Perspectives

More than three years have passed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the most intense war in Europe since World War II, marked by the largest deployment of troops and military hardware on the continent in decades. No one, including Moscow, was prepared for what followed. The Kremlin’s plan to seize Kyiv in “just three days” collapsed almost instantly. But what if Ukraine hadn’t held the line—what if it had capitulated right away?

Can a nation heal if its wounds keep reopening? On May 18, Ukraine marks 81 years since the Soviet deportation of Crimean Tatars. Russia’s repression continues, but so does Crimea’s resistance.

He faced Nazi Germany at 15. Now, at 98, Volodymyr Overko watches Russia’s war unfold, where the memory of a shared victory is invoked, and distorted, to justify new aggression. In this rare firsthand account, a Ukrainian WWII veteran reflects on a life shaped by war, reminding that the defeat of fascism was a collective sacrifice, not a legacy any one nation can claim as its own.

A surge in Russian cyberattacks is pushing Ukraine to rewrite its cybersecurity playbook—fast. The government is taking decisive steps to harden digital defenses, restore trust, and bring its laws in line with Europe’s most advanced standards.

On April 13, the center of Sumy, Ukraine, was struck by two ballistic missiles launched from the Voronezh and Kursk regions of Russia. The attack killed over 30 civilians and injured more than 100, including children. Preliminary reports indicate the attack was carried out using Iskander-M/KN-23 missiles. Both missiles reportedly contain numerous components originating from Ukraine’s allied countries.