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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they arrive at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. The two leaders spoke for nearly three hours in a closed-door meeting. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump, Putin conclude high-stakes summit on Ukraine in Alaska. The two leaders began their meeting at the U.S. military Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage at around 11:30 a.m. local time. The event will mark their first face-to-face talks of Trump’s second term and their first meeting in six years, as well as Putin’s first visit to U.S. soil in a decade.
‘A 10’ — Trump gushes about meeting with Putin after Alaska summit fails to win ceasefire in Ukraine. After speaking with Putin, Trump said he didn’t think sanctions on Russia were a necessary measure — despite the lack of ceasefire.
Russian strike hits central Sumy just hours before Trump-Putin summit. “The enemy struck civilian infrastructure in the central part of Sumy,” Governor Oleh Hryhorov said.
Macron, Zelensky agree to meet after Alaska summit. The Elysee Palace described the dialogue between the two leaders as “close and constant,” but did not provide a specific date or location for the follow-up meeting.
Russian propaganda in occupied territories accuses Ukraine, West of ‘provocations’ during Alaska talks, monitors say. “This is a Russian tactic before any negotiations,” Alina Alekseeva, the deputy head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, told the Kyiv Independent.
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Half of Starlink terminals sent to Ukraine found in Russian-occupied areas, US agency says. Nearly half of the active Starlink satellite terminals that USAID delivered to Ukraine were present in territories fully or partially occupied by Russia, raising concerns about potential misuse, according to a U.S. Inspector General report.
Ukrainian unit claims Pokrovsk cleared of Russian saboteurs. The corps claimed that Ukrainian units are operating inside the city, and civilians can move about, though travel within Pokrovsk remains heavily restricted. It is still possible to reach the city, the statement added.
Ukraine strikes Russian port used for Iranian arms shipments, military says. The Olya port is used by Moscow to receive Shahed-type drone components and munitions from Iran, according to the Ukrainian military.
‘Target hit’ — Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Russia’s Samara Oblast, command post in Donetsk Oblast, military says. “The target was hit, with fire and explosions recorded,” the Ukrainian military said.
Ukraine’s long-range strikes cost Russia over 4% GDP in 2025, Kyiv claims. The attacks have cost Russia around $74.1 billion, the Ukrainian military’s strategic communications department (Stratcom) estimates.
Editorial: That meeting was sickening. Putin loved it
“On our screens, a blood-soaked dictator and war criminal received a royal welcome in the land of the free — as his attack drones headed for our cities,” the Kyiv Independent writes.
Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Trump, Putin fail to reach deal to end war in Ukraine
The summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded without an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
Photo: Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images
Our readers’ questions about the war, answered. Vol. 9
Q: Why doesn’t Ukraine retaliate when Russia bombs a civilian target? A: Russia is okay with committing war crimes, and Ukraine is obviously not.
Photo: Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images
PayPal, WhatsApp, Grammarly — 10 global companies you didn’t know have Ukrainian roots
These companies, now headquartered across the U.S. and Europe, owe part of their success to Ukrainian-born entrepreneurs whose innovations have shaped how millions communicate, pay, and work online.
Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
‘Little by little away from China’ — Inside Ukraine’s new mass-production of drone parts
Spurred by war, Ukraine is producing more drones domestically than any country in the world outside of China and possibly Russia. The focus on making components en masse is a more recent phenomenon.
Photo: Tetiana Dzhafarova / AFP via Getty Images
From Crimea to Donbas, Russia’s “peace” has always meant more war. We’re here in Ukraine to give the world a reality check. Support independent journalism in this critical moment.
Human cost of Russia’s war
‘He is still being tortured.’ Ukrainian families plead for all-for-all prisoner swap ahead of Trump-Putin summit. Oksana Berezina stood holding a Ukrainian flag with a photo of her husband, Oleh, who went missing in Russia’s Kursk Oblast late last year and is believed to be a prisoner of war.
Russia kills 6 civilians, injures 17 in Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin summit. Russia launched 97 Shahed-type drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, as well as two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 63 drones, while 34 drones struck 13 locations.
The Ukrainian voices left out of Trump-Putin meeting
International response
‘Clearly 1:0 to Putin’ — European officials react to Alaska Summit. “Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, Trump got nothing. … For the Ukrainians: nothing. For Europe: deeply disappointing.”
New York museum asks Bondi to arrest Putin during Alaska visit. Beka Museum urged immediate action, highlighting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s role in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children and other atrocities committed under his rule.
120,000 Ukrainians in US at risk of deportation as Biden-era program lapses, WSJ reports. The issue concerns refugees who have lived in the country since Aug. 16, 2023, under the Uniting for Ukraine program, devised by the Biden administration to allow Ukrainians to stay in the country on humanitarian parole.
Pope Leo urges Ukraine ceasefire ahead of Trump-Putin Alaska meeting. “We must always seek a ceasefire. The violence, the many deaths, must stop. Let’s see how they can come to an agreement,” Leo XIV said.
EU may advance Moldova’s membership bid in September separately from Ukraine, Politico reports. EU ministers could reportedly agree in early September to open the first negotiating cluster with Moldova, a key legal step toward membership, ahead of the country’s Sept. 28 parliamentary elections.
In other news
Kyivstar makes historic Nasdaq debut as first Ukrainian listing. Kyivstar, Ukraine’s leading mobile operator, became the first Ukrainian company to list on a U.S. stock exchange, the company announced on Aug. 15.
Major decision maker at Ukraine’s central bank resigns after decade in key role. Rozhkova, who started working at the central bank in 2015, has frequently spoken out in favor of the bank’s independence from the executive branch and was one of the few top officials not controlled by the President’s Office.
Explosion at Russian gunpowder plant leaves 5 dead, more than 100 injured. Russian officials have not named the cause of the explosion, but preliminary accounts reported by Russian media point to possible safety violations in the workshop.
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