Russian invasion of Ukraine
Special Coverage

Vladimir Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that he started in 2014. The invasion received widespread international condemnation, including massive economic sanctions. Milwaukee’s Ukrainian American community began with immigrants in the early twentieth century, and continued to grow in the years after World War II and the fall of the Soviet Union.
These news stories cover the local connections in Milwaukee to an international crisis, and all the complexities woven into America’s political climate.
- Links to complete news coverage of Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: mkeind.com/ukraine
- Reports from Ukraine – Series of news reports from May 2022 in Ukraine: mkeind.com/reportsfromukraine
- Return to Ukraine – Series of news reports from June-July 2023 in Ukraine: mkeind.com/returntoukraine
- Selected features that focus on news from Milwaukee’s Sister City of Irpin: mkeind.com/irpin

Featured: Jennifer Vosters: A visit to Kyiv that offered insight, awareness, and an inspiration for solidarity [Feb 24, 2022]

A Russian asset: Trump’s policy behavior confirms evidence he was groomed by the Kremlin since the 1980s
The “Kyiv Independent” published an explosive interview on February 26 that torched any lingering doubt about President Donald Trump’s deep ties to Russian intelligence. Veteran journalist Craig Unger has tracked Trump’s relationships with Moscow for years...

Trump’s criticism of Ukraine’s Jewish president raises new concerns about his antisemitic undertones
Donald Trump has repeatedly made headlines for his unpredictable alliances and frequent criticism of those who oppose him. One figure who has found himself in Trump’s crosshairs was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Observers have pointed to a range of reasons...

Milwaukee stands with Ukraine: Rally marks 3rd year of full-scale invasion and condemns Trump’s betrayal
A wave of blue-and-yellow flags filled the air along East Wisconsin Avenue on February 23, as hundreds of Milwaukee residents gathered to mark the somber third anniversary of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With a firm stance supporting a free and sovereign Ukraine, participants urged unwavering U.S. support.

Ukrainians rally around their president after Trump’s ego is bruised for parroting Putin’s lies
Days before the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion, Ukrainians were as somber and tense as they were right before Moscow launched the unprovoked war. Only now, they are not just worried about their longtime enemy. Ukraine’s stunning...

President Zelenskyy shares concerns about excluding Ukraine from US-Russia talks about the war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that excluding his country from talks between the U.S. and Russia about the war in Ukraine would be “very dangerous” and asked for more discussions between Kyiv and Washington to develop a plan for a ceasefire....

Victoria Amelina: Posthumous book by Ukrainian author documents war crimes since Russian invasion
A posthumous book by Victoria Amelina, the Ukrainian author killed last year during a Russian missile strike, will be published in February upon the war’s third anniversary. Looking at Women Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary, which draws upon...

Olena Zelenska: Ukraine’s youth should see themselves as “a generation of winners” not victims of war
Ukraine’s First Lady wants her country’s children to view themselves not as a generation enduring a grinding war but rather as “a generation of winners.” On the sidelines of a day spent at a rehabilitation camp for Ukrainian children in the...

1000 Days of Defiance: Ukraine’s continued fight for survival and the looming impact of Trump’s return
November 20, 2024, marks the tragic milestone of the 1,000th day since Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The brutal assault, intended to topple Ukraine’s government within days, instead ignited a fierce national resistance and a war that has...

Hope and pragmatism compete on Ukraine’s frontlines when considering a future with Trump as U.S. president
Soldiers in a Ukrainian artillery battery on the front lines of the country’s east were only vaguely aware of American election results pointing to Donald Trump’s victory on November 6, but firm in their hopes for the next president of the United States....

A volunteer project: How Dobrobat is restoring homes and hope across Ukraine’s devastated regions
The Kyiv region emerged as a crucial battleground during February and March 2022, defending Ukraine’s capital from Russian advances. Hostomel was the first to engage in combat with Russian forces, Irpin halted their advance, Bucha became a tragic symbol of...

Boots on the ground: North Korea sends thousands of combat troops to aid Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine
South Korea’s spy agency said that North Korea has deployed troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. The move directly brings a third country into the war and intensify a standoff between North Korea and the West. The South Korean announcement came...

Putin flaunts his so-called doomsday weapons as ongoing threat to block support for Ukraine
This year has seen Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin repeatedly brandish the nuclear sword, reminding everyone that Russia has the world’s largest atomic arsenal to try to deter the West from ramping up support for Ukraine. He ordered his military to hold...

Ukrainians rally around their president after Trump’s ego is bruised for parroting Putin’s lies
Days before the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion, Ukrainians were as somber and tense as they were right before Moscow launched the unprovoked war. Only now, they are not just worried about their longtime enemy. Ukraine’s stunning...


Featured: Photos from the frontlines: Sergi Mykhalchuk documents images of war as civilians evacuate Irpin [Mar 16, 2022]

Featured: Milwaukee formalizes Sister City status with Ukraine’s Irpin [Mar 23, 2018]
Milwaukee has a small but thriving Ukrainian American community, and Irpin is a sister city. Follow our special coverage at mkeind.com/ukraine for updates on Putin’s invasion, and about how the fight by Ukrainian people to preserve their democracy is having an impact on the families and businesses here in Milwaukee. 🇺🇦 Слава Україні! Героям слава!
Help maintain a reliable news source in Ukraine by supporting the Kyiv Independent, an English-language media outlet created by journalists who were fired from the Kyiv Post for defending editorial independence. Donations can be made via patreon or gofundme.