We reported from Kharkiv Oblast as key city Kupiansk is now at risk of being occupied by Russia — again: Here's what you helped us accomplish this week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support — and Happy Halloween on behalf of the Kyiv Independent team!

Before we dive into the news (which is a little scary), we hope you're able to find some time to carve a pumpkin, wear your costume, trick-or-treat — or however you celebrate. Our office decorations this year include paper garlands with orange and black bats and a lot of pumpkins — especially on the war desk. We'll be sharing some photos on our community Discord server later, too.

We'd also like to give a warm welcome to the 247 new members who joined this week. We truly wouldn't be here without our community. Thank you for being with us.

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

We reported from Kharkiv Oblast as the city Kupiansk is now at risk of being occupied by Russia — again. Francis Farrell embedded with the artillerymen of Ukraine's 15th National Guard Brigade, better known as Kara-Dag, as Russian troops once again approach the city of Kupiansk, which was liberated in the lightning counteroffensive of 2022. Now, ambush drones, urban infiltration, and a daring Russian river crossing all put the major Kharkiv Oblast city under threat of a second Russian occupation. Pictured above, Ukrainian soldiers stand beside a vehicle covered with makeshift netting to protect it from Russian drones in Kharkiv Oblast on Sept. 24, 2025.

Our most widely read story last week was about Russia's evolving tactics after clearing the Dobropillia "breakthrough." In mid-August, hundreds of Russian troops pierced a porous and chaotic defense and advanced over 15 kilometers beyond Ukrainian lines. Now that the operation to clear this major Russian breach is almost over, Francis Farrell's article analyzes lessons from the so-called Dobropillia breakthrough as larger concerns still remain.

Another popular story was about what Ukraine’s soldiers say they actually need — which is more than Tomahawks. Asami Terajima and Kateryna Hodunova spoke to Ukrainian soldiers on the ground who said that the lack of more basic needs is a more pressing issue than the U.S. long-range Tomahawk missiles. Often shortages of critical but more rudimentary equipment play just as decisive a role.

We also reported on what we know about Russia's "encirclement" of Pokrovsk. Francis Farrell's article breaks down everything we know about the defense of the Donetsk Oblast city: Earlier this week, Putin claimed complete encirclement of Pokrovsk, and while this isn't the case, the situation is highly dynamic and deteriorating for the defending side.

How dangerous is Russia's new "unlimited range" missile? Chris York sat down with nuclear arms control expert Pavel Podvig to discuss what kind of threat Russia's Burevestnik — a nuclear-powered cruise missile with allegedly an “unlimited range" — actually poses after Russia announced another successful test of the "super weapon" this week.

We reported on the funeral after a drone strike in a Kyiv Oblast village. On Oct. 22, a Russian drone hit a house in Pohreby, a village in Kyiv Oblast, where a 38-year-old woman, her six-month-old daughter, and her 12-year-old niece, were sleeping. All three were killed. Tania Myronyshena and Viacheslav Ratynskyi's article takes a look at the town of Pohreby and how it's coping with tragedy after the deadly drone strike.

We wrote about where we're at with AI drones in Ukraine. Kollen Post's article explains that while Ukraine’s drones are setting new standards for self-piloting on the battlefield, full autonomy, however, remains out of reach — and is likely to stay there. Another one of Kollen's articles explains that the one critical shortage keeping Ukraine’s interceptor drones from blocking out Russia’s Shaheds is trained operators.

We explained Putin's weaponization of history and how it became central to the war in Ukraine. Martin Fornusek's article takes a look at Putin's obsession with Ukraine and how he uses cherry-picked historical narratives and outright distortions to justify Russia's war in Ukraine, with experts explaining that Russia's leader is drowning in a world that just doesn't exist.

In case you missed it, the tickets to our event in NYC are live. On Dec. 9, the Kyiv Independent will be hosting "Stories From Democracy's Front Line" — a night of live storytelling, with the proceeds of the event going to fund our War Crimes Investigations Unit. Tickets start at $200, and are limited. You can find out more about the event and get your tickets here.

Finally, to end on a positive note, in case you missed it, last week we launched our Ukrainian Holiday Gift guide for 2025. The gift guide is a handpicked selection of Ukrainian-made items from the country's top designers and brands, as well as books and initiatives to donate to, curated entirely from staff recommendations across every department of our team. We're excited to be able to share with you this piece of Ukrainian culture and we hope it helps you with your holiday shopping this year! You can check out the guide here.

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