The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A psychologist from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service plays Jenga with a child traumatized by war at a shelter for internally displaced persons on Aug. 26, 2025 in Pavlohrad, Ukraine. (Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
Monitors claim Russia captured 2 Dnipropetrovsk Oblast villages for first time. Victor Tregubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Dnipro group of forces, told the Kyiv Independent that claims about the capture of Zaporizke appeared already on Aug. 25 and were not confirmed by Ukraine at the time.
Ukraine targets Russian logistics in occupied Crimea, military says after reported railway strikes. The operation “disabled logistical facilities that support the operations and combat supply of Russian army units,” the Special Operations Forces said in a statement.
US, Russia discuss energy deals as incentives for Ukraine peace talks, Reuters reports. The deals were reportedly offered as incentives to push the Kremlin toward a peace agreement and to provide Washington with justification for easing certain sanctions on Russia.
US may provide intelligence, air defense assets to European peacekeepers in Ukraine, FT reports. Air defense support for Ukraine would involve U.S. aircraft, logistics, and ground-based radar facilitating a no-fly zone enforced by Europe, officials familiar with the discussions told the Financial Times.
Nearly 150 Ukrainian miners rescued after Russian attack on mines, 1 worker killed. “The attack damaged the enterprise’s buildings and equipment, causing a power outage,” the DTEK energy company said. “At that time, 146 miners were underground; their ascent to the surface is ongoing.”
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Ukrainian soldier survives after 5 days crawling with throat cut by Russian troops. Thirty-three-year-old National Guard soldier Vladyslav survived after Russian forces slit his throat and threw him into a pit, believing he was dead, Suspilne reported on Aug. 25. He managed to climb out and spent five days crawling back to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Ukrainian strikes disrupt around 17% of Russia’s oil refining capacity, Reuters reports. The attacks have disrupted Russia’s ability to process and export oil and created gasoline shortages in some Russian regions, as well as in occupied Crimea.
Suspected Ukrainian drone headed for Russia crashes in Estonia, local police say. Initial findings suggest the drone may have been intended to strike targets within Russian territory. The Estonian police say Russian electronic warfare, including GPS jamming, could have diverted the aircraft off course, causing it to stray into Estonian airspace.
Over 250,000 desertion, AWOL cases opened since 2022, prosecutors say. According to the data provided by the prosecutors, 202,997 criminal cases have been opened into unauthorized abandonment of military units, also known as absence without leave, from 2022 to July 2025. A total of 15, 564 people have been officially charged with the crime.
Ukraine contacts ‘several countries’ that could host negotiations with Russia, Zelensky says. “This week, there will be contacts with Turkey, with the Gulf countries, and with European countries that could serve as platforms for talks with Russia. On our part, everything will be as ready as possible to end the war. It is important that our partners confirm this,” Zelensky said in his address.
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Photo: Artem Priakhin/SOPA Images/LightRocket
Everything you need to know about the upcoming Russia-Belarus Zapad-2025 military drills
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Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian government allows men aged 18-22 to go abroad
Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has revised travel rules and allowed men aged 18 to 22 to cross the border, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram on Aug. 26. Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 have been prohibited from leaving the country since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, with some exceptions.
Photo: Genya Savilov/ 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
Russian attacks kill 1, injure 15 in Ukraine over past day. Ukrainian forces downed 47 out of the 59 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,077,830 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The number includes 890 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
International response
India reluctantly cuts Russian oil imports under US pressure, Bloomberg reports. State-owned and private processors, including energy giant Reliance Industries, plan to trim daily purchases to 1.4-1.6 million barrels from the current 1.8 million barrels.
EU’s next Russia sanctions package won’t include major energy sales curbs, Politico reports. The 19th sanctions package should instead include further measures against Moscow’s “shadow fleet” and companies helping Russia circumvent existing sanctions.
‘It’s all bullsht’ —Trump responds to Russia’s attacks on Zelensky’s legitimacy. “It doesn’t matter what they say. Everybody’s posturing. It’s all bullshit, okay. Everybody’s posturing,” U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Cabinet Meeting at the White House on Aug. 26.
Trump says he discussed Russia’s nuclear disarmament with Putin. “Russia is willing to do it, and I think China is going to be willing to do it. We can’t let nuclear weapons proliferate,” Trump said.
Polish president’s veto doesn’t end Ukraine’s Starlink access, Nawrocki’s office claims. Nawrocki’s head of office said that a new bill submitted by the president to the parliament preserves the current arrangement, and lawmakers only need to approve it next month.
Ukraine has no chance of joining EU until Volyn massacre issue is resolved, Polish minister says. “If Ukraine does not come to terms with the genocide in Volyn, if there is no exhumation or commemoration, it will have no chance of joining the European Union,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
Next Ramstein summit scheduled for Sept. 9 in London. The Ramstein summit will take place as Washington is trying to organize peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian presidents in its effort to end Moscow’s full-scale war, while Kyiv awaits a proposed framework for security guarantees from its partners.
In other news
Russia’s top prosecutor, key figure in dissent crackdown, poised to become new Supreme Court head. During his tenure, Igor Krasnov oversaw the arrest of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny when he returned from Germany.
NGOs urge Zelensky to veto bill restricting access to real estate registers. The NGOs argue in a joint statement that the restrictions will be a major obstacle to exposing corruption and journalistic investigations.
Ukraine to privatize one of nation’s largest chemical plants. The Odesa Portside Plant (OPZ) will be put up for an open electronic auction with a starting price of 4.5 billion UAH (around $108 million), Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said.
Germany, Poland, Czech Republic named first countries included in Ukraine’s multiple citizenship law. The new law will be extended to these three countries first, and then to the U.S. and Canada, Zelensky said on Aug. 26.
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