An abandoned bed that often remains empty until morning as its usual occupants seek shelter during Russian attacks. A backpack with essentials to take along during each air raid. A family hug during a blackout, when a flashlight brings out the invisible on a mother’s face in daylight. After
Since Russia began its full-scale invasion more than three years ago, the demands on social services have multiplied. Millions are internally displaced, the number of people with disabilities has risen by 10%, and more than 13,000 children have been orphaned. Populations who were already vulnerable are often hit harder
As Ukraine reaches the three-year mark since Russia’s full-scale invasion, the impact on women’s health — and especially maternal health — has grown increasingly dire. Missiles and drone attacks strike without warning, putting pregnant women and their newborns at constant risk. In areas closer to the front line, the challenges
"Every front is important, and you served on the most challenging ones. You are our heroes, and we are deeply grateful to each of you," the president said.
The Kyiv Independent's journalists Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko followed a group of Ukrainian military medics as they journeyed from the heat of battle in war-torn Ukraine to the serene forests of Sweden for a short mental health retreat.
The Kyiv Independent’s upcoming documentary about Ukrainian military medics who save lives on the front line of Russia’s full-scale war will be screened in 10 European capitals. “Can You Hear Me? The Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics” will premiere in Kyiv on Dec. 12, followed by screenings
Ukraine plans to establish nearly 200 mental health facilities, the Health Ministry reported on Dec. 3.
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on Oct. 17, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to The Counteroffensive, click here. Last year, Mykola Horishnyi was declared clinically dead – twice. The Ukrainian soldier suffered
On Aug. 14, two humanitarian workers died in a Kherson hospital after being injured by Russian shelling, a stark reminder of the ongoing attacks across Ukraine. As we observe World Humanitarian Day, it's crucial to acknowledge the immense physical and emotional challenges faced by Ukraine’s front-line humanitarian workers. Humanitarian
The share of PTSD from neuralgic diseases among the military will only increase, according to Oksana Sukhorukova, head of the Healthcare Department of the Defense Ministry.
The Danish Foreign Ministry announced on May 7 a new 250 million kroner ($33.2 million) humanitarian aid package for Ukraine.
There was nothing extraordinary about the mission until combat medic Olena found herself frozen in fear. The situation wasn’t particularly dangerous, but she couldn’t bring herself to do her job as her fellow soldiers were getting wounded. "I found myself trapped in the dugout corner, trembling like a
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on April 11, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to "The Counteroffensive," click here. On more than one occasion, I've gotten under the covers utterly exhausted from
Partners of European leaders, Ukrainian and international officials, as well as celebrities gathered in Kyiv on Sept. 6 for the third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, initiated by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska. First held in 2021, the summit aims to bring the world’s first ladies and
Viktoriia Borodai can not recall the last time she experienced "real joy." She has lived in "uncertainty and despair" ever since Russia's all-out war forced her to flee Kramatorsk, her hometown in Donetsk Oblast, last March. Seeking shelter in different towns across Ukraine and watching how Russian troops bombard her
When Russia's drone strike hit a residential building in central Kyiv on the morning of Oct. 17, emergency workers turned up at the scene within minutes. As rescuers worked to put out the fire and clear out the rubble of the severely damaged high-rise apartment complex, medics provided first aid
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