The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump meet in the Oval Office in Washington, DC, on Aug. 18, 2025. (Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images)
Zelensky says he will discuss territory with Putin as Ukraine signals readiness for unconditional peace talks with Russia. “(T)he question of territory is a question that we will leave between me and Putin. Security guarantees will probably be negotiated with our partners,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Trump phones Putin, prepares for direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian leaders. According to Russian foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, the call took place after midnight Moscow time. Trump reportedly briefed Putin on his negotiations with Zelensky and the European leaders.
Zelensky meets US Envoy Kellogg ahead of Trump summit. According to CNN, European officials privately voiced concern about his absence in Alaska, calling him the American figure with the deepest understanding of what terms Ukraine might consider in a deal.
Russian media shows US armored vehicle with Russian, American flags storming Ukrainian positions. “Russians are using the symbols of the U.S. in their own terrorist, aggressive war involving the killing of civilians,” Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, said.
Explosions reported in Kremenchuk amid Russian drone, missile attack on Ukraine. Explosions were reported in Kremenchuk amid a Russian drone and missile assault on Ukraine overnight on Aug. 19.
Russia occupied less than 1% of Ukraine’s territory since November 2022, monitoring group says. Since November 2022, Russian forces have only captured 5,842 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, accounting for about 0.97% of the country’s landmass, according to DeepState.
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Russia redeploys troops for new push in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine’s army chief says. “The goal is to break through our defenses and advance deep into (our) territory. Their goal, of course, is (occupying) the entire region,” Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Top Russian commander seriously wounded in Ukrainian strike, Dagestan head says. Lieutenant General Essedoulla Abatchev has held senior posts in Chechnya and Dagestan and was named Hero of Russia by President Vladimir Putin in 2022.
Russian gasoline prices hit record highs after drone strikes shut refineries. Russia, one of the world’s largest energy producers, relies heavily on oil exports to fund its full-scale war against Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted Russian energy facilities that both supply fuel to its military and generate revenue for the Kremlin.
Ukraine shot down 3,200 Shahed-type drones from helicopters in past year, chief commander says. “The army aviation has proven itself very well: helicopters equipped with machine guns are highly effective,” Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Ukraine proposes $100 billion US weapons deal backed by European allies, FT reports. By tying its defense needs to a major boost for U.S. industry, Ukraine hopes to turn its request into an investment opportunity that appeals directly to American interests. The proposal also includes a separate $50 billion agreement for producing drones with Ukrainian companies.
Pipeline attack stops Russian oil flow to Hungary, Slovakia. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha neither confirmed nor denied the account of the latest attack but wrote on X that Hungary “can now send complaints and threats” to Moscow, not Kyiv.
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As Zelensky, Trump prepare to talk about peace, most Russian demands are non-starters for Ukraine
Russia has demanded a full withdrawal from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, de jure recognition of the occupied territories as Russian, a special status for the Russian-backed church and Russian language in Ukraine, Kyiv’s demilitarization, and a ban on Kyiv’s NATO membership.
Photo: Omer Messinger/Getty Images
Ukraine war latest: ‘We’ll give them very good protection’ — Trump says in meeting with Zelensky
When asked whether security guarantees for Ukraine could involve U.S. troops, Trump avoided reponding directly, saying, “we’re going to work with Ukraine, we’re going to work with everybody, and we’re going to make sure that if there’s peace, the peace is going to last long term.”
Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Muscle beaches, drag racing, and drones falling into the sea. Summer in Odesa hasn’t stopped
Although international tourism to Ukraine’s beaches has plummeted, domestic tourism continues to pick up. Stresses of the war have heightened citizens’ need for relaxation, but their vacation options are sharply limited by the closing of airports, a collapsed currency, and travel restrictions on men of military age.
Photo: Stefania Amamdjian/The Kyiv Independent
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
Zelensky says Putin undermines diplomatic efforts after Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia kills 3, injures 30. “Many wounded are in serious condition — right now, doctors are fighting for their lives,” regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Russian strike on Kharkiv kills 7, including toddler, injures 18 as Zelensky arrives to Washington to meet with Trump. Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities late on Aug. 17, mere hours before President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet for peace talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
Russian strikes kill 8, injure 35 across Ukraine ahead of White House peace talks. The strikes come as Moscow continues rejecting calls for an unconditional ceasefire, instead intensifying its use of drones and missiles against Ukraine.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,070,890 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The number includes 940 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Opinions and insights
Timothy Snyder on Trump’s Alaska folly
“Tough talk may resonate in America, where we confuse words with action. But for Russian leaders, it covers a weak foreign policy. Trump has made extraordinary concessions to Russia in exchange for nothing at all.”
Photo: Sergey Bobylev/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
In Ukraine, democracy finds its fiercest defenders
“Even in war, when even committed democrats might overreach their authority, Ukrainians have shown they’ll defend their democracy from threats internal or external,” writes University of Melbourne researcher Cory Alpert.
Photo: Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images
International response
‘We could reach an agreement that could deter any future aggression against Ukraine,’ Trump tells European leaders. “And we will come to a resolution today, I think, on almost everything, including probably the security,” Trump said in the East Room, speaking alongside Zelensky and European leaders.
EU leaders to hold video conference on Ukraine after Washington talks, Costa says. An EU source told the Kyiv Independent that several EU leaders had expressed interest in such a debrief, particularly those not present in Washington.
In other news
Hungarian opposition leader calls on Russia not to interfere in Hungarian politics after claim that EU seeks to unseat Orban. “I demand a clear assurance that Russia will refrain from any act that could be classified as interfering in Hungary’s internal political processes, including disinformation campaigns, cyber operations, or intimidation of political figures and citizens,” Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar said.
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