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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. 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.
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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 […]
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LGBTQ+ soldiers. Different but not equal
Ukrainian LGBTQ+ soldiers have a double-sided war against the Russian enemy and for equal rights for their community. “I want to get married and start a family. If, God forbid, something happens to me, I want my love to receive the state’s payments and the government to support her. I can’t take 10 days off […]
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«I realize that my dad is gone». Children of fallen defenders undergo rehabilitation in the Carpathians.
After a heavy rainstorm, the clouds hugged the tall pines and seemed to descend into the valley. There, between three mountain ranges of the Carpathians, children of deceased soldiers have been undergoing psychological rehabilitation for two weeks. Sixty children from all over Ukraine have come to the I da Vinci camp, supported by the Children […]
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«I can see the assault of positions in my dreams». Why are many soldiers deprived of psychological recovery?
An enemy assault, an empty rifle mag, and one-on-one in a trench with Russian soldiers. Having miraculously escaped possible captivity, 36-year-old soldier Dmytro Holovko now sees that day in his nightmares. Yet here, at a psychological rehabilitation center in the Kharkiv region, he can sleep peacefully and distract himself from haunting memories. The two-week rehabilitation […]