Dnipropetrovsk Oblast: News

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And still, they plant: front-line farmers rebuild their businesses against all odds

Russian forces have repeatedly struck the dairy farm of 70-year-old Volodymyr Starychenko in Krolevets, Sumy Oblast, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. At times, Starychenko has wondered whether it makes sense to rebuild at all. With help from an international aid program, he keeps working, tending to his cattle and crops. Sumy Oblast, bordering Russia, faces frequent missile and drone strikes. For farmers here, every day means working under the threat of attack. In late 2024,

Starychenko stands next to his newly purchased tractor in Krolevets, Sumy Oblast, Ukraine, undated, October 2025.

About Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

The Kyiv Independent's news and on-the-ground reporting from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which covers 31,974 square kilometers (12,348 square miles) in central-eastern Ukraine. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast's population is approximately 3.2 million, and its administrative center is Dnipro, Ukraine's fourth-largest city and major economic hub. Ukrainian forces use the region as a logistics base for operations in the eastern and southern fronts.

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