We interviewed Slovakia's ex-defense minister on the country's pro-Russia turn: Here's what you've helped us achieve in the last week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support! Pictured above, news editor Martin Fornusek and his dog Edgy visit the Kyiv Independent office in person this week – the pair usually work remote, so it's great to see them in person.

We'd like to give a warm welcome to our 99 new members this week. Your support keeps us going.

Here are some highlights from the Kyiv Independent this week:

We interviewed Slovakia's ex-defense minister on the country's pro-Russia turn. Under Jaroslav Nad, Slovakia became the first country to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine, only for Bratislava to make a 180-degree change with the election of Fico, who, according to Nad, "won the election on being very much anti-Ukrainian and very much pro-Russian."

We published a photo story looking at Ukraine's youth – the country's generation of fighters. Brett Lloyd's photo essay, "Ukraine Today," originally commissioned by Vogue Ukraine, captures young Ukrainians –  artists, students, and soldiers – and their resolve to maintain their identity and culture expression.

One popular story this week was about NATO's new Secretary General and what it means for Ukraine. Elsa Court's article explains how the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte secured the position as well as his stances on Putin and Russia's war.

We published a video explainer on Ukraine's land drones. Russia's war in Ukraine has been called the “first drone war” due to the widespread use of drones – including recon missions and kamikaze attacks – as well as Ukraine's land drones that evacuate the wounded.

We reviewed Jen Stout's "Night Train to Odesa." Kate Tsurkan's review argues the book is "a heartfelt tribute to those who embody the best of humanity, even amid the horrors of all-out war surrounding them" ultimately calling it a remedy for reading about wartime despair.

This week Belarus Weekly looks at the International Federation for Human Rights and its calls for Serbia to halt extradition of Belarusian activist Andrei Hniot. Hniot is the co-founder of an organization which played a key role in persuading the International Olympic Committee to terminating funding for the Belarusian national committee, headed by the dictator Lukashenko himself.

Finally, we want to hear from you! As the Kyiv Independent gets ready to launch its own merch, we're looking for your opinions. You can join the conversation in Discord with senior digital marketing specialist Owain Jones. If you need any help joining the community server, please reach out to community@kyivindependent.com.

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