Europe

As Ukraine mounts its first major offensive against Russia, 29-year-old Col. Serhiy Shatalov leads a battalion of 600 men in some of the heaviest fighting. "This is war," he says. "You cannot predict nothing, absolutely nothing."

World News

A young officer hopes to turn the tide of war, as Ukraine fights to retake a key city

10:06am August 03, 2022

by Brian Mann

A 29-year-old battalion commander is leading 600 men, fighting in Ukraine's counteroffensive near Kherson. "This is war," Col. Serhiy Shatalov says. "You cannot predict nothing, absolutely nothing."

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World News

Ukraine's army is waging its 1st major offensive against Russia to retake Kherson

6:10pm August 02, 2022

by Brian Mann

Could Ukraine's army retake the strategic southern city of Kherson? Officers and soldiers near the front line say the counter-offensive is already underway.

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'Vogue' cover of Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska sparks debate and controversy

6:10pm August 02, 2022

by Ashley Westerman

Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska was criticized for not looking ladylike in a recent Vogue photoshoot. Her supporters pushed back, creating an online campaign asking what it means to #SitLikeAGirl.

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Lesia Khomenko, Max in the Army, 2022. Oil on canvas, 84.5 x 57.5 inches

The Ukrainian women who make art in the face of war

6:51am August 02, 2022

by Susan Stamberg

Activists as well as artists, these women are responding in paint, photographs and videos to the Russian invasion.

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Spain's prime minister has a proposal to cut the costs of keeping cool

5:54am August 02, 2022

Pedro Sanchez says men ought to ditch their ties at work. He stopped wearing ties, and the Spanish government is telling its citizens to save on electricity bills by not blasting the air conditioning.

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National

Jailed arms dealer Bout, 'the Merchant of Death,' may be swapped for 2 Americans

5:54am August 02, 2022

by Michael Sullivan

Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer imprisoned in Illinois, could be key to securing the freedom of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, two Americans who are being held in Russia.

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The story of a war, a wedding dress and a business opportunity

5:14am August 02, 2022

by Eleanor Beardsley

The Russian invasion is destroying much of Ukraine's economy. In some cases, however, companies that adapted are not just surviving but thriving.

World News

Resuming Ukrainian grain exports may help reduce food insecurity in the Middle East

8:19pm August 01, 2022

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Corinne Fleischer, the World Food Programme's Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe regional director, about what grain shipments from Ukraine means for some areas.

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A grain combine harvester collects wheat near Novoazovsk outside Mariupol, Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine war: A weekly recap and look ahead (Aug. 1)

12:05pm August 01, 2022

by NPR Staff

A roundup of key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The bulk carrier M/V Razoni leaves Ukraine's port of Odesa on Monday.

World News

The first Ukrainian grain ship leaves Odesa after months of Russian blockade

11:44am August 01, 2022

by Joanna Kakissis

The milestone comes after the U.N. and Turkey signed agreements with Russia and Ukraine to resume exports. The U.N. had pushed for a deal to address a growing global food shortage.