We reported from Pokrovsk as Russia advances: Here's what you helped us achieve in the past week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support.

We'd like to give a warm welcome to our 80 new members this week. We truly wouldn't be here without the support of readers like you.

Here are some highlights from the Kyiv Independent this week:

We reported on the ground from Pokrovsk, a city is eastern Ukraine now under mandatory evacuation as Russian gain ground in Donetsk Oblast. Reporter Francis Farrell and videographer Olena Zashko covered volunteers' efforts to evacuate civilians from neighboring Selydove, stranded due to Russia’s rapid advance. Pictured above, Francis stands in front of a civilian house that's been destroyed by a Russian glide bomb.

We analyzed what the fall of Vuhledar, a key to Ukrainian defenses in the southeastern part of Donetsk Oblast, would mean for the battlefield. The town, often referred to as a "fortress" among the military, is reportedly being razed to the ground, threatening the southern flank of Pokrovsk.

One of our most popular stories this week was our explainer on Zelensky's "victory plan."  Dinara Khalilova breaks down what we know about the plan so far, why it's coming now, and what the results may be. We also had Ukrainian soldiers weigh in on what they hope and expect from this crucial development as Zelensky presents his plan to Biden.

This week, Belarus Weekly looks at Lukashenko's admission to cooperating with occupied Donetsk for the past decade and to hosting Ukrainian children that had been abducted by Russia.

We wrote about the Ukrainian couples getting married online. The Diia app, created by the Digital Transformation Ministry in 2020, launched a new feature this month: marrying digitally, a necessity born out of Russia's war. Ukraine is the first country to fully digitize the process of marriage.

We are planning to launch a new newsletter: Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan.  Every Tuesday, Kate, our cultural reporter, will delve into different facets of Ukrainian culture, history, and sociopolitics to help you better understand contemporary Ukraine. Sign up here to have it delivered directly to your inbox.

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