After a year of bitter battles in Ukraine, neither the Russians nor the Ukrainians have emerged victors, and the front lines virtually at a stalemate. Observers say a protracted war of attrition as war fatigue plagues Ukrainian forces and their Western backers.
Holiday gift packages for the estimated 700,000 men and women serving in the Ukrainian military—including the tens of thousands of soldiers on the front lines—are being put together by volunteers in Ukraine.
For war correspondents, loss and risk are part of the job. As the toll from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine rises, VOA’s Cristina Caicedo Smit talks with two veterans about their experiences and the why they continue to report despite the risks.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, three Ukrainian women-a mother of three, a teacher at a boarding school, and a successful supply manager—who became internally displaced after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The UN says over 5 million people, many of them elderly people, have been driven from their homes as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Thanks to the American charity To Ukraine With Love and a community called Miracle Village, some people are now able to find safe places to live.
Millions of Ukrainians were left without connectivity on Tuesday due to a large-scale cyberattack that targeted the country’s largest mobile network operator. Although service is being gradually restored, the majority of consumers still had no cell phone service a day later.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine last year caused massive waves of Ukrainian refugees to ripple across nations, hitting Europe like a boulder thrown into a pond. The tiny nation of Moldova responded to Ukraine’s calls for help like a good neighbor, but the U.N. Refugee Agency, UNHCR, issued a warning on Friday that countries like Poland and Moldova “may be forced to cut essential activities” without drastically increased funding.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the town of Lviv in western Ukraine become a refuge and transit point for more than 5 million internally displaced Ukrainians. Lviv, a town that is relatively safe, has emerged as the stronghold of the Ukrainian resistance.
In the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia, dozens of families with children still live close to front lines. And these family refuse to leave despite the fighting is still going on.
Mines and explosives in the de-occupied regions of Ukraine pose a threat to people as the Ukrainian forces continue their counteroffensive. Mines have injured over 830 civilians and killed at least 264 since the start of the Russian invasion, according to the Ukrainian authorities. Various entitles are spearheading the ongoing demining efforts.