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.
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.
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 Friday, March 7, 2025, the Russian army carried out three missile strikes on the city of Dobropillia in the Donetsk region.
Despite the United States pausing military aid to Ukraine, American-made artillery shells, surface-to-air missiles, air defense systems, ammunition, military vehicles, and electronic warfare equipment remain in active use on the front lines. Reporters from Frontliner spoke with Ukrainian soldiers to gather firsthand accounts of their experience using U.S.-supplied weapons. Given the sensitive nature of the topic, troops shared their feedback anonymously, offering insights into the effectiveness, strengths, and challenges of the equipment they rely on in combat.
At the request of our subscribers, Andriy and Vita asked local residents and the military holding the line what they thought about Donald Trump's statements about the need for concessions from Ukraine and the possibility of ending the war.
He’s been through constant beating with fists and sticks, made-up war crimes that he was forced to hang on other prisoners, and grueling 16-hour standing in a cell, this is the story of Yurii Sviderskyi, the 23-year-old Azov fighter from Khmelnytskyi. After putting down arms in Mariupol, he was imprisoned for over two years. Yurii watched the whole city burn to the ground, witnessed the Olenivka attack with other Ukrainian soldiers being killed, and saw numerous inhuman interrogations. It’s been six months since Yurii got back to Ukraine. He is still undergoing rehabilitation, as he still struggles with his teeth due to the injuries he received before his release. Frontliner spoke to Yurii in Khmelnytskyi when he came to see his girlfriend Taisiia between rehabilitation sessions. The following text is Yurii’s raw speech.
Батальйон «Алькатрас» у складі 93 механізованої бригади «Холодний Яр» (93 ОМБр) складається з колишніх ув’язнених, які підписали контракт з ЗСУ. Це чоловіки, кожен зі своєю історією та статтею Кримінального кодексу, за які відбували покарання. Дехто з них провів за ґратами лише декілька місяців, дехто – більшу частину життя. Тепер вони вчаться бути штурмовиками та вже зовсім скоро покажуть себе на полі бою.
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.
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. United by the shared trauma of torture and humiliation at the hands of the occupiers, they find solace and understanding in each other’s company. Humor, too, has become a lifeline—hence the ironic name Alumni. Former captives spoke to Frontliner about how they were taken prisoner, survived the horrors of Russian torture chambers, and, after gaining their freedom, now fight for their right to a dignified life.
During the full-scale war, the Russian army has regularly launched missile and drone strikes, devastating critical infrastructure and residential areas in Kyiv.
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.
Ukraine has been in a full-scale war with Russia for the third year. 2024 was especially difficult and exhausting for the army, society, and economy. Every day, 100-200 combat clashes along the thousand-kilometer front line. Hundreds of drones and missiles are launched at cities and villages in the depths of the country. The advantage of the Russian army in terms of human and weapon resources is reflected in the loss of territories and the exhaustion of people in the Ukrainian military. The situation is becoming critical. But society seems to have gotten used to life in war. Moral and economic fatigue and the uncertainty of the future seem to blind and hide from us the primary and unchanging goal of the Russian Federation - the destruction of Ukraine forever. 2025 may become decisive in this war…
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. Yet even during times of struggle, his family managed to survive through community support. His relationship with my mother, Iryna, broke down when he discovered she was Ukrainian. This revelation shattered his worldview and fueled a deep-seated hatred for "Banderites," a term used to demonize Ukrainian nationalists. He died in Poltava still carrying this hatred and fear. My grandfather’s story is not one of a kind. On the contrary, it is typical for the majority of the older generation in this region. Their broken lives serve as the very foundation of the wall Russia has been relentlessly constructing between Donetsk and the rest of the country.
In a shift from traditional textbooks, young people are now attending monthly "Defense of Ukraine" classes, learning to fly drones, shoot, provide first aid, and more. To foster the spirit of national unity, various patriotic education centers are being established in Ukrainian cities. Have a look at the "Defense of Ukraine" classes in different regions in this photo report.
The Ukrainian military has set up a shelter for the elderly in Sudzha. The elderly are being evacuated here from the entire territory of the Kursk region, controlled by Ukraine. During raids and other operations in occupied settlements, the military regularly finds abandoned elderly locals so exhausted that they can no longer take care of themselves.
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.
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.
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 […]