For Ukraine, the story of 2022 is the story of war. Russia's war against Ukraine started in 2014 in Crimea and Donbas, but it turned into a full-scale invasion in 2022. This year, the war has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee their homes. Russia has bombed
On Nov. 26, amid Russia's war, Ukraine commemorated the victims of another tragedy: Holodomor, a man-made famine that killed millions of Ukrainians in 1932-1933. Holodomor was imposed on Ukrainians, primarily Ukrainian villagers, by the Moscow-based Soviet authorities led by dictator Joseph Stalin. Ukraine has been fighting to get Holodomor recognized
The so-called "invincibility centers" across Ukraine help people cope with the consequences of Russia's Nov. 23 missile attacks that shut down electricity, heating, water supply and mobile communications.
VYSHHOROD, Kyiv Oblast – A rocket blast that struck a four-story residential building in Vyshhorod on Nov. 23 was so powerful that it ripped off balconies, leaving the windowless rooms open to the cold November weather. The massive crater in front of the building left no doubt about the intensity of
KHERSON — Huge numbers of Ukrainians were detained by Russians occupying Kherson. Many of them were interrogated by torture. The chief prosecutor of Kherson Oblast, Volodymyr Kalyuga, said that locals were tortured at four sites throughout the city. According to interviews with local officials and residents, these included a pre-trial detention
Ukrainian troops entered Kherson on Nov. 11, two days after Russia declared its retreat. Kherson, a city with a pre-war population of nearly 300,000 people, was the only regional capital sacked by Russia. Kherson residents held large-scale protests in March and April, demanding that Russian troops leave the city.
IZIUM, Kharkiv Oblast – Six months into the occupation of Izium in Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces announced a mysterious strict 24-hour curfew on Sept. 8. Roman, a bread vendor at the local market who declined to give his last name, drove north the following morning on an errand in defiance of
It's the first day of school. Even as fierce battles raged in the east and south of Ukraine, many Ukrainian children returned to classrooms for the first time since their offline education was disrupted by the full-scale war. While Education Minister Serhiy Shkarlet said nearly 3 million school-aged children were
There were no regular celebrations on Ukraine's 31st Independence Day this year, as Russia continues to wage its brutal war against the country. On Aug. 24, Ukraine’s air defense was put on high alert. Local authorities across the country extended curfews, and Kyiv banned mass gatherings. Russia carried out
Each year, on Aug. 23, Ukraine celebrates the Day of the National Flag. According to the official version of the events, a group of Soviet Ukraine lawmakers, from the pro-independence Democratic Bloc, brought the historic blue and yellow flag into parliament on Aug. 23, 1991. The group demanded the Communist
Editor’s Note: This story about the Vostok SOS nonprofit was sponsored by the Foundation International Communications Hub and the Comms Hub Ukraine. Vostok SOS provides humanitarian aid to people affected by Russia’s war and helps evacuate civilians from front-line settlements. If you would like to support their efforts,
KHARKIV – Oleh Puteshenko walked through the ruins of his former workplace, a restaurant in Kharkiv, barely holding back tears. The 46-year-old, who used to work as a security guard, spoke proudly of the restaurant as he showed the terrace where he spent most of his days taking care of the
Russian missiles hit a nine-story residential building and a kindergarten in central Kyiv early on June 26, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Rescuers have pulled out 25 residents from under the rubble at the apartment building in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi District so far, Klitschko reported. At least one person was killed
Refugees fleeing war zone Russia’s full-scale invasion, launched on Feb. 24, has caused the largest migration crisis of the 21st century. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly seven million Ukrainians have fled the country, with over 90% of those escaping Ukraine being women and
SLOVIANSK, Donetsk Oblast — The battlefield stretches through the dense forest on the banks of the Siversky Donets River. Soldiers with Ukraine’s 79th Airborne Brigade crawl out of sandy trenches, preparing their 40 mm under-barrel rounds. Barrels up, they aim at an imperceptible enemy line running some 300 meters away,
It has been three months since people across Ukraine woke up to explosions, signaling the start of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. The war many observers alleged would last a few days has reached the ninety day mark. After failing to occupy Ukraine's largest cities - Kyiv and Kharkiv
