Dominic Culverwell

Exclusive: Ukrainian deputy prime minister suspected of corruption says he won't step down Ukrainian minister and deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov has been formally named a suspect in a high-profile illegal land grab case, becoming the highest-ranking official in Ukrainian history t...

Deputy Prime Minister Chernyshov is the highest ranking official to be sent a letter of suspicion in Ukraine's history. It's not a good look for one of Zelensky's close allies.

kyivindependent.com/deputy-pm-ch...

Sanctions on Russia are working, Ukraine just needs more Sanctions on their own won’t end the war, but they are a crucial tool in the West’s efforts to pressure Putin.

More #sanctions on Russia are coming. But do they really work? Short answer is yes. But, they won't stop the war on their own. And #Ukraine needs much more with strong enforcement. I spoke to several experts, including Ukraine's sanctions chief, for my latest.

kyivindependent.com/sanctions-on...

Exclusive: Ukraine eyes new sanctions on China, but Kyiv wary of peace talks fallout Ukraine faces a difficult balancing act — sanction more Chinese firms for aiding Russia’s war machine without alienating Beijing, which could be key to ending Russia’s invasion. Kyiv is currently con...

It was a pleasure to speak with @dominicculverwell.bsky.social of @kyivindependent.com abt involvement of Chinese citizens & companies in the war. Kyiv is currently considering imposing new sanctions against CN firms providing raw materials to RU’s defense sector.
kyivindependent.com/ukraine-eyes...

Trump didn't impose tariffs on Russia but they might be wrecking its economy regardless U.S. President Donald Trump has inadvertently hit Russia’s economy after his "Liberation Day" tariffs caused oil prices to drop drastically on April 7, with potentially massive ramifications for the K...

Oil is in turmoil and so is the Kremlin.

#Trump may have inadvertently dealt a blow to Russia's cash cow- its oil.

Crude prices have plummeted in the last few days, sparking panic in the Kremlin as around 30% of Russia's budget comes from oil

#Russia #Ukraine

kyivindependent.com/trump-spares...

I'm taking over from Anna this week as your host!

Morning from Kyiv.
What can I say?
The rescue operations in Kryvyi Rih are over.
Eighteen people were killed by russian missile, nine children are among them 💔

We had drones at night.
I am going to have a #warcoffee

Finally some proper spring weather in #Kyiv.

How Trump’s tariffs will impact Ukraine U.S. President Donald Trump on April 2 unleashed what he has dubbed "Liberation Day," imposing tariffs on nearly every country in the world — including war-torn Ukraine. Kyiv got off lighter than mos...

Trump unleashed his 'Liberation Day' tariffs worldwide, incl. Ukraine.

Kyiv got off lighter than most with only a 10% tariff on all Ukrainian goods. But the knock-on effect could be a global trade war that hits #Ukraine too.

My latest for @kyivindependent.com

kyivindependent.com/how-trumps-t...

Russia's Black Sea ceasefire demands are a 'fool's errand' for Trump, major blow for Ukraine With much fanfare, the U.S. on March 25 announced it had brokered an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to "eliminate the use of force" in the Black Sea after two days of talks in Saudi Arabia. But...

What #Russia really wants is to have a large state-owned bank, in this case Rosselkhozbank, reconnected to SWIFT. If the US goes ahead with this, it will ultimately help Russian oligarchs, many of whom have made money off the full war.

It doesn’t help #Ukraine

kyivindependent.com/what-russia-...

Putin's 'ceasefire' — Russia continues attacks on Ukrainian civilians Editor's note: The Kyiv Independent is tracking Russian attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure, and energy infrastructure from March 19, as it is not clear if strikes launched by Russia overnig...

Since Putin agreed to a "partial ceasefire" on March 18:

— 24 Ukrainian civilians have been killed
— 108 others injured
— 810 Russian kamikaze drones have been launched.

(As of March 23)

Last night hours before Russia rained down drones on #Kyiv killing at least 3 including a little girl and her father. My friends and I tried to figure out if this beautiful singing was coming from St Sophia's Cathedral. Russia cannot destroy the spirit of #Ukraine.

The US unilaterally lifting sanctions would wreak havoc on the global economy and completely upturn the US-Europe alliance against Russia. It would hand Putin a HUGE win. My latest for @kyivindependent.com

Kyiv Independent’s film about military medics will be screened in 6 more European cities The Kyiv Independent’s documentary about Ukrainian military medics who save lives on the front lines of Russia’s full-scale war will be screened in six more European cities in March 2025. “Can You He...

London friends — get yourselves along to the Genesis Cinema, March 10, 18:00.

US Senator Bernie Sanders: ‘Trump likes what Putin does’ As Ukraine enters the fourth year of Russia's full-scale invasion, shifting political dynamics in the U.S. threaten to influence the course of the war. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly misre...

In an interview with the Kyiv Independent, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders shares his concerns about Trump’s growing alignment with Russia and other authoritarian regimes, and what a U.S.-Russia alliance would mean for the American people.

What the US-Ukraine mineral deal actually means As Kyiv and Washington celebrate agreeing to jointly develop Ukraine’s natural resources after weeks of tense negotiations, the deal still has a long way to go before the money starts flowing. Offici...

Optimistic but cautious is the mood after Ukraine and the US agreed on a minerals/resources agreement yesterday.

Importantly, the deal is not yet signed. This is more of an MOU than anything concrete.

Here's what the current agreement means

kyivindependent.com/first-we-nee...

Zelensky won't sign natural resource deal that 'will be paid by 10 generations of Ukrainians' President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed back at the U.S.’ demand for a $500 billion deal for its natural resources, saying that the U.S.’s aid grants are not debts, during the Ukraine: Year 2025 forum in ...

⚡️Zelensky won't sign natural resource deal that 'will be paid by 10 generations of Ukrainians.'

Zelensky said that he will not recognize the $500 billion request since it vastly outweighs the $100 billion the U.S. has sent in aid to Ukraine.

Unhinged

Exploitation or opportunity? Ukrainian business sees potential in Trump resource deal — if done right Within weeks of U.S. President Donald Trump saying he wanted to do a deal with Kyiv on its “rare earths and other things,” it became clear the U.S. wasn’t just interested in Ukraine’s critical mineral...

Big chance this weekend will see a deal go through on Ukraine’s natural resources. While the US' bullish rhetoric and outlandish demands have turned off many in Ukraine, the business community sees an opportunity- if done right.

kyivindependent.com/opportunity-...

#Ukraine

A beginner's guide to elections in Ukraine (also suitable for US presidents) U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb. 19 launched an astonishing attack on President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" with a "very low" approval rating that refuses to hold elections in Ukra...

A beginner's guide to elections in Ukraine (also suitable for US presidents).

Who started the war in Ukraine? U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Feb. 18 that Ukraine "should have never started" the war.

An important explainer for everyone in light of Trump's tirade.

kyivindependent.com/who-started-...

I just arrived in Kyiv from Kirovohrad Oblast. Greeted by machine gun fire and explosions, but people nonchalantly walk outside, ignoring the drones. My fixer raises his hands and shouts 'How the fuck is this happening in the middle of Europe'. I don't know man, it still feels like a bad dream

🫠🫠🫠🫠

YouTube video by Kyiv Independent Russia's growing shadow fleet sends a dangerous signal, expert warns

Russia has resorted to a "shadow fleet" to transport resources and evade Western sanctions and price caps. The Kyiv Independent's @dominicculverwell.bsky.social spoke with Elisabeth Braw of the Atlantic Council's Transatlantic Security Initiative about how dangerous the shadow fleet actually is.

Russia's shadow fleet poses a serious threat. Europe is trying to find ways to crack down on the murky ships but how likely are they to succeed? I spoke with Elisabeth Braw from the Atlantic Council's Transatlantic Security Initiative for find out.

youtube.com/watch?v=4zwb...

Despite the ballistic missile attack, it's a calm morning in Kyiv. It's just so cold that parts of the Dnipro have frozen over.

Sleep deprived after being woken up by numerous explosions at 4.30am, but finally jumped to BlueSky.