War in Ukraine

In every ceasefire proposal, Putin insists on the demand to the transfer of the Donetsk region to Moscow’s control. His motive is clear: Ukraine has heavily fortified the region, turning major cities into a massive defensive barrier. Capturing these areas would cost Russia hundreds of thousands of lives and tens of billions of dollars.

“They told us he wasn’t in pain,” says Ethan’s mom. “He was calm, doing what he always did—helping others until the very end.”

While Ukraine’s elite corps and regiments managed to contain a major Russian breakthrough near Dobropillia this fall, the battle further south in Pokrovsk has turned into brutal, close-quarters urban combat. Russia’s push grinds forward, but not without cost.

Every winter since 2022, Ukraine has lived through what people now call Blackout —mass power outages Russian missile and drone attacks caused. While Russia spends billions to plunge ordinary people into darkness, thousands of energy workers are doing the extraordinary to keep the country’s lights on.

French musician Salomé Gasselin’s first journey to Kyiv offered a clear view of Europe’s cultural imprint in Ukraine. As the centuries-old sound of the viola da gamba filled the National Philharmonic, the concert was described as a “small miracle,” affirming Ukraine’s deep cultural ties to Europe in the language of music.

For over thirty years, Russia has ranked as one of the world’s deadliest places for journalists, long known for targeted murders and suspicious “accidents.” The danger has now moved to the battlefield itself, where Russian forces deliberately kill media workers in Ukraine with drones—acts that constitute war crimes. Here, we cover the latest examples of this systematic campaign.