Ukraine Graft Raid Ups Pressure on Kyiv to Clean House
After a night marked by heavy Russian missile and drone attacks, Ukrainians awoke to learn that the state-security service was raiding premises of anti-graft officials, accusing them of cooperation with Moscow.
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Wall Street Journal
3 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
The Ukrainian Police Agency at the Center of Protests Against Zelensky
KYIV, Ukraine—Youthful protesters at the biggest demonstration here since Russia's 2022 invasion were championing a cause that, at first glance, seemed unusual in a country known for its revolutions: the power of a law-enforcement agency. But the men and women of the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine are no ordinary cops.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
A Texas man moved his family to Russia to flee LGBTQ+ values. Here's what we know
In July 2025, a claim circulated online that a Texas father had moved his family to Russia before enlisting in the country's armed forces and fighting on the front lines of the war in Ukraine. While it was true that Derek Huffman moved his wife and three daughters to Russia and enlisted in the military there, we found no proof that Huffman ever fought on the front lines of the war in Ukraine. The Huffmans documented their move and Derek Huffman's enlistment on their YouTube channel. In a since-removed video, DeAnna Huffman, Derek Huffman's wife, expressed concern that her husband would be sent to the front lines. However, Tim Kirby, the founder of American Villages in Russia who helped secure housing for the Huffmans, told Snopes over email that Derek Huffman "was never involved in front line combat." Derek Huffman's exact location and role within the Russian armed forces remained uncertain at the time of this writing. In July 2025, a claim (archived) circulated online that a man from Texas named Derek Huffman moved his family to Russia to avoid "woke" values but ended up joining the Russian armed forces and fighting on the front lines of the war in Ukraine. One X claim recounting the Huffman family's story claimed that Huffman had "disappeared somewhere in eastern Ukraine." The claim also circulated on Facebook (archived), Threads (archived), Instagram (archived), Bluesky (archived), Reddit (archived) and TikTok (archived). Snopes readers searched our site to find out if the claim was true. The Huffman family documented their move to Russia on their YouTube channel, including a video of the family arriving in Russia in April (archived) and another in May (archived) about Derek Huffman's enlistment with the Russian armed forces. In a since-deleted video (archived), DeAnna Huffman, Derek Huffman's wife, expressed fears about Derek Huffman being sent to the front lines after he enlisted, something the family hoped to avoid. The most recent video (archived) showing Derek Huffman, posted on June 15, showed the father of six in military fatigues talking about being away from the family. Russian media also reported that Derek Huffman moved his family to Russia before enlisting. However, exactly what role Derek Huffman was fulfilling in the Russian armed forces and where were unclear at the time of this writing. Tim Kirby, a travel blogger who founded the expat village where the family lives, told Snopes over email on July 22 that Huffman was "doing the work that is inline with what he agreed to during his sign up negotiations." According to DeAnna Huffman's since-deleted video, her husband had wanted to be a war reporter or in a "repair battalion," owing to his extensive experience in welding. Kirby said Derek Huffman "was never involved in front line combat from what I understand and he is certainly not doing so now." We reached out to DeAnna Huffman through the Huffman Time YouTube channel to ask if she knew whether Derek Huffman was in active combat on the Russian front lines. We also reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to confirm whether Derek Huffman had enlisted with the country's armed forces and what role he was carrying out. We await replies to our queries. Tracking the Huffmans The family, as seen on their Huffman Time YouTube channel, consisted of DeAnna and Derek Huffman, their three daughters and a dog. According to reports, the couple has three adult sons between them who remain in the U.S. In May, Derek Huffman told Russia Today the family first moved from Arizona to Texas to escape "LGBT propaganda." However, after one of Derek Huffman's daughters "learned about lesbians from a girl in her class," the Huffmans decided "something had to change." Derek Huffman said in a March 9 video that "concerns over LGBT indoctrination in the American schools" were a primary reason the family made the move. On April 5, Kirby posted a video (archived), titled "The arrival of the second family to the American Village in Russia" that showed the Huffmans on VK, a Russian social media platform. Around a month later, Huffman Time posted a video (archived) showing the family getting their Temporary Residence Permit. This visa, established by decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin, allows people "from countries where neoliberal values are promoted at the state level" a fast-track way to enter, work and live in Russia for three years. The U.S. was one of more than 40 countries where citizens could seek the Temporary Residence Permit. Huffman enlisted for Russian citizenship By the end of May, Derek Huffman had evidently decided that he wanted more than just a Russian visa. In a video recorded in Nizhny Novgorod, Huffman said he would enlist in the Russian armed forces as a way to get his family Russian citizenship. Huffman explained in a May 26 video that if he signed and served a one-year contract with the Russian armed forces he and his family could get Russian citizenship immediately. He said (at 8:10): A big part of it for me is about the respect and earning our place here in Russia, earning our citizenship. You think about America, people just come on in. They're given everything. They just don't really assimilate and they're just there for the free handouts. I don't want anyone here in Russia or anywhere to be able to say we don't belong here. And if I go put my body on the line for Russia, I defend the country, our new country, I've earned our place here and nobody can tell me different or tell my family different that we don't belong here. Huffman said in the video that he would join the "special military operation" (the term used by the Russian government to describe the war in Ukraine) "today." Around three weeks later, on June 15, former Ukrainian politician Anton Geraschenko posted a video showing DeAnna Huffman talking about her husband's deployment. In the footage, Huffman said that it seemed as if the armed forces would send her husband to the front lines. According to Huffman, unnamed people had petitioned for Derek Huffman to serve as a war reporter rather than in active combat, but that request was denied. "They" then attempted to place him on a "repair unit" to utilize his welding experience, which also did not happen, according to DeAnna Huffman. DeAnna Huffman also said that recruits in the foreigner's unit received instruction in Russian, a language the family had not yet mastered: He's kind of struggling a little bit with that and not getting really any training because, unfortunately, when you are taught in a different language and you don't understand the language, how are you really getting taught? You're not. So, unfortunately he feels like he is being thrown to the wolves right now. Huffman also said that though her husband had not yet been paid for his time in the armed forces, officials had asked him to contribute money to help pay for supplies. She said that the family was lobbying "public figures" to get a safer deployment for him. The clip Geraschenko shared did not appear on the Huffman Time YouTube channel at the time of this writing. Comments on a June 28 video, titled "Russia: Big Water Adventures with Our Husky & Family Update!" that showed DeAnna Huffman wearing the same (archived) shirt and glasses as the Geraschenko clip, seemed to suggest that the Huffmans removed the clip from that video before re-uploading it. One commenter wrote, "Wait, we already saw this a week ago!?" to which another replied, "The previous video was attacked by bots because of the same topic and had to be deleted, leaving only the part about the lake." On June 16, Huffman Time uploaded a video of Derek Huffman in army fatigues sending a Father's Day video to his family. Huffman did not say in the video where he was, which is standard procedure for deployed soldiers to preserve operational security. However, it seemed that the Huffmans' money issues were persistent despite his seemingly active enlistment. On June 24, Kirby, the man who helped the Huffmans secure housing through American Villages in Russia, posted (archived) on VK asking people to send money to the Huffmans, who were still without an income due to delays with Derek Huffman's paychecks from the armed forces. The Huffman Time YouTube channel replied to a comment on a July 15 video that Derek Huffman was "fine" but that the family would not "give details or videos for everyone's safety." DeAnna Huffman said (archived) in the video that "He is alive and safe and just counting down the days. He will be finishing up his army and coming home and visiting. We miss him very much," referring to Derek Huffman. DeAnna Huffman also said she was due to fill out citizenship paperwork for herself and her daughters. Huffman did not respond to media inquiries by Russian media in July about where her husband was. In an interview with Russian-language media Vot Tak, Kirby said the family was tired of "Kyiv trolls" contacting them about the family's choices but did not comment on where Derek Huffman was. American Villages. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025. "Huffman Time." YouTube, Accessed 22 Jul. 2025. Shared Values EN – Welcome to Russia. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025. "Кабмин РФ утвердил список стран с политикой, противоречащей традиционным ценностям." 20 Sep. 2024, "Многодетный американец сбежал с семьёй в Россию от ЛГБТ-пропаганды и ушёл на СВО." RT на русском, 21 May 2025, Новости, Р. И. А. "Зачем многодетный американец перевез семью в Россию и ушел на СВО." РИА Новости, 20250609T0800, ""Они Хотят, Чтобы Мы Были Толстыми и Тупыми". Американец Сбежал в Россию От "ЛГБТ-Пропаганды" — и Оказался На Передовой." Новая Газета Европа, 1753107300000, "Почему мы уехали из Америки в Россию?" Семья Хаффман пояснит русским людям. 12 Jul. 2025, Рыбалкин, Сергей. ""Американская деревня" на два дома: в Подмосковье провалился проект поселения для граждан США, ищущих "традиционные ценности". Один из них ушел на войну." Vot Tak, Accessed 22 Jul. 2025. Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Forbes
Friday, July 25. Russia's War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine
KHARKIV, UKRAINE - JULY 24: A firefighter extinguishes wreckage of cars in a yard of residential ... More buildings where people gather after Russian shelling on July 24, 2025 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Russian army hit a residential area in the Kharkiv centre with two guided bombs. According to the city authorities, one of the hits occurred near a high-rise residential building; people are trapped under the rubble. The second hit was on a civilian enterprise, where a fire broke out. Dozens of people are known to have been injured because of Russian airstrikes on the city. At least 10 houses were damaged because of the hits, and about 15 cars were burning at the site. (Photo by Liubov Yemets/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,248. Between July 21-24, Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least 12 civilians and injured more than 120 others. In the eastern Donetsk oblast, or province, systematic shelling and glide bombs killed six non-combatants and wounded 44 others. In northeastern Kharkiv oblast, Russian glide bomb and drone strikes killed at least three residents and injured more than 50 others. In southern Kherson oblast, drone attacks killed two civilians and injured 22 people, including two children, while in the capital, Kyiv, one individual was reported dead, with nine others injured. Government Bid to End Anti-Corruption Agencies' Independence Sparks First Wartime Protests in Ukraine On July 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed controversial legislation that would de facto place the country's independent anti-corruption bodies under government control. Passed in a rushed parliamentary vote, the law would effectively strip independence from two key institutions established after 2014 to combat corruption: the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). It brings their investigative functions under the oversight of the prosecutor general, a direct presidential appointee. Critics of the law argue that the prosecutor general is not a politically neutral figure and could be sensitive to pressure against launching investigations into members of the political elite close to President Zelenskyy. The adoption of the legislation followed raids on NABU offices, which, according to the institution, were carried out without court warrants. Ukrainian government officials defended the new law, citing concerns over Russian influence within NABU, which was allegedly unearthed by Ukraine's security services. 'The anti-corruption infrastructure will work, only without Russian influence – it needs to be cleared of that,' said Volodynyr Zelenskyy in his evening address on Telegram. Civil society, however, widely dismissed these claims, especially since the legislation was backed by lawmakers linked to pro-Russian factions in Ukraine's parliament. The apparent crackdown triggered the largest domestic protests since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Three days of peaceful demonstrations erupted in at least 16 Ukrainian cities, including key regional capitals such as Kharkiv, Dnipro and Lviv. The largest protests occurred in Kyiv, with attendance estimated at 1,000 to 5,000 participants. Footage circulated on Ukrainian media showed the main square near Kyiv's government quarter filled with protesters. One sign read, 'My father didn't die for this,' a rebuke against what many see as the rollback of anti-corruption reforms. In addition to outcry from Ukrainian society, Western allies immediately raised alarms about the law. Ambassadors of the G7 countries in Kyiv issued a joint statement expressing concern; the European Commission spokesperson, meanwhile, warned the law could jeopardize Ukraine's path toward EU accession since funding from Brussels is 'conditional on [Ukraine's] progress on transparency, judicial reform and democratic government.' The legislation was similarly met with concern from U.S. lawmakers. In a rare bipartisan joint statement, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, and Lindsey Graham, a Republican, applauded Ukraine's efforts to tackle corruption, even while under Russian attack, and expressed 'fear this law undermines much of that [anti-corruption]In response to strong domestic and international criticism, President Zelenskyy is set to propose a bill that will decrease Russian influence while maintaining the anti-corruption agencies' independence. NABU has already stated that this bill 'restores all procedural powers and guarantees of independence' for the anti-corruption institutions. Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Russia and Ukraine agreed to a prisoner exchange during the latest talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 23. However, the meeting, which was initiated by Kyiv and lasted less than an hour, failed to yield progress on a ceasefire or a summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine's negotiator, former defense minister Rustem Umerov, proposed such a summit by the end of August and suggested it may also include U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, Russia's lead delegate, Vladimir Medinsky, said such a meeting should only occur to sign an agreement. The two sides remain divided on ceasefire terms. Ukraine demands an unconditional halt to fighting; Russia, on the other hand, refuses a ceasefire due its ability to press its current battlefield advantage and a benign stance from President Trump; although his position appears to have shifted somewhat against Russia recently. Despite the stalemate in negotiations, the countries agreed to swap circa 500 prisoners-of-war and plan a larger exchange of 1,200 soldiers soon. Culture Front. A new documentary executive produced by world-renowned ballerina Misty Copeland premiered Tuesday night at a sold-out screening at Village East by Angelika in New York City. Titled Match in a Haystack, the feature-length film follows a group of Ukrainian female dancers as they attempt to stage their first performance since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Directed by five-time Emmy Award-winner Joe Hill, Match in a Haystack offers an intimate and urgent portrayal of art as survival — capturing the intersection of war, memory, and creative resistance. The film highlights the physical and emotional journey of artists determined to preserve identity and expression amid destruction. 'This film is a love letter to courage, to movement, and to the enduring role of artistry in the face of crisis,' said Hill during a post-screening Q&A alongside Copeland. The two were joined onstage by producer Stefanie Noll, director of photography Nathaniel Brown, editor Arielle Sherman, and Ukrainian-American composer Katya Richardson, whose original score adds emotional weight to the story. Following its New York premiere, Match in a Haystack is expected to screen at festivals and special events throughout the U.S. and internationally in the coming months. Ukrainian artist collective Open Group brings the sounds of war to Manhattan's High Line in their haunting video installation Repeat After Me (2024), screening daily after 5 PM through September 7 at 14th Street. Originally presented at the Polish Pavilion of the 2024 Venice Biennale, the work features Ukrainian civilians recalling the sounds of weapons they heard before fleeing their homes—then asking viewers to repeat those sounds back. Founded in 2012, Open Group's current members — Yuriy Biley, Pavlo Kovach, and Anton Varga — use collaborative formats to confront political and social rupture. By Danylo Nosov, Karina L. Tahiliani
