Yurii Marchenko

New evidence suggests Russia is using civilian passenger flights to move its troops to the Ukraine’s front, exposing both aircraft and those on board to military risk under international humanitarian law.

Besides being the largest nuclear disaster in history, Chornobyl became the moment when the Soviet system revealed its true nature to the world. This story did not end in 1986—it continues today in modern Russia.

There are no real names on Ukraine’s frontline radio—only “Peach,” “Witch,” “Da Vinci,” or “Bacon.” Behind each of these words is a story. Call signs, once merely communication codes, have become a language of war, where a single nickname can reveal more about a person than a passport.

This Russian soldier tried to flee the army three times. The first two ended in torture. The third saved his life—he surrendered to the Ukrainian forces.

Severely wounded and taken captive, a Ukrainian soldier, call sign “Positive,” found himself in the most negative of circumstances. Yet, not only did he survive, but he also ultimately convinced his Russian captors to surrender.

After Russia seized Crimea, the peninsula has been transformed from a tourist haven into a tightly controlled military zone. Repression has deepened, dissent is criminalized, and daily life unfolds under surveillance.