War in Ukraine

Russia claims to defend “traditional values” like faith, family, and patriotism. Yet it kidnaps children, jails priests, and sends soldiers back to war on crutches.

At 16, Yurii launched a start-up to design anti-drone ammunition. Now 18, he balances school, prototypes, and a call to defend Ukraine’s skies.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s skies have never been safe. In 2025, drone warfare has entered a deadlier phase, with Moscow launching thousands of faster, cheaper, and more destructive Shaheds each month—pushing civilian casualties to a three-year high and forcing Ukraine to rethink its defenses.

“ They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine ,” US President Donald Trump said, naming the brutal reality: Moscow’s war machine is grinding on, but that machine is starting to buckle under pressure.

Ukraine’s latest drone strike targeted the Rosneft refinery in Ryazan, one of Russia’s five largest. The strike halted half of its refining capacity and ignited fires that lit the night sky. The strikes mark a continuation of Kyiv’s intensified campaign against Russian oil infrastructure, which is now deepening fuel shortages across the country and expanding the number of regions facing queues at the pump.

At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, few believed Ukraine could hold out—the imbalance of forces seemed too great. Yet the war has now lasted three and a half years, and Russian losses have long since topped one million. But does Ukraine have an overarching plan not only to defend itself, but to prevail?