We continued to report on Kyiv's unprecedented power crisis and Russia's new, updated mass air attack tactics: Here's what you helped us do this week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support.

Kyiv still faces an unprecedented energy crisis. Russia launched another mass missile and drone attack earlier this week, targeting nuclear power plant substations and leaving thousands in Kyiv without power and water.

Daytime highs in Kyiv reached -3 degrees Celsius (26 degrees Fahrenheit) this week, and we're working to keep our team online and warm, but both the office and many of our homes remain rather cold. Pictured above is our business reporter Dominic Culverwell last week in the office, wearing multiple layers, including a coat and a blanket, due to the ongoing power crisis.

If you have any questions about Russia’s attacks on critical infrastructure, Ukraine’s energy crisis, and the situation in Kyiv, you can join us for our community Q&A next Thursday. Business editor Lili Bivings and reporter Yuliia Taradiuk will answer all your questions, from the response of state energy companies to the reality of living in Kyiv at this moment. Register and submit your questions here.

Thank you for being with us during this critical time. We'd also like to give a warm welcome to the 338 new members who joined this week — it's thanks to our members that we have a stable source of income, something critical for the sustainability of our work and our ability to plan for the future.

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

From ice to blackouts, we reported on Kyiv's most difficult winter yet. Yevgeniya Doluda's story takes a look at the conditions Kyiv's residents face: In addition to experiencing continual, irregular blackouts and lack of heating in their homes, they also face adverse conditions outside due to the city's mismanagement.

We also reported on the fight between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko as Russia's attacks and mismanagement push the city to the brink. According to experts, Kyiv was ultimately unprepared for winter — while the capital has been poorly run overall, the responsibility for the ongoing crisis lies with both the central and local authorities. Kateryna Denisova's article explains here.

Russia is using "updated" tactics in missile strikes — but what does that mean? Kateryna Hodunova interviewed defense expert Viktor Kevliuk, who explained Russia's strategies in mass missile and drone attacks and how it is changing, from exclusively targeting energy infrastructure to trying to overload Ukrainian air defense with different types of threats.

One widely read story this week was about Ukraine's need for billions in military equipment — as Greenland pushes the alliance to a breaking point. Ukraine needs at least $27 billion in military equipment from non-European Union sources in 2026 — highlighting the dependence on the U.S. Luca Léry Moffat and Jimmy Rushton's article explains why the EU can't fill this gap and what Greenland might mean for Ukraine. We also wrote about Trump's vows to take Greenland here and explained why neither Russia nor China really poses a threat to the territory, here.

We published an investigation revealing that American and European microchips were found inside Russia's newest drone. Russia's Geran-5 is a missile-like drone, able to fly much faster than previous models and with a longer range — and found to contain a bunch of American and at least one German microchip. Alisa Yurchenko's investigation reveals who supplies these components to Russia.

We interviewed an investigative reporter from the New York Times about Trump's peace efforts. Chris York sits down with Adam Entous to discuss his new investigation, with Entous sharing behind-the-scenes details on the roles of Keith Kellogg and JD Vance, how competing camps pulled negotiations in different directions, and how it affected U.S. intelligence support for Ukrainian strikes inside Russia.

Finally, to end on a positive note, our online store released a collection this week: "I stand with Ukraine through darkness," letting wearers show their solidarity with Ukraine through the power crisis. Until Feb. 3, we are donating the proceeds from this collection to Starenki, a Ukrainian charity which helps older people living in vulnerable situations by delivering essentials and providing emotional support. Thank you for your support.

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