The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
The aftermath of a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia, which killed seven workers of the Zaporizhstal steel plant and injured another 24 on Aug. 11, 2026. (Niccolo Celesti/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Explosions rock Russia’s Novorossiysk, occupied Crimea amid reported drone attack. Drone attacks were reported overnight in Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and across occupied Crimea, with explosions heard near Sevastopol and the Crimean Bridge.
Romanian military destroys 2 Gerbera drones found in Black Sea. Romanian military divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones found drifting in the country’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta said on Aug. 11.
Environmental disaster looms as Russian shadow ship leaks 800,000 barrels of oil into Arabian Sea. Omani authorities said they have launched a “comprehensive response” to secure the Caroline Bezengi vessel and mitigate the impact on the marine ecosystem and maritime navigation.
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Ukraine war latest: Russian plans for mobilization ‘confirmed by internal documents,’ Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 11 said Ukraine has seen evidence that Moscow plans a full mobilization after Russia’s parliamentary elections next month.
Photo: Andrej Isakovic / AFP via Getty Images
Zelensky in Serbia: What Ukraine wants, and what Belgrade gains
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Serbia, the first by a Ukrainian head of state since 2018, could mark a new chapter in relations between the two countries. It also raised questions about what each side hopes to gain.
Photo: Andrej Isakovic / AFP via Getty Images
Ukraine faces race against time as Russia chokes Black Sea ports
Smoke billowing over the Black Sea is now an everyday sight in Odesa Oblast as Russia continues to strike ports and vessels in Ukrainian waters. But it’s on land that the impact of Russia’s campaign is most keenly felt, with Ukraine facing an economic crisis unless the country finds a solution soon.
Photo: David Goldman / AP
Human cost of war
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,460,400 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The figure includes 1,190 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day, according to the General Staff.
Opinions and insights
Russia prepares its ‘final push’ of the war this fall
In Kyiv and the capitals of its allies, talk of a brutal “winter” awaiting Ukraine because of Russian strikes is a top matter on the agenda. And it’s quite likely that this very fall and winter will become Russia’s own kind of “last push” — an attempt to somehow turn the tide of its war.
Photo: Stringer / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
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International response
Zelensky speaks to Costa Rican president, discusses security. President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 11 spoke with Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez Delgado, and the two leaders discussed furthering bilateral cooperation and sharing Ukraine’s security experience with the Central American country.
Photographer with Kremlin media ties disqualified from German photography prize after backlash. The committee has not yet made a public statement about his disqualification from the prize, but according to Valery Melnikov’s Instagram post, representatives of the award referred to him as a “Kremlin-media-linked photographer,” which is a term used to refer to him in the title of the Kyiv Independent’s article about his work.
Belgium LNG imports in July 100% Russian, report says. “It is deeply shameful that … EU countries keep sending billions of euros to Russia for fossil fuels,” said the Ukrainian civil society network B4Ukraine.
In other news
Russia releases ailing ex-US Marine after 4 years in prison. Robert Gilman’s health has seriously deteriorated in recent weeks, prompting U.S. officials to appeal to Moscow for his release.
Hungarian parliament elects new president after ousting Orban ally. Andras Baka, a former head of Hungary’s Supreme Court, was nominated for the presidential office by Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s Tisza party.
76 draft workers charged with corruption since start of full-scale war; 2,500 illegal exemptions uncovered, police chief says. Nationwide, the police has investigated the possible illegal exemption of nearly 2,500 military-eligible men, and annulled around 6,500 unlawful rulings by military medical commissions, Tsutskiridze said in comments to Ukrinform.
Remains of 20th-century military leader Yevhen Konovalets exhumed for reburial in Ukraine. As the founder of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), Konovalets devoted his life to the cause of Ukraine’s independence. He was assassinated by an undercover Soviet agent in 1938.
Meet the collection inspired by Kyiv’s embroidery
Two collaborations, one enduring Ukrainian tradition. Created so you can carry a piece of Kyiv with you, wherever you go.
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