Team

Masha Lavrova photo

Masha Lavrova

TikTok and Video Creator

Masha Lavrova is a TikTok producer and video host at the Kyiv Independent. She honed her digital marketing and PR skills while working in Australia and freelancing for various global companies. Masha also studied directing and producing for film and TV. She earned her bachelor's degree in screen media and communication from Western Sydney University in Australia.

Articles

How Trump ends wars

U.S. President Donald Trump’s negotiation strategy in Afghanistan resulted in a capitulation to the Taliban and abandoning U.S. allies. As the world awaits a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, what could a deal brokered by Trump actually look like? The Kyiv Independent’s Masha Lavrova dives into the last time Trump sought to end a war and what it could mean for Ukraine.

Ukrainians react to Trump’s shocking accusation about the war

by Masha Lavrova
U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest comments about Ukraine are raising eyebrows — and spreading misinformation. He claimed that Ukraine was the one who started Russia's war, said that Ukraine had been “blown to smithereens,” and claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has a 4% approval rating — none of which has a factual basis. How do actual Ukrainians feel about Trump’s words? The Kyiv Independent’s Masha Lavrova hit the streets of Kyiv to hear their raw, unfiltered reactions.

Russian drone hits Chornobyl nuclear plant as Munich Security Conference begins | Ukraine This Week

This Sunday, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur breaks down U.S. President Donald Trump’s first official call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the controversial comments made by Trump’s team that may spell out an ominous warning for Ukraine. We’re also joined by our reporter Martin Fornusek, who is reporting directly from the Munich Security Conference this weekend.

'Saints:' Photographer Sasha Maslov on documenting self-sacrifice in Ukraine during war

by Masha Lavrova
Sasha Maslov is a Ukrainian-American photographer who divides his time between Kyiv and New York. At the start of the full-scale invasion, he returned to Kyiv to document the war. His work, which has been showcased in galleries and art spaces across Europe and the United States, includes regular contributions to prominent magazines and publications. But Maslov's most recent work is the photo book “Saints.” The book captures the stories of individuals during the Russian war against Ukraine from

Hollywood actress Ivanna Sakhno: ‘I’ve never felt more at home in Ukraine than during full-scale war’

by Masha Lavrova
When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacking the country from multiple fronts and the sky, Ukrainian actress Ivanna Sakhno was thousands of kilometers away. She has been living in the U.S. for nearly 10 years at that point, ever since deciding to pursue her dream of acting in English-speaking films. But after Feb. 24, 2022, Ukraine again took center stage in Sakhno’s life. She spent more than a month attending protests in support of Ukraine in New York, pushing pre-product

Ivanna Sakhno on her mission to keep Ukraine relevant

by Masha Lavrova
The Kyiv Independent's Masha Lavrova sat down with Ukrainian Hollywood actress Ivanna Sakhno to discuss her experience of watching the war unfold in Ukraine from the U.S., and her advocacy mission to keep bringing the world's attention to Ukraine.