Team
Yana Prots
Newsroom InternYana Prots is an intern on the business desk of the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a journalist at the NGO Center of United Actions and as a social media editor at Hromadske media. Yana holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and completed a year as an exchange student at the University of Zurich. Now, she is pursuing a master’s degree in International Finance and Investment at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Articles
Major decision maker at Ukraine's central bank resigns after decade in key role
Rozhkova, who started working at the central bank in 2015, has frequently spoken out in favor of the bank’s independence from the executive branch and was one of the few top officials not controlled by the President’s Office.
Half of Starlink terminals sent to Ukraine found in Russian-occupied areas, US agency says
Nearly half of the active Starlink satellite terminals that USAID delivered to Ukraine were present in territories fully or partially occupied by Russia, raising concerns about potential misuse, according to a U.S. Inspector General report.
PayPal, WhatsApp, Grammarly — 10 global companies you didn't know have Ukrainian roots
It's a fact little known around the world: Some of the biggest names in tech were founded by Ukrainian-born entrepreneurs, including PayPal, WhatsApp, and Grammarly.
These companies, now headquartered across the U.S. and Europe, owe part of their success to Ukrainian-born entrepreneurs whose innovations have shaped how millions communicate, pay, and work online.
Here are 10 of the world's most recognizable tech companies founded or co-founded by Ukrainians.
PayPal / Affirm
Co-founder Max Le
Kyivstar makes historic Nasdaq debut as first Ukrainian listing
Kyivstar, Ukraine's leading mobile operator, became the first Ukrainian company to list on a U.S. stock exchange, the company announced on Aug. 15.
Japan says Russian military obtained banned machine tools via Chinese firms
Japanese authorities found that over 300 precision machine tools made by Tsugami Corp., sold to seven Chinese firms, had gone missing and were later used by Russia to produce weapons components.
India shifts oil purchases away from Russia before Trump-Putin Alaska meeting, Bloomberg reports
This week, state companies Indian Oil Corp. and Bharat Petroleum Corp. secured supplies from the United States, Brazil, and Middle Eastern producers for September-October delivery, Bloomberg reported.
Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 35
Editor’s note: This is issue 35 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from July 30–Aug. 12, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs.
The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission.
Key updates
Ukraine restores NABU and SAP independence
Ukraine’s law restoring the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specia
Switzerland expands sanctions against Russian oil exports, aligning with EU
Switzerland extended its sanctions lists to align with the EU's 18th package against Russia, specifically targeting Moscow's largest budget revenue source – oil exports, the Swiss government said.
Ukraine secures record $586 million EBRD loan to shore up low gas reserves
The financing will help Ukraine better prepare for the autumn and winter months as the country's gas storage reserves fall to their lowest level in at least 11 years due to Russian attacks.
Ukraine's Kyivstar conducts first Starlink direct-to-cell test in Eastern Europe
The technology provides connectivity when traditional cellular networks are unavailable, particularly during power outages from Russian strikes on critical infrastructure.
Ukrainian defense firm Frontline integrates grenade launcher with Estonian robotic platform
Ukrainian defense company Frontline partnered with Estonian manufacturer Milrem Robotics to integrate weapon systems with unmanned ground vehicles, conducting successful test firings of equipment in Ukraine, Frontline announced.
Kyivstar seeks up to $200 million in Nasdaq debut as first Ukrainian listing, Reuters reports
Kyivstar, which serves 24 million subscribers in Ukraine, will reportedly become the first Ukraine-based company listed on Nasdaq.
Ukraine bonds surge as Putin-Trump meeting confirmation fuels peace deal hopes
Ukraine's debt securities, sensitive to prospects of an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, hit their highest levels in four months.
US to auction $300 million Russian oligarch yacht seized after full-scale invasion of Ukraine
The Amadea yacht, valued at more than $300 million, was seized from sanctioned Kremlin-linked Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov in April 2022.
Under pressure from activists, Kyiv moves to protect iconic Soviet-era market
After more than a year of public advocacy, Kyiv authorities have added the iconic Zhytnii Market to the city's list of cultural heritage sites — a crucial step toward granting it official monument status.
The change puts the market under legal protection, banning alterations to the building's Soviet-era modernist design. Activists have fought to keep the market out of developers' hands, fearing it would be demolished — a fate that has already befallen several other historic Kyiv landmarks.
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Editors' Picks
As Zelensky, Trump prepare to talk about peace, most Russian demands are non-starters for Ukraine
Editorial: That meeting was sickening. Putin loved it
Our readers' questions about the war, answered. Vol. 9
