Taras Levchenko is a breaking news correspondent for RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.
A Ukrainian drug smuggler says he'd rather be in the army than in jail -- and he may get his chance if a law is passed allowing convicts to be recruited for the war with Russia. RFE/RL gained exclusive access to a Ukrainian prison as legislation was being debated in the Ukrainian parliament.
Two Russian prisoners, Vladislav and Mikhail, joined mercenary groups when they were given the chance to fight in Ukraine. After fighting in deadly conditions, both surrendered to Ukrainian forces -- then returned to battle as part of a paramilitary unit fighting for Ukraine.
Former Ukrainian combat medic Roman Zamriy reveals the horrors and challenges of frontline care including fatal mistakes made during fighting. Zamriy, who planned evacuation routes for wounded soldiers, says it can take days before injured soldiers are taken from frontline positions.
Since the start of Russia’s massive invasion, Rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman, a longtime leader of Ukraine’s Jewish community, has been focusing on debunking unfounded Kremlin claims that Ukraine is a “neo-Nazi” state. “You simply came here to kill people,” he said of Russia in an interview with RFE/RL.
Thousands of Jewish pilgrims celebrated the Jewish New Year in Uman on September 15. The Ukrainian city is home to the grave of Rabbi Nachman, a key figure for the Hasidic movement in Judaism. Pilgrims from Israel and other countries have defied warnings about the risk of Russian air attacks.
Thousands of pilgrims from Israel and other countries arrived on September 14 in Uman, Ukraine, to mark the Jewish New Year. The city, south of Kyiv, is revered by the Hasidic movement in Judaism as the birthplace of its co-founder, Rabbi Nachman.
Artillery fire from both sides has been a central element of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The cost to soldiers in hearing loss is difficult to gauge -- but a surgeon who restores broken eardrums and treats inner-ear bones has had success with at least 40 Ukrainian soldiers.
Vladyslav Vashchuk played for Dynamo Kyiv and represented his country in international soccer before quitting the game in 2011. Now, he's joined the army.
Employees of the Chernobyl nuclear plant say Russian soldiers showed signs of radiation poisoning during their occupation. They say some developed huge blisters and were vomiting after ignoring warnings about digging trenches in radioactive soil.
A Ukrainian minister has expressed "disbelief" over the number of shut or unusable bomb shelters in Kyiv following an initial inspection across the capital. It came after the death of three civilians -- including a 9-year-old girl -- who were unable to access a closed shelter on June 1.
Former Swedish member of parliament Caroline Nordengrip, currently volunteering in the Ukrainian infantry, says she chose to join the fight against Russian aggression because Ukraine is "a wonderful country" whose freedom and peace is worth the risk.
A former Russian military and military intelligence officer tells RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service why he has volunteered to fight for Kyiv, saying "the enemies of my homeland are those who support" President Vladimir Putin.
Russian officials alleged that a group of Ukrainian saboteurs crossed into western Russia and fired on civilians in villages in the Bryansk region. A group calling itself the Russian Volunteer Crops claimed responsibility.
Since being liberated by Ukrainian forces in September, residents in frontline villages in Ukraine's Kharkiv region face daily shelling. RFE/RL's Taras Levchenko spoke with locals about the risks they face.
Two missiles fell in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, early on February 5. Five people were reported wounded. According to Ukrainian authorities, the blasts were caused by S-300 missiles fired by Russian forces.
A Russian soldier says he is ready to testify about Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Signalman Nikita Chibrin was sent to Ukraine at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. After months in Ukraine, Chibrin eventually decided to desert and fled to Spain.
A farmer in the village of Shestakove in Ukraine's Kharkiv region says 2,000 cattle were killed on his farm by Russian air strikes on February 28, just days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine is not just taking a physical toll on soldiers on the battlefield but also a psychological one. RFE/RL correspondent Taras Levchenkov visited the Center for Mental Health and Rehabilitation of Veterans in Ukraine's Kyiv region and spoke with soldiers who are being treated there.
In Kyiv, rehabilitation centers offer treatment to Ukrainian amputees. Russia's war against Ukraine has created high numbers of disabled soldiers and civilians. Rehabilitation centers help the wounded return to normal life and, in some cases, amputee soldiers are even able to return to combat units.
The Ukrainian Army is expanding its fleet of drones, having raised some $20 million in donations from abroad for remote-controlled aircraft. Used for surveillance and airborne attacks, drones have been effective in combat. Ukraine wants around 1,200 more copters and miniature planes.
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