Mstyslav Chernov, the Academy award winning director of 20 Days in Mariupol, gave The Independent an insight into morale on the frontline after the limited release of his latest documentary, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, put him straight on the battlefield with Ukraine’s armed forces.
Bryony Gooch29 November 2025 10:00
Russian drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, killed at least two people in the early hours of Saturday, local officials said.
The attacks came just before a second round of peace negotiations was set to begin, as a renewed US-led push to end the war gathers steam this week.
Writing on its official Telegram channel, the Kyiv City Military Administration said two people were killed in the strikes. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 15 people were wounded, noting that falling debris from intercepted Russian drones hit residential buildings. He also said the western part of Kyiv had lost power.
The latest assault on Kyiv came as Ukrainian peace negotiators are due to meet their US counterparts in America this weekend, according to an official in Ukraine’s presidential administration who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.
Bryony Gooch29 November 2025 09:40
Vladimir Putin knows exactly how to get Donald Trump on side, a former White House adviser who observed meetings between the pair has said.
In an hour-long interview, Fiona Hill told world affairs editor Sam Kiley how the Russian president is in tune with how his American counterpart can be flattered just by being around world leaders.
The fluent Russian speaker also recalled the moment Putin could not resist the temptation to tease Trump, which translators hid from the US president.
Fiona Hill: Russian expert on why Putin knows exactly how to get Trump on side
Vladimir Putin knows exactly how to get Donald Trump on side, a former White House adviser who observed meetings between the pair has said. In an hour-long interview, Fiona Hill told world affairs editor Sam Kiley how the Russian president is in tune with how his American counterpart can be flattered just by being around world leaders. The fluent Russian speaker also recalled the moment Putin could not resist the temptation to tease Trump, which translators hid from the US president. Listen and watch The Independent’s World of Trouble podcast in full above.
Bryony Gooch29 November 2025 09:20
A Ukrainian delegation is heading to the US for further discussions over a peace plan pushed by president Donald Trump, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The Ukrainian group, including senior Ukrainian security official Rustem Umerov and first deputy foreign minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, is expected to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Florida, Bloomberg News reported.
Shweta Sharma29 November 2025 09:00
Bryony Gooch29 November 2025 08:40
Ukrainian forces are defending their positions and hunting down sabotage groups in the northeastern city of Kupiansk despite Moscow’s statements that its troops are fully in control of it, Ukraine’s top commander said on Friday.
Russia seized Kupiansk in the first weeks of the 2022 invasion, but Ukrainian troops recaptured it later that year.
Russian service members hold a Russian flag in a park in Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv Region, Ukraine (via REUTERS)
Russian president Vladimir Putin said last week it was back in Moscow’s hands and on Thursday, while visiting Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, he said the city was “fully in our hands.”
Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi rejected the claims.
“Our soldiers continue to conduct both defensive and search and strike actions,” Syrskyi wrote on Telegram after visiting the area in Kharkiv region.
“These actions take place daily as part of comprehensive measures to stabilise the situation in Kupiansk. The scale of lies from the Russian leadership about the situation in Kupiansk is astonishing.”
He said Ukrainian forces were “holding designated lines and intensifying fire pressure to block the enemy’s supply routes.”
Shweta Sharma29 November 2025 08:20
In an evening address, Zelensky said Yermak wrote a letter of resignation after officers raided his home.
Shweta Sharma29 November 2025 08:01
Emergency responders work at the site of an apartment building that was hit during a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv (REUTERS)
An emergency responder works at the site of an apartment building that was hit during a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv (REUTERS)
Local residents stand next to damaged cars (AFP via Getty Images)
Resident buildings burn after Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv (REUTERS)
Shweta Sharma29 November 2025 07:40
A vast Russian overnight attack on Ukraine killed two people and wounded two dozen, Ukraine’s foreign minister said on Saturday, adding that Moscow continued to “kill and destroy” while the world was discussing peace plans for the conflict.
“Russia shot dozens of cruise and ballistic missiles and over 500 drones at ordinary homes, the energy grid, and critical infrastructure,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
Explosions could be heard in the capital city, Kyiv, throughout the night.
Bryony Gooch29 November 2025 07:20
Zelensky made an impassioned speech for Ukrainians to come together and remain united following the resignation of his chief of staff.
“Russia is eager for Ukraine to make mistakes. We won’t make any. Our work goes on. Our struggle goes on,” he said in a message to citizens.
In the wake of the resignation of Andriy Yermak, Zelensky said in an accompanying video that he was “resetting” his presidential office.
He praised and thanked Yermak for his work and said he would appoint a successor following consultations tomorrow.
Shweta Sharma29 November 2025 06:00