Alex Stezhensky

Editor and Writer | NV English

A Kyiv native, Alex originally envisioned a career in visual media and sound production before his path shifted in 2006 when he moved to New York. After returning to Ukraine in 2020, he launched his journalism career as a translator at the New Voice of Ukraine. He quickly advanced to editorial and authorship roles, producing original reporting and analysis. Alex specializes in investigative journalism, focusing on international affairs and domestic politics. Outside of the newsroom, he remains passionate about photography and music composition.


Home from captivity /
Ukraine returns 160 service members held since 2022

Ukraine and Russia carried out a new round of prisoner exchanges on June 26, bringing home 160 Ukrainian service members who had been held in captivity since 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media.
26 June, 03:55 PM 90
Nation

Forced recruitment /
Russia probes reaction to Penza roundups for army

Moscow is trying to replenish its ranks for the war against Ukraine while avoiding public protests and is testing a “quiet” approach: mass street roundups and forcing Russian men into military contracts, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service said on June 26.
26 June, 02:53 PM 344
Russian war

Valdai lockdown /
Key federal road closes near Kremlin leader’s retreat

Traffic on Russia’s M-11 federal highway in Tver Oblast was closed in both directions on June 26, with no explanation from authorities, the Telegram channel Agentstvo.News reported.
26 June, 02:27 PM 391
Nation

Corporate governance /
NBU signs EBRD deal to strengthen finance rules

The National Bank of Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening corporate governance in Ukraine’s financial sector.
26 June, 01:36 PM 101
Business

Energy security bet /
New 650 MW gas facility aims to harden supply

Ukrainian energy holding DTEK and U.S.-based GE Vernova have signed a memorandum to support construction of new gas-fired generation in western Ukraine, the Energy Ministry said.
26 June, 12:20 PM 184
Business

Wartime capital pitch /
NBU chief urges investors to enter Ukrainian market

National Bank of Ukraine Governor Andriy Pyshnyy urged international investors not to delay decisions on entering or expanding in Ukraine’s market, citing the country’s macrofinancial stability and the resilience of its financial system.
26 June, 11:45 AM 109
Business

Fragile neighbors /
Svyrydenko, Tusk pursue postwar commercial links

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss Polish business involvement in Ukraine’s reconstruction, energy cooperation and joint economic projects, Svyrydenko said on Telegram.
26 June, 11:25 AM 84
Nation

Anchorage ghost story /
U.S. rejects Kremlin version of Trump-Putin talks

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said no agreement with Russia was reached during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
25 June, 07:17 PM 548
Nation

No easy volunteers /
Moscow struggles to fill army ranks for Ukraine war

Russia is finding it increasingly difficult to recruit new contract soldiers and hold occupied Ukrainian territory. In Moscow, the number of people willing to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry and go to war against Ukraine fell by one-third in the spring. The same pattern is emerging in the regions.
25 June, 07:00 PM 4262
Russian war

Shadow fleet crackdown /
France intercepts Russian tanker off Sicily

The French Navy on June 23 intercepted Russian shadow fleet tanker Deliver off Sicily after it violated maritime law, French President Emmanuel Macron said on June 25.
25 June, 06:37 PM 203
Nation

Pressure from Gdansk /
Merz urges Moscow toward talks on ending Ukraine war

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Moscow to enter peace talks during a speech at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, DW reported.
25 June, 04:54 PM 222
Nation

Kremlin war calculus /
Commanders claim manpower can capture four regions

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin does not want to end the war against Ukraine and has said he is ready to keep fighting for at least another two years.
25 June, 04:05 PM 794
Nation

Gdansk pledge /
Von der Leyen opens 90 billion loan pipeline for Kyiv

Ukraine has received the first tranche of the EU’s Ukraine Support Loan, worth 3.2 billion euros ($3.63 billion), Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram.
25 June, 02:53 PM 281
Business

From showcase to liability /
Attacks expose Russia’s fast-growing Crimea problem

Ukrainian drones have turned occupied Crimea into a combat zone, making it harder by the day to keep up any appearance of normal life there, The Economist wrote in a June 23 report on how the occupied peninsula is becoming a catastrophe for Russia.
25 June, 01:26 PM 497
Russian war

Watchdog pressure /
Von der Leyen drawn into Zelenskyy records fight

European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho has opened an inquiry into European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after the Commission refused to release chat messages involving European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Berliner Zeitung reported, citing a letter sent to the European Commission last week.
25 June, 12:44 PM 266
Nation

Crimea in the dark /
Temporary blackouts follow attacks on energy sites

Russian-occupied Crimea announced temporary power cutoffs after 11 a.m. on June 25, Russian-controlled Krymenergo said.
25 June, 12:31 PM 379
Russian war

After the Trump rupture /
Paris and Rome edge toward delayed bilateral truce

Since the start of the war against Iran, Meloni has taken a more confrontational approach toward Trump, and their relationship last week spiraled into a public and deeply personal dispute. Like Macron, who has taken a pro-European stance, the prime minister now appears more inclined to distance herself from the United States.
25 June, 11:17 AM 143
Nation

Deep-strike momentum /
Trump calls Zelenskyy brave, praises Ukraine fighters

U.S. President Donald Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s Defense Forces are “doing a pretty good job.”
25 June, 10:34 AM 149
Nation

Cease-fire window /
Kwasniewski sees truce chance emerge within months

Former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said a cease-fire could be reached in Ukraine in the coming months, but that a lasting and just peace is not yet on the table.
25 June, 10:16 AM 123
Nation

Sanctions workaround /
China adds outlet for Russian Arctic LNG cargoes

China is preparing a second import terminal to handle liquefied natural gas cargoes from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 plant, a project under Western sanctions, Reuters reported on June 22.
22 June, 06:04 PM 233
Business