Team

Toma Istomina photo

Toma Istomina

Deputy Chief Editor

Toma Istomina is the deputy chief editor of the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked for the Kyiv Post from 2017-2021, first as a staff writer, later taking editor roles. For co-founding the Kyiv Independent, Toma was selected as one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in 2022. She holds a master’s in international broadcasting from Taras Shevchenko University.

Articles

Volker: West has made a lot of mistakes in Russia-Ukraine war

by Toma Istomina
The West doesn’t spend enough time analyzing its miscalculations in the Russia-Ukraine war, Kurt Volker, a former U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations, said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent. “We have made many mistakes, from just before Russia's invasion and throughout. The biggest mistake was holding back on types of military assistance out of fear,” he said. Volker served as the U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations in 2017-2019, during former U.S. Pre

Estonian PM: ‘Our taxpayers shouldn’t pay for damages caused by Russia’

by Toma Istomina
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Estonia has been one of Ukraine’s most reliable allies since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion. A small Baltic country of just 1.3 million people that also shares a border with Russia, Estonia has provided assistance to Ukraine worth nearly 500 million euros, or more than 1.4% of its GDP, making it one of the leading supporters by GDP share. In a recent show of support, during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit

Ex-Estonian president: If NATO ambiguous about conditions for Ukraine, Russia won’t know what to prevent

by Toma Istomina
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Former Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid has been among the most vocal supporters of Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, just four months after her term came to an end. From public talks at global conferences to behind-the-scenes advocacy, Kaljulaid has been rallying for international aid for Ukraine, as well as for the country’s integration into both the European Union and NATO

Ukraine’s envoy to UN: Entire world complicit in allowing Russia’s unlawful behavior for 30 years

by Toma Istomina
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. NEW YORK CITY – Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya learned of Russia’s all-out war against his country in the middle of a UN Security Council session. When Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine and rockets started raining down on Ukrainian cities around 5 a.m. Kyiv time, it was late evening in New York, where the UN is headquartered. Kyslytsya quickly changed his prepared statement, tel

Lavrov: Putin, Erdogan tentatively agree on unblocking Ukrainian ports

by Toma Istomina
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the two leaders agreed during a phone call on May 30 that as soon as Turkey clears the Ukrainian ports of mines, cargo ships will be able to leave. Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s ports prevents the export of about 22 million tons of grain, creating a threat of famine in countries dependent on the grain, according to Ukrainian officials.

SBU confirms Kramatorsk train station was attacked from Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast.

by Toma Istomina
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) spokesperson Artem Dekhtiarenko said on May 21 that the SBU “got indisputable evidence” that Russia was behind the attack on the Kramatorsk railway station that killed 61 and injured 121 people on April 8. The SBU established that a missile was launched by the Tochka-U ballistic missile system from the territory in Donetsk Oblast which has been occupied by Russia since 2014.