Olga Rudenko
@olya_rudenko
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Ukrainian journalist, chief editor of @KyivIndependent. Support our work: https://t.co/zG0qTgeSHI 💙💛
Kyiv, Ukraine
Joined May 2011
Thank you, @TIME, for this recognition of the work we do at @KyivIndependent. Thank you @LisaAbend for your professionalism and for our conversations. Special đź‘‹ to the quiet, shy little girls everywhere. You can stay yourself and still go places.
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I think about this a lot lately: “Mythologizing endurance is a quiet form of abandonment”
This is one reason I’ve been adamant that Ukrainians are resilient but not superhuman because mythologizing endurance is a quiet form of abandonment. Resilience does not mean invulnerability. Courage does not cancel physics, blood loss, winter, or exhaustion. When we speak as
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I edited this story by candlelight, during an energy crisis caused in no small part by the fact that Russia’s war machine still has access to Western technology. https://t.co/Jf0vEV4ESs
kyivindependent.com
On one of the first days of 2026, the Ukrainian military downed a Russian drone of a new type. It was identified as Geran-5, a fast and long-range drone. It shares the name with the Russian copies of...
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On Zelensky’s part, appointing Budanov means neutralising a key political rival. It will tie Budanov to this administration’s brand, including potentially to an unpopular peace deal, which can slash his personal rating, earned by successful intel operations.
Zelensky finally replaced Yermak — with intel chief Budanov. This is what I wrote about this possibility last month in my weekly newsletter. I’d prefer to be proven wrong.
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Zelensky finally replaced Yermak — with intel chief Budanov. This is what I wrote about this possibility last month in my weekly newsletter. I’d prefer to be proven wrong.
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“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed.”
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Let's call it what it is: Good news. Yes, searches and (coming) charges against Zelensky's chief ally are good news for Ukraine. It doesn't "weaken" Ukraine in this critical time. It gives it a chance. Andriy Yermak should never have led peace negotiations for Ukraine. Plenty
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A hot morning in Ukraine — and a messy end of the era of Yermak, unelected official who reigned since 2020. Zelensky still to react.
⚡️BREAKING: Investigators search Zelensky's chief of staff in Ukraine's biggest corruption case. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said on Nov. 28 that it was conducting searches at the premises of President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak. Yermak is
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Real corruption within Zelensky’s circle is being weaponized by Russia and its friends in the U.S. to extinguish the independent Ukrainian state. Which makes any dithering by Zelensky in getting rid of his corrupt friends so historically consequential.
“A senior U.S. official said that [Umerov] significantly changed one of the 28 points. In an apparent move to expose alleged corruption, the draft had called for an audit of all international aid Ukraine had received. The language was changed to say all parties will receive “full
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Zelensky has governed that way since he took office in 2019. But now, nearly four years into a full-scale war, the flaws from this style of governing run so deep that they are threatening the country's very survival: https://t.co/vYKdc6WwxA
kyivindependent.com
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing the second-biggest test of his presidency — and it may prove even trickier than leading the country's resistance against Russia. But it is this...
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Our take on this crisis: “A recent corruption scandal and very worrying front-line developments have highlighted weaknesses in a system of leadership that greedily concentrates power, tolerates no criticism, and excuses incompetence in favor of loyalty.”
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Somehow, Trump administration doesn’t get Ukraine. They think Zelensky’s corruption scandal opens a window to push him in accepting a bad peace deal. But the very same Ukrainians who are enraged with corruption are also the ones who won’t let Zelensky accept a bad deal. If
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Tears, panic, and young Ukrainian soldiers pleading for help — a new disinformation campaign using artificial intelligence (AI) to fabricate videos of Ukraine's mobilization efforts is flooding social media platforms. https://t.co/B596VEdvvy
kyivindependent.com
Editor's note: This article was published as part of the Fighting Against Conspiracy and Trolls (FACT) project, an independent, non-partisan hub launched in mid-2025 under the umbrella of the EU...
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If you’re in DC, come to the screening and discussion of “No God But Theirs” tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct. 29) in Ukraine House — our investigative documentary showing Russia’s persecution of religious communities in the occupied Ukrainian territories.
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I don't recommend stuff too often, so this one is earnest. Subscribe to this Substack and thank me later: Antidote Note by @Matthew_Kupfer. Link in second post. It's refreshingly smart.
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Headed to DC next week — my first visit in 10 years. If you’d like to set up a meeting, DM or email (address listed on the @KyivIndependent website).
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Thank you for this recognition of our work at the @KyivIndependent 🙏
CEPA is delighted to honor @olya_rudenko, Chief Editor of the @KyivIndependent, with CEPA’s 2025 Freedom Fighter Award for her steadfast dedication to advancing independent journalism amidst Russia’s invasion, as well as on behalf of all heroic journalists on the frontlines of
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