Odesa Oblast: News

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And still, they plant: Ukraine's 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 Odesa Oblast

The region in Ukraine’s southwest covers 33,310 square kilometers (12,861 square miles) along Ukraine's Black Sea coast, with a population of approximately 2.4 million and Odesa city as its administrative center. Odesa Oblast borders Moldova to the west, and Romania across the delta of the Danube. Odesa Oblast serves as Ukraine's main maritime trade gateway and has faced repeated Russian missile and drone strikes targeting port infrastructure since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

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