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

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support!

We have some great news to share with you: Our office now has a generator! Your support for independent journalism helps outfit our office with necessities, like our generator, that will allow us to keep working through blackouts, as we face another winter of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Pictured above, our office manager Sofa Koretska and the electricians pose after installing the generator on Thursday.

We'd also like to welcome the 79 new members that joined us this week. We're proud to be reader-funded!

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

We reported from Donetsk Oblast, on the morale of soldiers. Asami Terajima's story takes a look at the brutal Bakhmut counteroffensive and the Ukrainian troops fighting there, as well as the losses they've faced and how they deal with survivor's guilt.

Our most popular story last week was Francis Farrell's piece about Russia's failed attempt to take Avdiivka by storm. Since Russia's counteroffensive started two weeks ago, the only gains have been a handful of treelines, though they've suffered record losses. On Oct. 19 alone, Russian losses are estimated to be 1,380 personnel, 55 tanks, and 120 armored fighting vehicles.

We wrote about Ukraine's demographic crisis and its effects on the economy. Dominic Culverwell's article explains how Russia's full-scale invasion has pushed the demographic crisis to the breaking point, as more Ukrainians leave the country with a smaller chance of repatriation, and what potential solutions might be.

We also wrote about how Ukraine's largest retailers are returning to front-line and liberated areas. Nina Mishchenko's article looks at why the major chain retailers, like Okko gas stations, continue to operate near the front line, despite Russian attacks and losses to the businesses.

We published a video explainer on how Russia is turning kids into soldiers. Iryna Matviyishyn explains what Russia's "patriotic education" involves and why it poses a long-term threat to Ukraine and other countries.

We wrote about the Ukrainian cultural figures killed by Russian aggression. Dinara Khalilova's article tells the story of five prominent Ukrainians, including a conductor, a film editor, and an artist, who were all killed as a result of Russia's war.

This week Belarus Weekly looks into Russia’s growing nuclear capabilities in Belarus, including a report by the Wall Street Journal on the infrastructure capable of housing nuclear weapons being constructed in Belarus, though it's unclear whether Russia is keeping warheads in these hangars.

Episode 31 of "This Week in Ukraine" looks into why the murderers of EuroMaidan protestors still enjoy impunity. Host Anastasiia Lapatina and reporter Oleg Sukhov discuss the disappointing outcome of the trial against riot police officers who murdered unarmed protestors during the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2014, with your questions starting at 25:55. You can also read Oleg Sukhov's story which explains why this trial verdict is criticized and why it's about Russia.

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