Khmelnytskyi is a city little known to people outside its region of Ukraine. It is not a tourist destination yet it has nevertheless become home to many service members. Though small, it has welcomed 130,000 displaced people since the start of the full-scale war.
About 11,000 convicts have joined the army, according to the Penitentiary Service of Ukraine. Many have distinguished themselves in battles on the most difficult sections of the front.
Ukrzaliznytsia trains have stopped reaching the stations in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Whether service will be restored remains unknown, and at the moment it seems unlikely.
What are the younger generations taught? What is the difference between national-patriotic education and the militarization of children? Seeking answers to these questions, Frontliner reporters visited the celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the public organization “Patriots 1654” and talked with its participants.
The museum of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade Kholodny Yar is located in one of the frontline towns of the Donetsk region, so for safety reasons it is almost entirely underground. It bears little resemblance to a traditional museum where you can check the website for opening hours, buy tickets, and spend an educational weekend with your family.
After returning from captivity, he spent months fighting the consequences of Russian abuse – broken ribs, ulcers and other injuries. He also struggled with nightmares, fear of silence and recurring memories of what he had endured. On Nov. 16, 2025, the heart of 36th Marine Brigade serviceman Oleksandr Savov stopped.
As Washington’s support for Kyiv falters, some of America’s leading plastic surgeons are stepping in to help in the hospitals of Ukraine.
The first Ukrainian gun designed for NATO-standard 155-millimeter shells, the Bohdana self-propelled howitzer, is operating on the Toretsk sector. Its distinctive feature is the ability to strike the enemy at distances of up to 40 kilometers (25 miles).
The Russian army is steadily building up forces in the Pokrovsk sector to intensify assaults that now happen daily. The Ukrainian army is holding Pokrovsk, but the Russians are not giving up their attempts to break through the city's defenses.
On May 25, another 303 Ukrainian service members were brought home as part of the large-scale "1000 for 1000" prisoner exchange.
Frontliner reporters Andriy Dubchak and Albina Karman 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.
Recent battlefield statistics highlight the extraordinary impact unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are having on the war in Ukraine. According to Kyiv’s military leadership, in January this year two-thirds of Russian military hardware losses were caused by attack drones. On the Ukrainian side, losses to Russian drone strikes are estimated to be running at a similar ratio.
Women undergo firearms, tactical, and medical training as part of a national resistance course. Each has her own reason for taking up arms.
The streets are strewn with the bodies of killed civilians and littered with burnt iron, which Russian equipment has turned into. All around, battered houses have been destroyed. This is what Bucha looked like when the first journalists entered the city after its liberation from the occupiers on April 2, 2022. Among them was a Frontliner reporter who managed to get across the Romanivskyi Bridge.
“War seems so far away for North America that we think we’re untouchable. But we’re not,” says April Huggett, a Canadian who left behind a peaceful home, three children, and a beloved career more than two years ago to help Ukraine. After two years of volunteering, she signed a contract and joined the ranks of the Ukrainian army. For the sake of strangers in a foreign country, Huggett sacrificed her marriage, relationships with loved ones, sleep, and peace of mind. Yet she insists she has no regrets—because in this war, she is fighting for her children’s future. Her story is not just about a personal choice but also about the shifting Western perception of Russian aggression, which has tested the international order for nearly 11 years.
Doctors in frontline Kharkiv report a shortage of blood for transfusions and are calling on residents to donate. The deficit could impact wounded soldiers on the front lines and civilians injured in daily shelling. The city's Blood Service supplies not only local hospitals but also frontline areas in the region. Since January 2025, it has also been providing blood to medical facilities in the Sumy region, according to Blood Service representative Valentyna Taran.
Ukraine has successfully returned 175 defenders from Russian captivity, along with 22 more heroes who are coming home through efforts beyond formal exchange processes. Among them are severely wounded soldiers and those imprisoned on fabricated charges. All will receive full medical and psychological care.
On March 7, 2025, the Russian army launched a combined assault on Dobropillia, Donetsk region, using Iskander ballistic missiles, Tornado-S MLRS with cluster munitions, and Shahed ("Geran") drones.
