Olha Pankova, 39, had hoped to spend the rest of her life in Avdiivka. She had built a lovely home for herself and her children and wanted to grow old in the small Donetsk Oblast town, once home to almost 30,000 residents. But that was before Russia turned her
Editor’s Note: The young people featured in this article are either quoted by first name at their family’s request for privacy reasons or, in the case of service members active on the front line, for their safety. “The past two years have flown by. It’s hard to
Russia’s now-10-year war against Ukraine has affected every inch of the country, but no other region has taken the brunt of Russian aggression like Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, comprised of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. While the initial eight years of Russia's invasion only affected a handful of eastern Ukrainian
Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed by Russia’s war since 2022, leaving behind partners with shattered dreams of a shared future. As the full-scale Russian invasion nears its two-year mark, the number of fresh graves at cemeteries across Ukraine continues to grow, as does the number of those
For Olha Kurtmallaieva, Jan. 31 was a day of dashed hopes. On that day, Ukraine and Russia carried out their 50th prisoner exchange since 2022, with Ukraine bringing home over 200 POWs – nearly half of them were soldiers who had for three months bravely defended the southern coastal city of
Editor’s Note: The full names and some of the locations of the Belarusian citizens quoted in this article have been omitted at their request to protect their identities and those of their loved ones. After participating in protests and later witnessing the defeat of the Belarusian revolution in 2020,
On Feb. 7, Russia launched its latest large-scale attack against Ukraine, targeting Kyiv and other oblasts. At least five people were killed and dozens were wounded.
In between rescue missions in eastern Ukraine, in the midst of heavy combat, Yuliia Romanenko got some elating news: she was expecting a child. But she did not even consider quitting her job as a combat medic with the 67th Mechanized Brigade, which was fighting near Bakhmut, the hottest front
In December of last year, the icy showers that rain down on Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Oblast in winter caused the usual damages: falling branches severed power lines, causing electricity, water, and heating outages. Except there were fewer people to do the needed repairs. Russia’s forced mobilization campaign in
Over a hundred women braved a snowstorm in early December to gather in central Kyiv’s Independence Square and call on the government to demobilize their relatives who have been on the front lines since the first days of the invasion. Draped in Ukrainian flags, women chanted, “It’s their
Every head turns in a downtown café in Kyiv when U.S. citizens Ron Wallace and Michael Edison enter. Edison, 61, is wearing a cowboy hat and a vyshyvanka – a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt – while 62-year-old Wallace is dressed in a kilt, part of his bagpiper uniform. He’s also
Ukrainian author Yevheniia Zavalii started celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25 back in 2014, “when the rejection of everything Russian” began in her life. Undeterred by criticism from some people that she was breaking away from the traditions of her ancestors and the church, Zavalii stood by her decision. “And this
WARNING: The story contains graphic descriptions. When the neighbor told her what happened to her brothers, Tetiana Zahatna's howl echoed across the village. The twins had stepped out of the house earlier. Then she heard the shooting. Though Russian forces never occupied the village of Mokhnatyn in Chernihiv Oblast, their
Editor’s Note: The names of the sex workers in this story have been changed to protect their identity out of concern for their safety and that of their families. Katerina was lightly dressed for winter in a mini-skirt and short fur jacket as she stood alongside the road of
As Polish haulers’ blockade of border checkpoints with Ukraine stretches into its second month, thousands of Ukrainian truckers remain stranded in huge lines waiting to cross into their homeland. They say they’re losing patience. Though the estimated waiting time has somewhat dropped since the start of the protests on
Editor’s Note: The last names of some of the people interviewed for the story are not disclosed due to security reasons. KUPIANSK, KHARKIV OBLAST – Just 40 kilometers away from the Russian border, in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv Oblast, stands a small town scarred by months of occupation and ongoing
Editor’s Note: This story was sponsored by HIAS and VOICE non-profit organizations that together work on solving the issue of violence against women and girls in Ukraine, under the project "Partnering for Change: A Project Partnership Centering Women and Girls in the Ukraine Regional Response." Women introduced by full
In the early days of the full-scale invasion as Russian troops were occupying large swaths of territory outside of Kyiv, one local village resident was relieved to see what he thought were Ukrainian troops. The resident, Ivan Drozd, shouted the common Ukrainian salute "Slava Ukraini!" (Glory to Ukraine!) to the
Editor’s note: The children’s full names are not revealed in this story to protect their identity. The location of the camp they attend is also not revealed for security reasons. Western Ukraine — At the Gen.Camp tucked away in western Ukraine, children spend much of their day throwing
When the expert committee at the Ukrainian Society of the Deaf was working on de-Russifying the word “thank you” after the start of the full-scale war, there was the suggestion to leave it be, Tetiana Kryvko, the society’s deputy head, tells the Kyiv Independent. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion,
It was at Kyiv’s Independence Square on Dec. 1, 2013, when Ukrainians gathered during the Revolution of Dignity to express their outrage over violent police crackdowns against protestors the day prior, that author Lyuba Yakimchuk’s then three-year-old son first learned the patriotic national slogan “Glory to Ukraine!” “I
The EuroMaidan Revolution united millions of Ukrainians in protest against a corrupt, authoritarian, pro-Russian regime. Few could have guessed that this was just the beginning of Ukraine’s decade of struggle against mounting Russian subjugation attempts. This Revolution of Dignity began after then-President Viktor Yanukovych abruptly refused to sign the
When the famous U.S. pop band Backstreet Boys released their signature hit "I Want It That Way" in 1999, they could hardly have imagined that nearly a quarter of a century later it would be used to help the Ukrainian military fight off a brutal invasion by Russia. But
"My worst fear is coming true: I'm inside a new Executed Renaissance. As in the 1930s, Ukrainian artists are killed, their manuscripts disappear, and their memory is erased," Ukrainian writer Viktoriia Amelina penned in the foreword to the published diary of another author, Volodymyr Vakulenko, murdered during the Russian occupation
Russia's top propagandist, Olga Skabeeva, interrupted her talk show on May 16 to share "breaking news" with the Russian people. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) uncovered a spy, Skabeeva said, who had been feeding information about Russian military infrastructure and equipment to Ukrainian authorities. "A (criminal) case was opened
Many passersby raise their heads when walking past the Princess Olga monument in downtown Kyiv. Some even stop, gazing at the statue with surprise. Although it has been there for years, it seems the monument has never gotten as much attention as it has in recent weeks. In early September,
Stefania Stavytska woke up on Oct. 7. in the Israeli port city of Jaffa with a queasy feeling of déjà-vu. The 25-year-old video producer thought she had left the sounds of sirens behind when she left Kyiv in March 2022, at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Instead, she
Svitlana Oslavska and Anna Ilchenko embarked on a mission in 2020 to document Ukraine’s villages before they were lost to time and war. Traversing across Ukraine’s vast landscape, the sisters started speaking to people from villages about topics as diverse as the best construction method of a house
One thought helped Yevhen Mezhevyi overcome the ordeal of Russian captivity – the thought of his three young children. Single father Mezhevyi, 40, was captured by Russian troops at a checkpoint when he and his children were fleeing their war-torn hometown of Mariupol last spring. For 45 days, Mezhevyi was kept
For the past several weeks, Serhii Samoilenko has been savoring every second of his life. The 38-year-old has not felt as happy as he is now ever since the start of the full-scale invasion. In August, he finally reunited with his two little daughters, whom he hadn't seen for over
In a scene all too familiar for central Kyiv and for Ukraine as a whole, a large column of mourning soldiers and civilians walked through the capital’s streets on Aug. 28 to say goodbye to another high-profile commander killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Serhii Ilnytskyi, call sign
Editor’s note: Due to security concerns, the Kyiv Independent isn’t publishing the real name or the photo of the police officer at the center of this story. He is identified in the story as Oleksandr. KUPIANSK, Kharkiv Oblast – Kupiansk police officer Oleksandr doesn’t like remembering the time
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