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Neighbors from hell — How one Oleshky family survived living next to Russian soldiers

For years, the Samarsky family lived in the embattled, occupied Oleshky alongside neighbors no one wished to have — Russian soldiers. Serhii Samarsky, his wife Olha Liutikova, and their son Vladyslav remained in the town after Russian forces occupied it during the early stages of its full-scale invasion until October 2026, when a humanitarian mission, mediated by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, allowed them to be evacuated. Together, they survived relentless air attacks, cold winters without he

Vladyslav Samarsky at the Ukraine-Belarus border in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Oct. 31, 2026.

About Sports

Ukrainian athletes compete internationally across multiple sports, including in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. International sports federations initially banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing under their national flags from most competitions after February 2022. Ukraine’s sports infrastructure has suffered extensive damage from Russian attacks, while many athletes continue training abroad.

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