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Andriy & Vita’s Frontline Diary
Frontliner reporters Andriy Dubchak and Viktoria Kalimbet have traveled to the Donetsk region to document life in frontline towns and villages. They will visit Ukrainian military positions, speak with locals, and share daily photos and reports from their journey. Follow their diary on the Frontliner website.
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“Alumni” of the torture chambers – after Russian captivity, men are left to heal themselves
After enduring months of brutal torture, men freed from Russian captivity are forced to continue battling for their survival. Many have returned to a life stripped of homes, money, and the care they should receive from the state. To support themselves and others like them, these former prisoners have come together to form a network called The Alumni.
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Moving feels scarier than guided bombs: why residents of a frontline community choose to stay under fire?
Velykyi Burluk, a quiet village in the Kharkiv region, that lies just 20 kilometers from the Russian border. Since the Russian offensive of May 2024, this village has found itself trapped between two relentless fronts. To the northwest, battles rage in the charred ruins of Vovchansk, while to the southeast, Kupiansk is being systematically leveled to the ground. With the advent of Russian planing guided bombs in 2023, Velykyi Burluk lives under the shadow of constant strikes.Yet, in the face of unending danger, most of Burluk's residents remain rooted in their homes. They feel forsaken, resigned to their fate, and gripped by the belief that no life beyond their embattled village could possibly be better than the one they already endure.
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Who plagued the hearts of Donetsk miners with fear?
My grandfather, Anatolii, passed away clinging to the myth of the "Russian world.” Despite surviving the brutal Russian occupation, he remained captivated by this idealized vision. My grandfather was a lifelong miner, dedicating his life to the Donetsk region. He never experienced poverty and he had a house and a big family. Yet, as the cruel Soviet economic system exploited the relatively stable Ukrainian welfare, many people felt hardships immediately.
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Kyiv Wall of Memory and spontaneous memorialization. How to honor the memory of all the fallen?
Kyiv's Memorial Wall on Mykhailivs'ka Square no longer has room for new photos of fallen soldiers. Before Russia's full-scale war, this memorial contained almost 5,000 portraits. Being doubled in size, it does not have the names of all the defenders who sacrificed their lives. Relatives and friends honor the fallen by adorning the Wall with flowers, lamps, candles, flags, and funeral wreaths. Faded photos, barely recognizable, remain as a poignant reminder of those who fell in battles. Who are the caretakers of this spontaneous memorial? Does it fit in the square’s ambiance? Is one wall capable of holding the memory of all those who died in the battles of the Russian-Ukrainian war?
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The downed Russian Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B drone in Ukraine debunked its developers’ claims
Debris from a downed Russian drone, large enough to be mistaken for a fighter jet, fell on Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, on October 5, 2024. Ukrainian forces reported that debris from the downed Russian Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B drone was shot down by a Russian Su-57 aircraft during combat zone tests.
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CBD, cannabis, ketamine, and other methods war trauma treatment
Xenon gas therapy is a recognized medical method worldwide. Ketamine therapy remains under scientific research, but medical cannabis has only recently become legalized in Ukraine. Psilocybin, known as “magic mushrooms,” remains prohibited. All of these substances have demonstrated positive effects in therapy for PTSD treatment.
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Snihurivka farmers adapt as women take the wheel of tractor
A glamorous woman in a short leopard dress and stilettos gets out of a white Mercedes, her long curls cascading down her back. She’s here to meet Frontliner reporters after her night shift.
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Farmers in war-torn Kharkiv region face economic battlefield
Ukraine is set export up to 42 million tons of grain this year, despite facing another Russian offensive and a prolonged drought. Yet, its farmers are determined to work despite the new the threat of occupation. Ukraine is one of the top global agricultural powerhouses. According to the UN, the harvested grain fed more […]
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“Love Your Fate” – A Ukrainian woman returning to a full life after prosthetics
“No one in Chornobaivka has a leg like mine,” says 36-year-old Yuliya Hryhorieva in her room at the Superhumans Center. Her mechanical prosthesis stands next to her bed. Yuliya has already managed to walk around her entire home village in the Kherson region with it, repeatedly catching the surprised glances of her fellow villagers. But […]
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“Infamous”. Why do former prisoners join Ukrainian forces?
The 1st “Da Vinci” Brigade plans to recruit former prisoners to create a whole company. After completing the basic military training, recruits will be assigned to other combat units according to their needs and skills. Once they join their units, they will receive additional essential training. Somewhere in the woods of central Ukraine, a former […]