Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Russian forces captured Ukrainian soldier Yuriy Kuzminskiy on Snake Island on February 24, 2022. During his nine months in Russian captivity, Kuzminskiy says he was tortured and beaten. He claims Russian special forces were hunting for the Ukrainian soldier who spoke the defiant phrase. Originally published at – https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-soldi…

More than 20 Ukrainian doctors and nurses have found work at Riga’s First Hospital in Latvia. After fleeing Russia’s invasion at home, they have helped Latvia’s health-care sector, despite language challenges. Latvia was facing a shortage of doctors and nurses until the Ukrainians arrived. Originally published at – https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russi…

Ukrainian artillery targets Russian armored guns at a range of 28 kilometers in the battle for Bakhmut. Using a captured self-propelled cannon, the crew is also trying to destroy Russian command posts. They’ve seen a slowdown in the frequency of attacks but intense fighting continues for the city. Originally published at – https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russi…

Before Russia’s war in Ukraine, Olena Avilova’s son, Andriy, worked in restaurants and cafes. He dreamed of opening a cafe of his own but died fighting in Kharkiv. Now his mother has brought his dream to life. Originally published at – https://www.rferl.org/a/kharkiv-cafe-…

Lyudmyla Subotina’s son Andriy was among the Ukrainian soldiers killed in the defense of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol last March. Two days before he died, he had married a fellow soldier who was taken prisoner by Russia. Subotina has been on a campaign get her widowed daughter-in-law freed.

The Save Ukraine Foundation has brought 17 Ukrainian children home who had been taken by Russian authorities to annexed Crimea. Their parents had been persuaded by occupying forces in the Kherson region to send their children to a summer camp in Crimea to escape the war. Originally published at – https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-chi…

Ukrainian soldiers have been honing their skills to shoot down Iranian-made drones with machine guns. Russian forces have been using the drones to launch attacks across Ukraine. The Ukrainian military says it is having success gunning down the drones, even as Russia continues to change tactics. Originally published at – https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-d…