Life in Ukraine

We enter the hospital room to meet one of the patients. Before we know it, we’re talking to everyone in the room. They’re all soldiers here, injured on the front line. “You can take a photo of me, but I won’t be able to tell you anything. I don’t remember,” says 23-year-old Serhii. The next day, he’ll be among the first called in for surgery, performed by “Face the Future” Medical mission.    

As Russia’s war on Ukrainian energy intensifies, blackouts roll across both Kyiv and the nation. The capital slips into an unfamiliar darkness—streets lit only by headlights, flashlights, and the flicker of candlelight behind windows.

“It’s all good and well when you get people out alive and bring them to safety,” says Ruslana, a Ukrainian combat medic. “But the hardest thing is when you lose someone in your hands.”

Amid Russia’s relentless assaults in eastern Ukraine, volunteers and soldiers have begun rescuing medieval “stone babas”—statues carved 800 years ago—from the frontline. What are these statues and why do they matter?

Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies launched a large investigation this week, targeting procurement abuses at Energoatom , the state-run nuclear energy giant with nearly $5 billion in annual revenue. The operation has already triggered suspensions in the Cabinet of Ministers and the dissolution of the company’s Supervisory Board. Its consequences may prove to be a crucial test for Ukraine’s image.

When the full-scale war began, businesses left Russia due to sanctions, while their departures across Ukraine were driven by the threat of Russian missile strikes. Now, big brands are coming back to Ukraine. Here’s how global companies are learning to operate under air-raid alerts—and sometimes, underground.