Olena Blizniakova

Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna was held, tortured, and killed in Russian captivity. Now, her country comes together to say goodbye.

“And now, guys, let’s do this exercise on the other leg,” said the head coach. A second later, dozens of men on the football pitch started laughing. Meet “Nezlamni”—Kharkiv’s first club to play amputee football. Almost all the players are veterans who lost their limbs on the battlefield.

The first thing that catches your eye when you enter Kharkiv’s Northern Saltivka district is the desolation—burned-out buildings, empty courtyards. No wonder: it’s just less than an hour drive from the Russian border, well within range of nearly every weapon in the Kremlin’s arsenal.

In May 2024, a Russian strike tore through a schoolyard where 15-year-old Artur was playing with friends, injuring his head, back, and leg. Despite doctors’ efforts, they couldn’t save his foot. One year later, we caught up with Artur to see how his life has changed. This is the story he told.

“Are you excited?” a kid-reporter asks NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. One of the youngest of the 2000 journalists to cover the NATO Summit in The Hague, he patiently waited on the doorsteps to ask his question. “I’m excited, but to a level where I can still control it,” Rutte replied, returning a smile. A few hours later, the NATO leaders' meeting would begin.

A group of men draped in blue and yellow flags steps off the bus into a crowd. “Welcome back! Thank you, guys!” echoes from all sides. Moments later, a woman runs in to embrace one of them. This is one of the places Ukraine’s former prisoners of war are brought after exchanges, with more defenders returning from Russian captivity on June 19.