Our documentary about Russian war crimes in the occupied territories premiered: Here's what you helped us achieve this week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support.

Yesterday, our War Crimes Investigations Unit released its most recent documentary "Shadows Across the River," which investigates Russian war crimes in the occupied territory of Ukraine’s southern Kherson Oblast.

You can watch "Shadows Across the River" on the Kyiv Independent's YouTube channel and read the op-ed by the film's author Danylo Mokryk, which explains how trading territories with Russia means trading people.

Pictured above is the documentary's premiere in Kyiv on Thursday, Oct. 17.

We'd like to give a warm welcome to our 57 new members this week. This is what your support helps us accomplish. Thank you for standing with us.

Here are some highlights from the Kyiv Independent this week:

We want to hear from you! We launched our community satisfaction survey earlier this week. If you have a few minutes and haven't yet filled out our survey, you can do so here. We really value hearing from our members, and we read every response that is submitted. Thank you for taking the time – we really appreciate it!

One popular story this week was Chris York's article about why the Baltic States fear Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, explaining the history of Russian occupation and how Kaliningrad functions as a military base.

We embedded with Ukraine's 1st Separate Assault Battalion, a unit mostly made up of inmates. Our video report explains what motivates these former prisoners to become soldiers and what challenges their command faces in making them effective fighters.

We wrote about how North Korean soldiers could be used in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Chris York's article explains that while the thousands of North Korean troops are not expected to tilt the battlefield advantage in Russia's favor, the move does highlight Russia’s desperation in the face of high losses.

We reported on how Republican support for Ukraine might depend on evangelicals. Owen Racer's story takes a look at the efforts to get America's influential religious right onboard with supporting Ukraine, exposing Russia's genocidal war and showing its persecution of Ukrainian Christians.

We also reported on Russia's gains in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Dinara Khalilova's story analyzes what the recent developments on the front line mean and whether or not Ukraine should expect a broader offensive.

We published a photo story "Coming of Age Amidst War," which shows how the journey to adulthood for Ukrainian youth has been affected by Russia's all-out war. The photo series is currently on display at the America House in Lviv.

Our next KI Insights briefing will focus on Ukraine's 2025 budget. Join KI Insights director Jakub Parusinski on Oct. 25 at 4 p.m. Kyiv time for a discussion and Q&A about Ukraine's 2025 budget and macroeconomic prospects. You can register here and reach out to insights@kyivindependent.com with any questions.

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