Life in Ukraine

“Shredder” lay for 16 hours with tourniquets cutting into both legs, Russian FPV drones circling above. When he woke up and realized his legs were gone, he cracked a joke. What followed was a system designed to make sure he wouldn’t be left behind.

One workday, stitched together from a winter of blackouts, air raids, cold showers, improvised coffee, and other daily workarounds that keep everyday life moving in wartime Kyiv.

Long strips of white netting now cover nearly every road leading into Izium in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Thrown up in anticipation rather than as a reaction, Ukraine is preparing for Russia’s FPV drones, which are reaching deeper into territory once considered relatively safe behind the front.

The lights dim, and for a moment, the room falls still. Thousands of people stand together in Kyiv, waiting. Then the first notes begin, and the crowd responds as one—singing, filming, brought together by the music. Outside, the Russia’ war continues. Inside, for a few hours, there is magic.

In Ukraine, Russian drones are killing journalists miles from the frontlines. As reporters dodge deadly machines, the question arises: should they fight back? In a war where survival trumps neutrality, old rules might not stand a chance.

Russia’s growing use of drones to strike moving passenger trains is forcing Ukraine’s railway system to rapidly adapt to a new and deadly reality. It has introduced emergency evacuation protocols and a nationwide monitoring network to save lives.

Russia has spent hundreds of millions launching thousands of drones and missiles at Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, targeting electricity, heating, homes, schools, and hospitals, and causing civilian deaths and widespread damage. But what has this costly campaign actually delivered?

For almost the entire month of March 2022, Russian forces held 368 people from Yahidne in a cramped basement as human shields. On March 30, they were freed. Four years later, as we visit the liberated village, they continue to tell their stories.

Ukrainian athletes have emerged as powerful symbols of resilience and dignity, even as the ongoing war has forced them to shift their focus from the sport they love to the greater struggle for their country’s freedom.

Ukraine’s survival in its fight against the Russian invasion has depended on weapons and security guarantees. But in hospital wards, classrooms, and child protection systems, a coalition has been at work.

Ukrainian veterans are taking to the stage with the Theatre of Veterans and retelling their experiences, reclaiming control of narratives often written without them. Many have sustained life-altering injuries, from amputations to severe burns, and now translate those realities into physical performance. Directed by professionals but shaped by the veterans themselves, the productions are raw, immediate, and cathartic.