We published the Carpathians episode of our show "Dare to Ukraine" – Here's what you helped us achieve in the last week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support!

This weekend, we published the second episode of our show "Dare to Ukraine," which explores the traditions and stunning scenery of the Carpathian Mountains. Watch the episode here.

Pictured above, the "Dare to Ukraine" team films high up in the Carpathians.

We'd also like to give a warm welcome to our 68 new members this week. We're proud to be reader-funded.

Here are some highlights from the Kyiv Independent this week:

One of our most widely-read stories this week was Dominic Culverwell's article on how Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries aren't producing the desired effect on Russia's economy. Although the attacks are boosting morale in Ukraine, they are yet to make a strategic difference in the fight against the Kremlin.

Another popular story was Francis Farrell's report from the front near Pokrovsk. A lack of effective communication, shortages of manpower and ammunition, and relentless Russian assaults make this sector of the front line one of the most challenging for Ukrainian troops to defend. Watch the video version of the report here.

We looked at why Germany still refuses to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine, as Washington and London face pressure to allow Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia with weapons they have already provided. Kateryna Denisova explains the personal and political reasons behind why Chancellor Olaf Scholz is firmly against delivering Taurus missiles.

We reported on Russia's malicious activity in the Baltic Sea. Chris York looks at the reasons behind the increasingly escalatory activities against NATO, which range from jamming GPS signals to redrawing maritime borders. We also interviewed Estonian President Alar Karis in Kyiv about NATO support for Ukraine and Russian intelligence operations in the Baltics.

We covered Meta’s ban on Russian propaganda outlets. Russian state-run media outlets like RT are no longer able to post on Meta-owned platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, but experts warn that the measure doesn't go far enough.

We interviewed U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink about U.S. and Ukrainian political developments, including President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington. On our YouTube channel, we also published an interview with former U.S. Ambassador William Taylor, who weighed in on how the upcoming presidential election could drastically shape America’s support for Ukraine.

We looked at how Ukraine managed to heavily damage an arms depot in Russia's Tver Oblast in an overnight attack on Sept. 18. Despite being built to withstand a nuclear explosion, the arsenal was apparently no match for Ukrainian drones.

We covered the unpopular decision to raise taxes in Ukraine for the first time since the full-scale invasion broke out, as the government struggles to find new sources of funding for its growing wartime budget.

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