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]
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....
Milwaukee raises national flag of Ukraine on its Independence Day in solidarity with Sister City of Irpin
Mayor Cavalier Johnson sent a celebratory message to Milwaukee’s Sister City of Irpin, Ukraine, wishing its Mayor and community a Happy Independence Day on August 24, the 32nd anniversary of the nation’s freedom from the Soviet Union. Since the beginning...
So Long Ukraine, and Thanks for All the Hotdogs*
As I reflect on my second assignment to Ukraine from June to July, and the corresponding news series of articles, interviews, and photo essays I produced, a flood of thoughts come to mind. One in particular involved a hotdog. I originally intended to post the image...
Seeking Truth: Journalistic integrity in the face of Russian propaganda, lies, and disinformation
“A country that cannot face its past has no future.” – Yang Jisheng Recently, someone asked me about how I keep my journalistic integrity when I cover Ukraine and get so close to traumatic events. I said firstly, ethics in school and ethics in...
Ukraine replaces despised Soviet icon with trident on Kyiv monument in time for Independence Day
The towering Mother Ukraine statue in Kyiv, one of the nation’s most recognizable landmarks, lost its hammer-and-sickle symbol on August 6 as officials replaced the Soviet-era emblem with the country’s trident coat of arms. The move is part of a wider...
Secretary Blinken reminds UN Security Council that “one man started this war and one man can end it”
“One year and one week ago — on February 17th, 2022 — I warned this council that Russia was planning to invade Ukraine,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the United Nations Security Council Ministerial Meeting on Ukraine Sovereignty and Russian Accountability on...
Ukraine’s port city of Odesa added to UNESCO heritage sites in danger list
The United Nations’ cultural agency decided to add the historic center of Ukraine’s Black Sea port city of Odesa to its list of endangered World Heritage sites, recognizing “the outstanding universal value of the site and the duty of all humanity to...
UNESCO trains law enforcement in border countries to prevent trafficking of looted Ukrainian art
The United Nations cultural organization is training law enforcement and judiciary officials from countries on Ukraine’s western borders, seeking to prevent the trafficking of looted cultural objects from Ukraine amid Russia’s war against its neighbor....
Russian forces hungry for a battlefield success continue scorched earth tactics on Ukraine civilians
Russian forces are keeping Ukrainian troops tied down with attacks in the eastern Donbas region as Moscow assembles additional combat power there for an expected offensive in the coming weeks, Ukrainian officials said recently. Intense fighting that has been raging...
Russia’s year of brutality against Ukraine has purged critics at home and inspired a surge of nationalism
Moscow’s nights display few signs of a nation at war. Cheerful crowds packed restaurants and bars in the Sretenka neighborhood on a recent Saturday night, watched by officers marked as “tourist police.” Nearby, a top-hatted guide led about 40...
Russia alters aerial terror tactics on civilians by swarming Ukraine’s air defenses with decoy missiles
Russia has switched its aerial strike tactics to fool Ukraine’s air defenses, using decoy missiles without explosive warheads and deploying balloons, a senior Ukrainian official said recently. “The Russians are definitely changing tactics” as the war...
One year later: Why Ukraine must fight and peace advocates should stop collaborating with Putin
“Calls for peace that suggest Ukraine should give up its territory simply to end the war will condemn Ukrainians in occupied territories to what will likely be unspeakable horrors, and will provide a precarious foundation for lasting peace.” – Oleksa...
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...
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.
