Author: Mark Raczkiewycz

North Dakotan farmer says he ‘didn’t commit any crimes’ KYIV – Kurt Jacob Groszhans’s ambition was to farm and make money off of Ukraine’s well-endowed, fertile land. The country is also where his family roots originate. Described as a “salt of the earth” farmer by his friends in Ukraine, the North Dakotan’s plans ended behind...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska lay flowers at the monument to the Holodomor in Kyiv on November 27. “On this day, we honor the millions of our dead ancestors and pray for the souls of millions of dead Ukrainians. This is Holodomor Remembrance Day,” Mr. Zelenskyy said in reference to the...

Plan sought to apprehend Russian mercenaries who fought in eastern Ukraine KYIV – An elaborate human mousetrap hatched by Ukraine’s military intelligence to ensnare several dozen Russian mercenaries sounds like a spy thriller, something that Israel’s Mossad and a smaller-scale operation of Ukrainian security officers previously pulled off. But two reports published in mid-November –...

KYIV – Two new English-language news publications are set to open in Ukraine, following the temporary closure of the Kyiv Post earlier this month. Two weeks after being dismissed, most of the Kyiv Post’s editorial staff, except long-time chief editor Brian Bonner, have launched The Kyiv Independent. The group of about 30 have started crowdfunding...

KYIV – The pre-trial investigation into the killings during the final and most intensive days of the Euro-Maidan revolution of 2013-2014 concluded on November 17. Ukrainian chief prosecutor Iryna Venediktova held a briefing during which time she said investigators from the State Investigation Bureau completed their probe into the involvement of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych and...

KYIV – While hosting the British defense minister this week, Ukraine has reversed course to concur with its Western allies that Russia’s irregular accumulation and movement of military personnel and hardware could signal a further invasion this winter. Reports by the Financial Times, Associ­ated Press, Bloomberg and other news outlets suggest that the intelligence first...

KYIV – Long a bane and check on people of influence and power, Ukraine’s oldest independent English-language newspaper is no more – temporarily, at least, its publisher announced this week. Adnan Kivan, a wealthy Odesa-based property developer, on November 8 unexpectedly shuttered the Kyiv Post and dismissed its entire staff of about 50 people, effective...

KYIV – As the winter approaches, Russia continues to deploy military units near Ukraine’s state border, the U.S. government and a British intelligence company said. The reports of “unusual” Russian military movements have prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to publicly voice “concern” on the matter. Ukrainian military intelligence has downplayed similar reports that...

KYIV – It all started on October 26 when Lt. Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhny gave the order to deploy a tactical drone for the first time in the war zone of eastern Ukraine to suppress fire from Russian artillery installations that had led to the death of a soldier. A battery of Russian D-30 howitzers had...

KYIV – In what has become the hallmark of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s tenure so far, the second government reshuffle of the year took place this week with dismissals or resignations at five ministries. On November 3, the Verkhovna Rada voted to dismiss the ministers of defense, economy, strategic industries, environment and reintegration of temporarily...

KYIV – A decision by an appeals court in the Netherlands this week delivered a verdict that sounded more like an endorsement of Ukraine’s sovereignty amid Russian occupation than a decision on the ownership rights of ancient artifacts. The Amsterdam Court of Appeal on October 26 ruled that nearly 600 precious and historical artifacts dating...

KYIV – Ukraine’s unofficial ambassador of borshch – the hearty, savory beetroot soup – Yevhen Klopotenko, has published an English-language cookbook of 70 recipes – some well-known dishes and some that he resurrected from obscurity – as he continues blazing a path to elevate his country’s cuisine to worldwide prominence. The Kyiv-born chef released the...