We were featured on the Telegraph's podcast 'Ukraine: The Latest' – here's what you helped us achieve this week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

This week, the Telegraph's podcast team visited our offices in Kyiv to record episodes of "Ukraine: The Latest." The Feb. 20 episode features our reporters Francis Farrell and Alexander Khrebet, and the Feb. 21 episode features our business reporter Dominic Culverwell. Pictured above, the podcast team records an episode in the Kyiv Independent office earlier this week.

We'd like to give a warm welcome to the 128 new members this week. Thank you for standing with us – we're proud to be reader funded. 

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

Our most popular story was about the Ukrainian retreat from Avdiivka, with soldiers recounting how they had to leave their wounded behind. Asami Terajima reports from Donetsk Oblast, speaking with soldiers who survived the belated and disorganized evacuation from the city and the horrific conditions they endured.

We wrote about Avdiivka from a military strategy standpoint. Igor Kossov's article explains how neither side looks good after Russia's first major victory in nine months: It's estimated Russia lost tens of thousands of men to take the small town in Donetsk Oblast, but also revealed some of Ukraine's problems, like the failure to properly fortify positions in time.

We reported from Donetsk Oblast about the shortage of shells Ukrainian artillery faces. One of the main reasons for Russia's recent success in taking Avdiivka is the shortage of artillery ammunition – though Ukraine has been transitioning to NATO-standard artillery weapons and has plenty guns, there is a growing hunger for shells. Read Francis Farrell's story here.

Episode 7 Season 2 of "This Week in Ukraine" also looks at Ukraine's messy withdrawal from Avdiivka. Host Anastasiia Lapatina is joined by Glen Grant, a retired U.K. Lieutenant Colonel and military advisor to Ukraine, to discuss the fall of Avdiivka, with the community question at 23:40. Thank you to those who sent in your questions. 

We reported on the Munich Security Conference. Francis Farrell's op-ed describes attending the conference at one of the most fraught moments for international security in the post-war era, and the bitter reality of war in Ukraine as Avdiivka fell. 

We wrote about the memories of Ukrainian cities, now destroyed by Russia's war. Alexander Khrebet spoke to people who had to leave their homes in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, with one woman saying "I still imagine being there" about her native Mariupol. 

This week, Belarus Weekly takes a look at Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's appeal for democracies to "show their teeth" after the death of Alexei Navalny. Tsikhanouskaya’s husband was imprisoned before the 2020 Belarusian presidential election after attempting to run against Belarusian dictator Lukashenko. 

Next week, we will have a Q&A with deputy chief editor Toma Istomina about how editorial decisions are made and our work at the Kyiv Independent on our community Discord server. The Q&A is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 27, 7-8 p.m. Kyiv time. If you need help joining our Discord server, email our community manager Brooke at brooke@kyivindependent.com.

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