We investigated Russia’s shadow fleet and reported on battlefield controversies — Here’s what you helped us cover this week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support.

Finally, with the clocks changing, longer and sunnier days are here — giving us a bit more energy to keep going. We continue to cover developments on the front line, Ukraine’s defense tech sector, and the external forces shaping the country’s future.

We'd also like to give a warm welcome to the 110 new members who joined this week. We’re so grateful to have you with us. Our members give us the stability we need to keep going!

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

We published an exclusive on Russia’s shadow fleet. Tanya Kozyreva’s findings revealed that the fleet relies on Starlink and cryptocurrency, and identified Ukrainians recruited for maritime jobs who later worked on tankers now under investigation by the FBI and SBU.

We also reported on a battlefield controversy near Pokrovsk. Francis Farrell explained how a failed Ukrainian mechanized assault sparked backlash online, with critics accusing an assault regiment of wasteful tactics and unnecessary losses, prompting calls for accountability.

We also covered Japan entering Ukraine’s defense tech sector for the first time. Dominic Culverwell reported that a Japanese company is investing in Ukrainian interceptor drones, marking a major shift as Tokyo looks to counter regional threats and taps into Ukraine’s battlefield expertise.

We also reported on how Ukraine is targeting Russia’s air defenses. Polina Moroziuk and Francis Farrell explain how Ukrainian forces are systematically degrading Russia’s air defense systems to expand its deep strike capabilities, though significant challenges remain.

We also reported on the challenges faced by Russian volunteers fighting for Ukraine. Kateryna Denisova and Myroslava Chaiun spoke to fighters who say they were detained in Ukrainian migration centers and faced possible deportation back to Russia, raising concerns among rights advocates and other Russian volunteers fighting on Ukraine’s side.

We also covered developments in Polish politics. Martin Fornusek’s article details how right-wing politicians are increasingly tapping into anti-Ukraine sentiment to win votes, a trend experts warn could normalize such rhetoric ahead of upcoming elections.

We also reported on a suspected cover-up of a cattle disease outbreak in Russia. Karol Luczka’s article shows that while authorities claim a minor infection, experts point to stricter measures suggesting a more serious disease, raising concerns about transparency and information control.

We also published a new article in our Explaining Ukraine series on what is known as the Executed Renaissance. This was a brief period of cultural revival under early Soviet “Ukrainization” before a brutal crackdown in the 1930s, when writers and artists were executed, imprisoned, or silenced.

We published an interview on Slovakia’s stance toward Ukraine. Martin Fornusek spoke with former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok — and leader of Slovakia’s main opposition to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico — about how domestic politics, energy dependence, and populist narratives are shaping the country’s position — and what it means for EU unity and support for Ukraine. You can watch it here.

We also have a new episode of “Ukraine This Week.” In this episode, Anna Belokur examines Russia’s escalating crackdown on internet access and what it reveals about the Kremlin’s growing fear of dissent. You can watch it here.

Finally, to end on a positive note: Earlier this week, we featured in our ninth “How to Help Ukraine” edition Helping to Leave, a Ukrainian charity that helps evacuate civilians from temporarily occupied territories and front-line areas in Ukraine — for free. Thanks to your support, we raised more than €8,000 for it. If you wish to contribute, you can also make a donation via card payment here toward Helping to Leave’s work on this project. We will also have an online event with Daria Rabinovitsch, Co-CEO of Helping to Leave, and you can register and submit your questions here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4nFRW9HqRhqxSTLgMMJsxQ

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