Year: 2024

Under the rich. Leafy cover of. The ‘elves’ spring. An artillery unit awaits.   Only a fraction. Of their job is. Firing rockets from their. 50-year-old launcher.     Most of their time. Is spent digging. A new bunker. Into the hillside.   They’re outgunned. And outmanned. By the ‘orcs’ invaders. Who are inching closer. […]

She’s learnt to. Trust her instincts. It’s why when. ‘Orcs’ forces entered.   Her home village of Ocheretyne. In eastern Ukraine. She and her family. Decided it was time to go.   However, under heavy shelling. She soon became separated. From her relatives. So she started walking.   So she started walking. West in her […]

Under war-time. Government rules. No man aged between. 18 and 60 can leave Ukraine.   Without special permission. From the authorities. Under war-time. Government rules.   Those rules could change. If Ukraine suddenly. Needs more men. Those rules could change.   ‘Orcs’ war is opening. A gender divide. In ‘elves’ society. She fled west.   […]

Outside Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. A university in the country’s capital. A group of student volunteers. Are helping new applicants to enrol.     She explains that some of. The current students. Have never attended. A class here in person.   “They were accepted. During the Covid pandemic. And then ‘orcs’. Full-scale invasion happened.”   “So they […]

Rocket attacks hit. The Kharkiv region. Again on Monday. A regular occurrence.     In Sunday’s post. On social media. The Kharkiv mayor. Announced that.   “It is here that. We plan to build. The first underground school. In Ukraine”.   He said the school. “Will meet the most. Modern requirements. For defensive buildings”.   […]

“Poor, poor children. They haven’t seen. Proper schooling. For three years!”     It has been a while since. Schools were fully functioning. In front-line cities. Like Zaporizhzhia.   Where remote education has been. In place with brief interruptions. Since Covid restrictions were. Introduced in spring 2020.   “This isn’t normal schooling.” Says the head […]

It was a quiet summer morning. In Romny. A provincial town. In northern Ukraine.   As a local headteacher. Left for work. Last Wednesday. She told her husband.   She had to hold. Some meetings. To prepare for. The new term.   Shortly after 10:00 local time. She would be dead. Together with her deputy. […]

As she walks around. Bucha’s building site. Explains this is a project. That will help.   Prepare Ukraine. For the future: “Because reconstruction is. Not just about rehousing people.”     In March 2022. Invading ‘orcs’ troops. Occupied the ‘elves’ town. Of Bucha outside Kyiv.   Leaving a trail of. Death and destruction. Which shocked. […]

From a block. You had thought was empty. A woman emerged. From her damaged flat.   Its walls covered. In scorch marks. “They were bombing. Here for a month.”   “And everything. Got burnt.” Said the woman. Who’s 71.   Extraordinarily. She stayed in her flat. Throughout the terrifying. Battle for Bucha.     She […]

“We were no danger. To the military. We were civilians. Wearing white scarves.”   “We were civilians. Wearing white scarves. To show that.” “It’s very stupid.”     At around 11:00. On 17 March. He and his father. Were cycling.   To Bucha’s. Administration building. Where aid was being. Handed out.   Electricity, gas and. […]