Olena Blizniakova

What the Gripen fighter jet was built to do, what it could offer Ukraine, and one former Swedish Air Force pilot’s view of two nations united by yellow and blue.

While Russia is taking lives, others are doing everything they can to save them. Every day, thousands of combat medics and doctors make their utmost effort to preserve the lives and health of Ukraine’s defenders. In evacuation vehicles, at stabilization points, and in hospitals, their mission remains unchanged—to ensure their patients survive. We spoke with four medics about the challenges they face.

As Russia’s full-scale war nears its fourth year, Sweden keeps stepping up to support Ukraine. In an exclusive interview, Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard outlines new aid for 2026 and highlights growing military cooperation—including plans to train Ukrainian pilots on Swedish jets.

“I will say everything as it happened without leaving anything out, unless it's something I have forgotten,” a young African man says while sitting in a room in an undisclosed Ukrainian city. He is a soldier in the Russian army, captured by Ukrainian forces. The POW describes everything that happened to him, from the moment he decided to study in Russia.

“What was once a place of happiness became a site of tragedy,” says Daryna, a Mariupol native. For thousands of Ukrainian families, 2022 was the last time they celebrated winter holidays at home. Soon after, Russia launched its full-scale war, and those homes were occupied or destroyed—sometimes both.

We meet 31-year-old Vitalii Veres in a hospital ward. On the bed opposite, sits his girlfriend. “I always tell her: don’t let go of me or I’ll get lost,” Vitalii jokes. A few days from now, he will have surgery to prepare a fitting for a prosthetic eye. For now—while he has some free time—he’s working on his social media blog.