war in ukraine

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July 12, 2024
How young Ukrainians are coping after two and half years of war
I spent a week in Lviv, Ukraine at the end of June, where frequent air alarms sounded day and night, generators hummed persistently, power outages were the norm, and nightly curfews from 12am–5am were strictly implemented
16 year-old Klaudia Bacza gives a first-hand account of the profound impact of war on Ukraine’s youth
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July 10, 2024
US 2024 elections: Is this the end of American support for Ukraine?
Planned for November 5, the US presidential election is poised to significantly impact Eastern Europe, especially given the pivotal roles of Ukraine and NATO in the region’s security dynamics. The results are set to shape the country’s transatlantic future and relations
16 year-old Klaudia Bacza analyses the potential results of the US elections and the impact of the NATO summit on the war in Ukraine
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July 08, 2024
India’s PM Narendra Modi visits Moscow to ‘deepen ties’
The visit, which was announced on July 4 by the PM’s office, will be Modi’s first time arriving on Russian soil following the start of the Ukraine war. The leaders will review “all aspects of bilateral cooperation” and share their perspectives on “various regional and global issues”
19 year-old Maciej Cebula reports on Indian PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow
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July 04, 2024
How gaming helped me to cope with anxiety and homesickness
Many people consider gaming a waste of time or a bad addiction. However, video games have been my sanctuary, a place to let off steam and find a moment of calm amid life’s storms
16 year-old Sofiia Didenko talks about the positive impact of video games
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March 29, 2024
Why Ukrainians speak Russian
When I’m asked why so many other Ukrainian refugees speak Russian, I am not sure what to answer, as the answer lies beneath complex layers of oppression from our neighbouring country – it is not a preference.
17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko outlines the history of linguicide in Ukraine
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March 01, 2024
To end Russia’s influence over Ukraine, we must learn from the past
We cannot change history, but we can learn from the past and start acting in another way. Ukraine gained independence over 30 years ago, but Russian Imperial ambitions still seem to be present
17 year-old Mariia Sydorenko on the problems of ingrained Russian propaganda
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February 02, 2024
Project helping to revive Ukrainian libraries in de-occupied and front-line territories
Russian soldiers have already destroyed more than 120 Ukrainian’s libraries since the full-scale invasion in 2022. A project called "Riznytsia Yе" asks people to buy and donate books to the affected libraries in hopes these efforts will prevent Russian influence
17 year-old Mariia Sydorenko on the ambitions of the project founder, Ukrainian journalist Emma Antoniuk
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November 24, 2023
Compared to dogs or children, women struggle in the Ukrainian army
Women are a vital part of Ukraine’s future victory but female soldiers continually face restrictions on their basic needs. Instead, women are treated as an object of entertainment rather than living, breathing, and equally capable human beings
17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko speaks against the discrimination of women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine
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October 27, 2023
Ukrainian zoos are battling to care for animals amidst the ongoing war
Since September 2022, the Russian military has caused power outages all around the country by purposefully targeting the energy infrastructure of the country which have led to many animals dying in conservation
17 year-old Sofia Radysh reports on the plight of the animals in Ukrainian zoos
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September 22, 2023
Mass destruction of Ukrainian nature will have a huge impact on the future
The consequences of war have not only ruined lives and negatively impacted the mental health of Ukrainian civilians, but it will also result in long-term ecosphere damage
17 year-old Sofia Radysh interviews UAnimals on the environmental crisis
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August 25, 2023
'Invisible to the Ukrainian legislation' - What it means to be queer in Ukraine
The question of LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine is now more important than ever, as lots of these people are defending the country every day, and apart from that, are equally Ukrainian citizens who deserve to be recognized as such
17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko interviews Ukrainian legal activists Tania Kasian and Maxim Potapovych
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August 06, 2023
Russian athletes are once again showing disrespect and officials are doing nothing about it
Disrespect towards Ukrainians from Russians is an everyday occurrence everywhere in the world and this time it was present at an international sports arena
17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko on the politics of sportsmanship
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June 30, 2023
“The numbers affected is catastrophic” - Impact of war on domestic animals in Ukraine
Around 300 hundred dogs died over the course of the month when they were left alone and the town was occupied by Russian military forces. Anastasiia shared with Harbingers the first-hand experiences of volunteering to help the animals still alive
17 year-old Sofia Radysh speaks with animal experts on the frontline
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June 30, 2023
What would happen if Russia tried to sabotage the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant?
The plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has been under Russian control since last year. According to Zelenskiy, Russian sabotage would result in a massive leakage of radioactive material that could reach neighbouring European countries
16 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko on the probability of nuclear disaster
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June 23, 2023
Russian aggression will add another layer to Ukraine’s intergenerational trauma
It is impossible to understand the impact the current Russian aggression will have on Ukrainian society without taking into account the scars left by the Holodomor, World War 2, and Chornobyl
16-year-old Sofiya Tkachenko interviews mental health expert Lidiia Kasyanchuk
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June 16, 2023
Eco-crisis unleashed. Consequences of Kakhovka Dam destruction trigger international investigation
On June 6, 2023, the Kakhovka Dam, a largest object of this type in Ukraine, was blown up. The explosion caused a massive catastrophe for the region's residents and the environment, prompting an investigation from the International Criminal Court (ICC)
14 year-old Sofia Vorobei reports on the consequences of the disaster in Ukraine
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June 16, 2023
How Russians are ‘liberating’ animals in Ukraine? Now they stole a tiger cub from a zoo in Mariupol
The Mariupol City Council reported that the cub had been living at the zoo. After his mother refused to feed him, he was looked after by a local shepherd dog. Occupants have now decided to relocate the cub to Moscow and train it for circus performances
17 year-old Sofia Radysh on animal welfare under attack
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May 19, 2023
‘Quantity of good Ukrainian music has risen on an aspirational scale’
“We need to win the war and start rebuilding. Not only buildings and infrastructure but also our culture. Because there will come a moment of exhaustion after such a long fight, but we still need not forget that there is a future”
16 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko interviews 19-year-old musician and producer Bogdan “SadSvit” Rozvadovskyi
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April 07, 2023
Navalny should not have been a winner of an Oscar award
This movie being recognised and celebrated is unacceptable, no matter how good the quality of it might be. Such distinguished organisations with influential platforms like the Academy should consider the context of the movie before representing it
16 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko on the political messages of award-winning films
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March 17, 2023
Ukrainian ‘grains of truth’. One year of farming under Russian missiles
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine hits its first anniversary, Ukrainian farmers are facing a new set of challenges for keeping the title of the ‘breadbasket of the world’
Sophie Abromaviciute on the impact the war has on Ukrainian agriculture
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February 09, 2023
Lessons have not been learnt, international law is not stopping Russia
The notions of genocide and crimes against humanity are two essential building blocks for international law and vital parts of the efforts to protect human rights. In his 2016 book East West Street, British writer and lawyer Philippe Sands explains the origins of these notions
Aleksandra Lasek on the constraints of the international criminal law system
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January 19, 2023
The secret price of the war in Ukraine
As a Ukrainian and representative of the young generation, I am worried about the price my country pays for the current war not only in the matter of sacred lives but also nature. Ecology might seem insignificant in comparison to the scale of human tragedies that are happening right now, but isn’t ecology also a matter of saving lives?
Maria Rybak speaks to experts on the ecological situation in Ukraine during war
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October 31, 2022
‘It feels like I am living someone else’s life’, says Viktoriya, teenage refugee from Ukraine
When the war started, I felt confident and fearless. I believe because we had to move fast and think fast, my adrenaline was boosted, and this made me experience confidence. Over time, I calmed down and processed the situation. As I realised that my life was not stable anymore, my home was not safe, a feeling of fear started to develop
17 year-old Viktoriya Lysenko is interviewed by HRB's Italy correspodent Marco Morchio
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October 17, 2022
How war affected young Ukrainians - and what you can do about it?
I know that our stories might seem bizarre, scary, and unrelatable. But everyone can try to understand and relate. And everyone can help - even other young people, and teenagers from around the globe. Why? To support those in need
Maria Rybak shows how the war has influenced lives of young Ukrainians and how powerful world-wide support is
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October 03, 2022
How jokes on TikTok help Ukrainians
Even during the war, people of different ages can still have a sense of humour and make jokes - which is an essential part of Ukrainian culture
Maria Chernova discusses how jokes on TikTok are helping her and other Ukrainians during the war
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August 25, 2022
‘An eye-opening experience’. Diary of a volunteer helping refugees at the Polish-Ukrainian border
When I arrived in Przemysl, a quaint little town on the Polish-Ukrainian border, I did not know what to expect. I wanted to provide help in any way I could, although I thought my lack of a shared language with the Ukrainians would largely limit my role
17 year-old Jonathan Wong about his time volunteering in Przemysl
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August 23, 2022
The voice of fashion stands in solidarity with Ukraine
As we say in Ukraine: “everything will be Ukraine!”. And if so, everything and everyone – including the fashion industry – must admit its political side
Maria Rybak describes how the fashion industry responded to the war in Ukraine
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August 16, 2022
Norman Davies: In 1919, Soviet invasion bolstered Polish national identity. Now it happens in Ukraine
“In 1920, nobody, no experts, no generals gave Poland a chance. In February, no experts gave Ukrainians much of a chance. The Ukrainians captured Russian tanks where the men were dressed in parade uniforms”
An interview by 18 year-old Jeremi Kulczyk-Lubomirski and 16 year-old Maciej Cebula
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July 09, 2022
War in Ukraine from the inside
My life, just like the life of other Ukrainians, has been divided into “before” and “after”. Before the 24th of February, I couldn't believe that in the twenty-first century people would be capable of starting an actual war
16 year-old Diana Kuksova reveals how it is to live as a teenager during war
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April 13, 2022
Farming on the battlefield. The reality behind Ukraine’s efforts to put food on our tables
Undoubtedly, the world hunger problem will be further exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With bombs landing in fields, farmers joining the military, fuel, seed, and fertilizer shortages, alongside the blocking of ports in the Black Sea by Russian fleets and mines, UNICEF expects the number of hungry children to double as a result of Putin’s war.
Sophie Abromaviciute on how the Russian aggression against Ukraine will result in global famine
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April 05, 2022
Orbán’s comfortable win depicts how Hungary went further East than anyone in the West hoped
Had Orbán lost, there would have been global ramifications - but the same could be said after his victory. Despite recent defeats and being on the back foot, global populism is still alive and has a proven stronghold in Hungary, where one of its principal flagbearers is entrenched. Orbán’s victory shows that if run effectively enough, autocratic governments are very difficult to be unseated.
Isaac Kadas on Hungary’s eastbound journey
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March 30, 2022
In Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, I cannot help but see my two sister-nations at war
In Kazakhstan, like in any other former Soviet republic, there is a strong feeling that the Ukrainian struggle against Russia is going to define our fate as well, no matter which way it goes
Ilya Kan on the ripples Putin’s war sent across the former Soviet Union
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March 18, 2022
How war in Ukraine has crept into young Londoners’ minds
We, the youth, are rapidly developing the knowledge, understanding, and vocabulary that makes us capable of talking about the war in Ukraine.
Natasha Banga about the knowledge many hoped never to need
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March 18, 2022
Anti- or pro-Western, Hungarians look at Ukraine through the lens of their troubled history
If it would be at all imaginable for Moscow to have an ally for its plans to redraw borders in Central Europe, Viktor Orbán would be the person to probe - to the horror of a strong pro-Western minority and the majority of Hungary’s youth.
Isaac Kadas explains how century-old Trianon treaty shapes Budapest’s relationship with Moscow
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March 18, 2022
School survey: 47% of students follow Russia’s invasion on Ukraine through social media
Without a strong foundation on the historical context of the invasion, many younger individuals may be at a higher risk of being influenced into holding certain opinions. This is further exacerbated by acquiring the majority of their information through social media, which is littered with difficult to avoid misinformation.
Daria Badger and Noor Bejjani research into how young people source information

war in ukraine

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