We covered Russia's mass missile and drone attack on Kyiv: Here's what you helped us do this week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support.

Wednesday night in Kyiv was loud — starting at around 9:30 p.m., the first explosions were heard as air defense started to shoot down drones attacking the capital. It wasn’t until almost 10 a.m. on Thursday that we got the final “all clear” here in Kyiv.

Russia targeted cities across Ukraine, launching 598 drones and 31 ballistic and cruise missiles in the mass air attack.

In Kyiv, at least 23 people were killed, including four children — three of them aged 2, 14, and 17, according to the authorities. The attack also injured at least 63 people, including 11 children.

This is Russia’s actual answer to “peace negotiations.” And, this is why the Kyiv Independent stays on the ground in Ukraine — because we believe the world needs to see the reality of Russia’s all-out war.

Pictured above is a residential building in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district that was destroyed by a Russian missile attack on Wednesday night, taken by videographer Olena Zashko.

It's thanks to our members — members like you — that the Kyiv Independent has a sustainable source of revenue for our work. We want to thank you for your support and your solidarity. We wouldn't be here without you.

We'd also like to give a warm welcome to the 188 new members who joined this week. Thank you for being a part of our community and helping keep our reporting funded.

Here's what you helped us accomplish at the Kyiv Independent this week:

We covered Russia's mass missile and drone attack on Kyiv, which killed at least 23 people. Most of the casualties came from a Russian missile attack on a five-story apartment building in the Darnytskyi district. Asami Terajima spoke to Kyiv residents who survived the strike as they waited for the bodies of their neighbors to be recovered.

We published an exclusive investigation into the maker of Ukraine's new Flamingo cruise missile facing a corruption probe. Ukraine's anti-corruption agency NABU has been investigating the country's deep-strike drone company Fire Point over concerns it misled the government on pricing and deliveries, as five sources with knowledge of the investigation told the Kyiv Independent.

We also explained why Trump is failing to end Russia's war. Francis Farrell sits down to explain what has happened so far — seven months into Trump's presidency — why no progress has been made, and what might happen next.

We wrote about how Russia targets, detains, and kills Ukrainian officials in occupied regions. Daria Shulzhenko's article tells the stories of how local officials and activists have been targeted and abducted by Russia, showing a systemic and coordinated effort to persecute people who hold power in their communities since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

We reported on how Russia, desperate for more soldiers, is recruiting prisoners and civilians with HIV and hepatitis. Russia officially claims that it does not recruit people with serious illnesses, however, exiled Russian journalist Olga Romanova says the reality is the opposite: "They basically take everyone indiscriminately. It's unofficially approved, because no one is planning to treat them at all."

We also reported on the upcoming Russia-Belarus Zapad-2025 military drills. Mariya Yeryoma's article explains everything you need to know about the upcoming military exercises — which have been cause of suspicion after a "joint drill" in 2022 was used to mask the buildup of the Russian assault force that stormed into Ukraine that February.

Last week, Ukraine celebrated its 34th Independence Day, and one popular story was 34 facts to learn about Ukraine, from the massive catacombs beneath Odesa to Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" having a connection to Zhytomyr.

We have a small favor to ask, on behalf of our social media team. We’re looking at WhatsApp as a new way to share our journalism — and we’d love to hear from you. If you read news on WhatsApp (or would like to), please take our short survey to tell us what updates you’d find most useful. It should only take a minute, and your input will help us shape a channel that’s relevant and respectful of your time.

Finally, to end on a positive note, this week we sent the third edition of our "How to help Ukraine" newsletter featuring Voices of Children, the largest Ukrainian foundation providing comprehensive psychological help to children and parents who are affected by war. Thanks to you, we were able to raise about $7,500 for their summer and fall camps, designed to be a safe space for children affected by war and help them learn to cope with stress. For context, this is enough to fund nine children attending a two-week camp. You can read more about the initiative and make a contribution here. Thank you for your support! It's incredible to see our members make a difference like this.

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