We reported on Russia deploying ballistic missiles to Kaliningrad: Here's what you helped us accomplish this week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support.

It would really be an understatement to say that “a lot has happened recently.”

We know exactly how crazy the current news cycle is — recently we've seen Russia continuing to gain ground on the front line , yet another record-breaking air attack, and reportedly Russia preparing for at least two more "heavy offensive campaigns."

And, that’s only in Ukraine.

We know that there’s a lot of turmoil and rising tensions outside of Russia’s war in Ukraine — and it can be exhausting to try to keep up with all the new, ominous developments around the world.

We'd like to say a huge thank you to all of you for not only reading our coverage — but helping keep the Kyiv Independent funded.

It's thanks to our community of almost 22,000 people, all around the world, that we have a stable source of funding for our work. Your support helps us fund front-line reporting trips, pay our team’s salaries, and reach millions of readers each month. We wouldn't be here without you.

We'd also like to give a warm welcome to the 176 new members who joined this week. Thank you for standing with us.

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

We reported on Russia's deployment of Iskander-M ballistic missiles to Kaliningrad. The move comes as tensions between Russian and NATO have reached a level not seen since the end of the Cold War. Kateryna Hodunova's explainer breaks down the capabilities of an Iskander missile and exactly what this means for Europe. Pictured above is the map that shows the range of the Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Kaliningrad, and the six NATO countries now within reach.

We also explained everything that you need to know about Russian attack drones, after Russian drones made an unprecedented incursion into Polish air space last week, including the size of these long-range kamikaze drones and which countries are within range — in short, it's almost every country in Europe.

We interviewed Boris Johnson about Europe's role in Ukraine's defense. Chris York sat down with the former U.K. Prime Minister to discuss what needs to be done to stop Russia in Ukraine, with Boris Johnson arguing that the West must send a clear signal that Ukraine’s future lies with Europe.

We also interviewed Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who said that opinion is shifting towards the idea of NATO closing the sky over western Ukraine, after Russia's brazen drone attack on Poland last week. We interviewed European Commissioner for Defense Industry and Space Andrius Kubilius, too, about the EU's ability to prepare for modern warfare and why Ukraine's experience is critical to Europe's defense.

We reported on what happens to Russian POWs after they're released from captivity — they're often "sent back to die" in Ukraine. Daria Shulzhenko's article looks at what we know about Russian POWs, from their treatment in Ukrainian captivity, to how they're received in Russia — often facing judgement for having been captured and then sent back to fight in Ukraine again.

We explained what the resignation of technocrat Dmitry Kozak tells us about power shifts in Russia. Earlier this week, the Kremlin confirmed that Putin's deputy chief of staff Kozak — who allegedly opposed an all-out war in 2022 and presented Putin with a plan at ending the war this year — resigned from his position. Karol Luczka's article analyses the resignation of one of the last figures who allegedly dared to disagree with Putin.

This week, the third episode of "Dare to Ukraine: Village" was released. The host of the show, Masha, is living in a Ukrainian village for a month with only a $500 budget (the average Ukrainian salary) and her dog. In episode three, Masha starts gaining the trust of her neighbors through an unusual method: witchcraft. You can watch the episode here and subscribe to our YouTube to get notifications for future episodes.

Finally, to end on a positive note, this week we shared the fourth edition of our "How to help Ukraine" newsletter, where we featured the work of Dignitas, a volunteer-powered nonprofit working to empower Ukrainian soldiers through technology, training, and innovation. They're currently raising money for their Victory Robots program to train operators of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). Our community has already raised nearly $3,000 for Dignitas — if you'd like to make a contribution, you can do so here. Thank you for your support, and we're happy to see our community help make a difference for Ukraine during the war!

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