Olena Goncharova

3 days ago | kyivindependent.com | Olena Goncharova

A Moscow court has found Google, owned by U.S. tech giant Alphabet, guilty of disclosing personal data of Russian servicemen killed in Ukraine, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency reported on April 21. The ruling reportedly stems from a YouTube video that allegedly revealed both casualty figures and personal details of Russian soldiers killed during the full-scale invasion.

4 days ago | kyivindependent.com | Olena Goncharova

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin attended an Easter service in Moscow on April 20, just hours after the Kremlin declared a temporary ceasefire on the Easter weekend, ordering a halt to all military action from 6 p.m. Moscow time on April 19 until midnight on April 21. The ceremony took place at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and was led by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a staunch supporter of both Putin and the war in Ukraine.

4 days ago | kyivindependent.com | Olena Goncharova

Iran and the United States have agreed to begin drafting a framework for a potential nuclear agreement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi announced on April 19 following four hours of indirect talks in Rome. A U.S. official confirmed the development to Reuters, describing the talks as having made "very good progress."Araqchi and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff engaged through an Omani mediator who relayed messages between them.

5 days ago | kyivindependent.com | Olena Goncharova

Ukrainian diplomat Andrii Melnyk has called on Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, to fulfill his campaign promise and immediately deliver 150 Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, alongside a broader set of decisive actions to stop Russia’s full-scale war. "Germany, of all places, has a decisive role to play in stopping murder and bringing about a just peace," Melnyk wrote in a letter published in German by Die Welt, a national daily newspaper.

5 days ago | kyivindependent.com | Olena Goncharova

More than 600 religious sites in Ukraine have been destroyed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 19, ahead of Easter celebrations. "For millions of Ukrainians, Easter is one of the most important holidays. And millions will be going to churches. Unfortunately, many will go to churches that have been damaged..." Zelensky said. He added that the Russian military poses one of the greatest threats to Christian churches and believers.