Life in Ukraine

Amidst war, Ukrainians reconsider parenthood as fertility clinics across Ukraine offer free treatments to soldiers and their families.

The war in Ukraine has devastated not just its people, but also its animals. With animal shelters at capacity, ordinary citizens are helping to share the load.

Each year, around Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, tens of thousands of Jews make a pilgrimage to Uman, a city in central Ukraine. Despite the Russian attacks, the city streets are jam-packed. What is Ukraine’s place in Jewish history, and how does it translate into the current day?

The Ukrainian government has launched an electronic residency program. E-residents will enjoy special tax conditions in Ukraine: only 5% of their income.

“I had a wonderful childhood, a great life, and good friends,” says Dany, a 27-year-old drone pilot, recalling her home city of Luhansk with a wistful smile. When Russia occupied Luhansk in 2014, she was just 16. Today, as Russia bombards Kharkiv and Kyiv—the cities she now calls home—Dany is no longer a child. Today, she serves in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and fights back. “I won’t let them take my home from me twice.”

While Ukrainian chess players fall victim to Russia’s ongoing invasion, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) is on the verge of fully reinstating Russia and Belarus in global chess—a decision that could forever stain the sport’s integrity and hand Moscow a major propaganda victory.