Olena Blizniakova

Serhii was just 17 when he convinced his parents to let him gather some of his belongings and flee occupied Donetsk. His family, however, remained. Born and raised in the eastern Ukrainian city, he was only a child when the Russians occupied his hometown. As he got older, questions arose: “I started asking myself: why was it so good then, and not now?”

Having secretly enrolled in a Ukrainian online school and waiting for her 18th birthday, Marta was finally able to leave Russian-occupied Donetsk in spring 2025. Without saying a word to her parents, she packed her belongings and headed to Kyiv. Marta told her story to UNITED24 Media. 

A new school year has begun in Ukraine, once again under the shadow of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Despite frequent air raid alerts and the constant threat from Russian attacks, city administrations, schools, and teachers across the country are finding ways to ensure that as many children as possible can continue their education. 

In Denmark—hundreds of kilometers away from Ukraine—little Luka celebrates his 5th birthday. “Make a wish!” his mother says, holding a candle-lit cake. “I wish we were in Ukraine!” Luka answers. Like millions of other Ukrainian children, the boy was forced to flee his home due to Russia’s full-scale war, and now—dreams of returning. 

Ukraine received the remains of 6,057 fallen soldiers in June 2025—the largest return of bodies since the full-scale Russian invasion began. Many arrived without names, just numbers. Behind each one may be a family, still waiting and hoping. Across the country, DNA specialists are racing against time to restore identities.

Ivan spent years under Russian rule in Luhansk. But the night before he turned 18, he made a decision beyond his years and left everything behind to reach free Ukraine. This is his journey.