We're reporting on the new US peace plan that pushes Ukraine toward capitulation: Here's what you helped us do this week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support. It's been another tough week, to put it mildly. From Ukraine's biggest wartime corruption scandal continuing to unfold, to Russia slowly advancing on and nearly encircling Pokrovsk, and the new U.S. peace plan that features Russia's maximalist demands, it's been a lot to report on.

We'd like to say thank you for being one of the 23,700 members who help us keep reporting and help our news reach millions of people around the world each month. We wouldn't be able to do it without you, and we're grateful that we have our community to rely on. Your contributions help us keep the world informed.

Before we get into the news, we'd also like to give a warm welcome to the 544 new members who joined this week. Thank you for helping us get one step closer to our goal of 25,000 members before the end of 2025. Right now, we have just over 23,700 members — meaning we have just under 1,300 members to go.

Members like you make our work possible — thank you for being part of our community.

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

We reported on the new US peace plan that pushes Ukraine toward capitulation. Here's everything we know so far, including that the plan reflects Russia's maximalist demands and requires Ukraine to cede Donbas. Zelensky made a statement today, calling it one of the most difficult moments for the country, and that "Ukraine may soon face an extremely difficult choice. Either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner. Either 28 complicated points or the hardest winter yet."

Another widely read story was the analysis on what the fall of Pokrovsk would mean for Ukraine — and Russia. Asami Terajima's article breaks down what might happen next on the battlefield, as Russian troops continue to slowly close in on the pocket of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. You can also watch this video explainer by Francis Farrell, who sits down to explain the Battle of Pokrovsk and how we got to this point.

We continued reporting on Ukraine's biggest wartime corruption scandal. Oleksiy Sorokin interviewed Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Action Center, who explained the stakes of the crisis and outlined the steps she believes Zelensky should take to resolve it. This week, in response to the corruption scandal, lawmakers from Zelensky's party sided with the opposition, demanding answers. The Kyiv Independent also wrote about Ukrainians' responses to the scandal, speaking to everyone from veterans to volunteers, drone operators, and lawyers.

Who is Zelensky's notorious right-hand man, Andriy Yermak? Zelensky's chief of staff has amassed a level of power rarely seen in modern Ukraine. Oleg Sukhov and Oleksiy Sorokin's explainer breaks down why Yermak, unelected and lacking popular support, is so contentious — and why, according to reports, Zelensky will not oust him.

We published an exclusive story on Ukraine's foreign legion — which is to be effectively dismantled. Asami Terajima and Jared Goyette's story explains how Ukraine plans to effectively dismantle the International Legion within the Ground Forces, one of the main structures that has brought in foreign volunteers, leaving legionnaires worried they will be scattered into unfamiliar structures in a way they say could cost lives.

We reported on how Ukraine's northern fortress city of Chernihiv braces for a worst-case scenario winter. According to experts and energy workers, Russia appears to be testing a new strategy: targeting energy infrastructure in border areas like Chernihiv as a way to isolate them from Ukraine's unified energy system and make the coming freezing months unbearable for residents. Pictured above, workers of Chernihivoblenergo JSC respond to the aftermath of a Russian drone strike on an energy facility in Chernihiv Oblast on Nov. 6, taken by Maksym Kishka for the Kyiv Independent.

We also wrote about the devastating scale of Russia's drone terror against Ukrainian civilians. A new report called "Killzone" by the human rights organization Truth Hounds shows the systematic nature of Russian FPV drone attacks along the southern stretch of the Dnipro River. Patterns — i.e. regular strikes on civilians and first responders — suggest deliberate targeting, but many people still live in these areas.

Our next Q&A is on a topic chosen by our members — Russian propaganda and disinformation. You can join two experts, Alona Hurkivska and Keir Giles, on Tuesday, Nov. 25, as they answer your questions about Russian propaganda, disinformation, and information warfare. They'll discuss everything from how to recognize fake news to understanding how propaganda spreads, and how to trust the news you're reading. You can register and submit your questions here.

Finally, to end on a positive note, we added the option for live-stream tickets for our event "Stories From Democracy's Front Line" this December. We heard from our community that there was interest in being able to watch the event online — and we listened. You can find all the information about live stream tickets, as well as the new "library tickets" at a discounted rate, here. Thank you to everyone who wrote in and for your support of the War Crimes Investigations Unit.

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