the international aid mission.
The attack highlights the ongoing Russian targeting of humanitarian workers and international organizations assisting civilians in frontline regions.
Video: @osvedomitell_alex / Telegram.
- Title
- Ukraine’s top journalist on investigating Zelensky's circle
- Runtime
- 1:46
- Date posted
- 28 days ago
- Description
- The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Denisova speaks with one of Ukraine's most prominent investigative journalists, Mykhailo Tkach, about the newly published recordings exposing corruption and money laundering inside President Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle. Tkach explains what the so-called “Mindich tapes” reveal about alleged influence networks around Zelensky’s circle, wartime contracts, and attempts to weaken Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions. The conversation also explores how corruption allegations intersect with Ukraine’s EU ambitions, public trust, and the future of wartime governance.
Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.
- Title
- How war redefined Family Day in Ukraine
- Runtime
- 0:39
- Date posted
- 28 days ago
- Description
- For millions of Ukrainians, family is the front line of resilience. As Ukraine marks Family Day on May 15, the war continues to force impossible separations and leave thousands of empty chairs at dinner tables. Yet, in every embrace and shared moment, there is a quiet act of defiance against the destruction.
Video: _sneg_____ ; k.a.b.a.n___4 ; / TikTok; AFPTV; Andriy Zhyhaylo; Suspilne Ukraine / Getty Images; kornienko.a98 / Instagram.
- Title
- Ukraine brings home 205 POWs in 1st stage of major prisoner swap
- Runtime
- 0:31
- Date posted
- 28 days ago
- Description
- President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 15 that 205 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) returned from Russian captivity in the latest exchange, kickstarting the first phase of a wider "1,000 for 1,000" swap.
Almost all of the Ukrainian POWs who returned home had been held under Russian captivity for four years, most of the duration of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Zelensky.
Video: President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram.
- Title
- Russian strike on Kyiv: 24 killed, 48 injured as rescue operation concludes
- Runtime
- 0:31
- Date posted
- 28 days ago
- Description
- Rescue operations in Kyiv have concluded after more than 24 hours of non-stop search efforts. The death toll from the May 14 strike has risen to 24, including three children, with a total of 48 people injured after a Russian missile leveled a section of a residential building. President Zelensky stated that such deliberate attacks on civilians "can never be normalized" while calling for strengthened anti-ballistic air defense.
Video: State Emergency Service / Telegram.
- Title
- Hungary's top diplomat condemns attacks on Ukraine's Zakarpattia
- Runtime
- 0:40
- Date posted
- 29 days ago
- Description
- Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban said she protested Russia's attack on Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast during a conversation with Russian Ambassador Evgeny Stanislavov on May 14.
"I told the Russian ambassador that it is completely unacceptable to Hungary that Zakarpattia, inhabited by Hungarians, is also being attacked," Orban said in a Facebook video.
"I emphasized that Russia must do everything in its power to secure an immediate ceasefire and bring about a peaceful and lasting end to the war as soon as possible," she added.
The comments came after Hungary summoned the Russian ambassador following Moscow's latest mass attack against Ukraine, which included what Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar described as an unprecedented number of drones targeting Zakarpattia Oblast.
Russia launched more than 800 drones during the May 13 attack, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more all around Ukraine, including children.
- Title
- Ukrainian artist brings battle-worn uniforms to Venice Biennale
- Runtime
- 0:31
- Date posted
- 29 days ago
- Description
- Ukrainian artist Daria Koltsova presented the “ECHOES” installation in Venice from May 5-13. The project featured real military uniforms — donated by active-duty soldiers, artists at war, and Azov fighters — hung on traditional laundry lines near the Arsenale. Many of the garments carry the names of defenders and visible traces of combat injury.
Koltsova left the work unsigned to create a sense of ambiguity for passersby, aiming to highlight the persistence of war even in peaceful civilian settings. "Today, when war is continuously transformed into image and spectacle," Koltsova said, "personal stories remain for me one of the few ways to resist detachment and maintain a sense of human reality."
Video: Daria Koltsova / Instagram.
- Title
- Russian drone strike hits UN humanitarian mission in Kherson
- Runtime
- 0:21
- Date posted
- 29 days ago
- Description
- Russian forces attacked a humanitarian mission with a drone in Kherson’s Korabelnyi district, damaging vehicles belonging to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Information regarding casualties is currently being clarified. Local authorities condemned the strike, noting that Russia continues to target even those providing aid to civilians.
Video: Kherson Oblast Governor / Telegram.
- Title
- Kyiv residents describe overnight attack
- Runtime
- 2:00
- Date posted
- 29 days ago
- Description
- Five people are now confirmed dead, and at least 40 others are injured as rescue efforts continue in Kyiv following Russia's latest mass attack on May 14.
Fifty-six missiles of various types, including Iskander ballistic and Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, were launched in the overnight attack, as well as 675 one-way attack drones, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
Twenty-nine X-101 cruise missiles, 12 Iskander or S-400 missiles, and 652 of the drones were shot down or jammed before reaching the target.
Pensioner Serhii Yatsura, already displaced from his village because of Russia's war, had walked out to his window right when the missile struck the building opposite.
"I saw the missile flying, it hit around the third floor," he said.
"I was thrown back, everything was broken. Everything was burning, people were screaming downstairs. You could hear them screaming."
- Title
- People take shelter in the Kyiv metro
- Runtime
- 0:36
- Date posted
- 29 days ago
- Description
- Missiles and drones rocked Kyiv overnight on May 14 as Russia launched a large-scale missile attack across Ukraine, extending a mass daytime assault into the late evening and early morning hours.
Shortly before 1 a.m., Ukraine's Air Force issued a nationwide aerial alert, warning that Russia had launched MiG-31 bombers and that every region in the country was now at risk of ballistic missile strikes.
Several rounds of ballistic missile explosions were then heard in Kyiv at 3:15 a.m. through 3:44 a.m. local time. An air raid alert was still in place in capital at 8:30 a.m.
One person was killed, and 36 others were injured, with 11 people rescued from under a partially collapsed building in Kyiv.
Video: ihor_kuznietsov / Instagram
- Title
- Rescuers save survivor from Kyiv high-rise hit by Russian attack
- Runtime
- 1:04
- Date posted
- 29 days ago
- Description
- Russia extended a mass daytime assault into the night, launching a large-scale strike across Ukraine on May 14. One person was killed and 36 others were injured in the capital after a residential building partially collapsed. Rescue operations continued overnight as the Air Force issued a nationwide alert, warning that every region remained at risk of further strikes.
Video: State Emergency Service / Telegram.
- Title
- Russia tests “Satan 2” again after failed launches
- Runtime
- 0:54
- Date posted
- 30 days ago
- Description
- Russia has allegedly conducted a successful test of its nuclear-capable RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), following a series of failed launches that exposed weaknesses behind Moscow's repeated nuclear threats.
News of the claimed launch was delivered to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Strategic Missile Forces Commander Sergey Karakayev, Russian state news agency TASS reported on May 12.
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Moscow warned the U.S. and "other capitals" about the test.
The missile, one of six "superweapons" first unveiled by Putin in 2018 to project the cutting edge of Russian strategic weaponry, has been a frequent feature in Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling.
But with several reported failed launches during the full-scale war against Ukraine, the missile has instead highlighted the weaknesses in Russia's strategic nuclear weapons program.
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