Ukraine invasion

Alexandra Prokopenko poses at a marathon event back in Russia. She used to run in Moscow's Meshchersky Park all the time: It was her favorite place in the city. But she's doubtful she will see it again, at least for the near future. Shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, she left her country, along with hundreds of thousands of her peers.

She had a dream job. Now, she's part of a massive brain drain hammering Russia

3:41pm May 31, 2023

by Stacey Vanek Smith

Hundreds of thousands of people under age 35 are estimated to have fled Russia since the invasion. It's one of a handful of major challenges Russia's economy faces this year.

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A woman carrying a bucket walks along the road near Bakhmut, on Nov. 27. As temperatures drop, Ukrainians worked to restore power, heat and water supplies after Russian strikes hit key infrastructure.

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Week in Ukraine: Power back on for many but more Russian strikes expected (Nov. 28)

11:22am November 28, 2022

by NPR Staff

Catch up on key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A man hugs a Ukrainian soldier as local residents gather to celebrate the liberation of Kherson on Sunday.

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Latest on Ukraine: Russia's retreat from Kherson gives Ukraine renewed hope (Nov. 14)

3:23pm November 14, 2022

by NPR Staff

Catch up on key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on Wednesday. Putin introduced martial law in Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions that Moscow claims to have annexed.

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Putin orders martial law in occupied Ukrainian areas as Kyiv's forces gain ground

4:30pm October 19, 2022

The move signals Russia's growing frustration over Ukrainian advances in areas the Kremlin claimed to annex. It came hours after Kremlin-appointed officials ordered civilians to evacuate Kherson.

Firefighters work after a drone attack on buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday. It was the second Monday in a row of Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital.

Ukraine war updates: Russia strikes Kyiv as Russian troops move into Belarus (Oct. 17)

1:20pm October 17, 2022

by NPR Staff

Catch up on key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The building housing Mykolaiv's regional government, bombed early in the war, lies in ruins on Aug. 11. Governor Vitaliy Kim says he knew he was the target "because it was my window." Thirty-seven of his colleagues died in the bombing.

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Ukraine hunts for pro-Moscow collaborators suspected of helping Russia strike targets

4:40pm September 21, 2022

by Joanna Kakissis

The southern Mykolaiv region has seen targeted strikes, leading Ukrainian officials to round up hundreds of people suspected of leaking information to the Russians.

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Staff and volunteers load a camel into a vehicle to be evacuated from Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 4. The zoo has been shelled repeatedly during the Russian invasion. At least five staff or volunteers were killed and nearly 100 animals at the zoo died as of April.

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War takes a heavy toll on animals too. See how people in Ukraine strive to save them

8:42am September 20, 2022

Thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced. Four-legged Ukrainians are also suffering, but there are groups working to help the animals.

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Ukrainian soldiers stand over bags containing the remains of exhumed bodies at a mass grave site in Izium, Ukraine.

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Russia-Ukraine war updates: Putin met Xi, mass graves found in Izium (Sept. 19)

4:27pm September 19, 2022

by NPR Staff

Catch up on key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Local residents gather on Tuesday to receive humanitarian aid in Balakliia, a town recently liberated by the Ukrainian military as part of its counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region.

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Their town now freed from Russian occupation, Ukrainians feel shock and joy

2:21pm September 14, 2022

by Ashley Westerman

Ukrainian forces liberated the town of Balakliia in a swift counteroffensive against Russia in the east, where retreating Russian troops left behind tanks, captives and an untold number of casualties.

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Destroyed armored vehicles litter the road in Balakliya, in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, on Saturday. Ukrainian forces said recaptured key towns and villages in the country's northeast.

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Russia insists it's working toward goals in Ukraine, even after troops retreat

2:25pm September 12, 2022

by Charles Maynes

The Kremlin made its first public response following Ukraine's success on the battlefield in recent days.