Here's what you helped us achieve in the last week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support. Pictured above reporter Francis Farrell's cat, Sazha, visits the office this week. Sazha is originally from Bakhmut but was adopted by Francis earlier this year and now lives in Kyiv.

We'd also like to welcome our 122 new members this week. We're proud to be reader-funded – thank you for standing with us.

Here are some highlights from the Kyiv Independent over the last week:

One of the most popular stories last week was Francis Farrell's update on the Bakhmut front, considered one of the three main axes of the summer counteroffensive, where some of Ukraine's most battle-hardened units are inching forward.

We also reported on the progress of the counteroffensive from Donetsk Oblast. Asami Terajima's story follows the 35th Separate Marine Brigade, and the difficulties they face liberating territory, then maintaining positions, on the Velyka Novosilka axis.

Our third front-line report this week was from Kharkiv Oblast, where Igor Kossov covered a new brigade and the limits of the NATO training it received, as it faces seasoned Russian units on the northeast front.

We wrote about the Ukrainian fathers struggling with separation from their families. Since martial law was implemented at the start of the full-scale invasion, men between the ages 18 and 60 have not been allowed to leave the country, as they're eligible to be drafted. Daria Shulzhenko's story follows the fathers who have remained in the country, while their families seek refuge abroad.

This week Belarus Weekly looks at Lukashenko's claims that the "core" of the Wagner Group remains in Belarus, and the threats by Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia to completely close their borders, should a critical incident with the private military company occur. According to Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, the first Russian tactical nuclear weapons were also delivered to Belarus this week.

We also wrote about the Wagner Group's role in Africa. Alexander Khrebet's article explains what Prigozhin's death means for Africa, with experts predicting that Wagner will ultimately be replaced with Russian units, though this transition may not be smooth.

Episode 23 of our podcast "This Week in Ukraine" focuses on alleged corruption in Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. Host Anastasiia Lapatina sits down with investigative reporter Danylo Mokryk to discuss the allegations of corruption in the Ministry of Defense, in light of its most recent scandal, involving the procurement of jackets, with your questions starting at 30:55.

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