With reporters on the ground, conversations with politicians and officials, and breakdowns of what's going on, we'll bring you everything you need to know about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, multiple times a day. We'll discuss the conflict's past, its possible futures, and what each new development means for the rest of the world.
A Tour of Gaza's Ancient Sites, Now Lost to War
Among the vast destruction of buildings in Gaza, some historically valuable and irreplaceable sites are now in ruins. Our correspondent visited some of of these places before the war and brings us to them, then and now. To see photos of some of the places referenced in this story and for more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates.
2/5/2024 • 7 minutes, 20 seconds
The Phone Line Connecting Gazans to West Bank First Responders
For Gazans in crisis, a West Bank emergency call center is one of the few remaining sources of help. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates
2/2/2024 • 5 minutes, 57 seconds
Are North and South Korea Coming Closer to War?
Tensions and talk of war are escalating between North and South Korea. Our correspondent in Seoul explains why the temperature has increased and he takes us to an island near the maritime border between North and South Korea that has seen clashes in the past.
2/1/2024 • 8 minutes, 4 seconds
Can One Small Nation Be the Key to a Pause to the Fighting in Gaza?
The small Gulf nation of Qatar recently announced a framework for a deal between Israel and Hamas to pause the fighting in Gaza. We sit down with the Prime Minister of Qatar to hear how soon a deal could be reached and what impact the recent killing of U.S. servicemembers has had on the negotiations. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates
1/31/2024 • 8 minutes, 4 seconds
What it's Like to Be in a Russian Missile Attack
Russia launches hundreds of missiles at Ukraine every month. We hear the story of one such attack, that destroyed a well-known hotel and changed the life of one young woman. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org
1/30/2024 • 7 minutes, 3 seconds
Israeli and Palestinian Families Use Radio to Send Messages to Hostages and Prisoners
A source of anguish for both Israeli and Palestinian families in nearly four months of the Gaza war, is the large number of hostages and prisoners taken by each side. Thousands of family members in the dark about the fate of their loved ones. So they're trying to reach them through Israeli and Palestinian radio. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates
1/29/2024 • 7 minutes, 37 seconds
What's the Recent Hype Behind Korean Fine Dining?
After the rise of K-pop and K-drama, Korean haute cuisine is also going global. We hear that it's the result of an evolution of the food, creative chefs and a touch of crafty support from the government.
1/26/2024 • 5 minutes, 53 seconds
Anti-War Movement in Israel Includes Mothers of Israeli Soldiers
There is a small but growing anti-war movement in Israel and it includes mothers of those serving in the Israeli military. We hear why they're protesting. And an American chemist's book about tea provokes a strong reaction in Britain.
1/25/2024 • 9 minutes, 53 seconds
How a Pineapple Illustrates Relations Between China and Taiwan
We hear of the saga of the mango pineapple, an exclusive new pineapple cultivar from Taiwan that was allegedly stolen by China. It shows the economic ties between two places that are also adversaries and the incident is prompting questions about how far Beijing will go to coerce Taiwan — and who really owns the food we eat.
1/24/2024 • 8 minutes, 44 seconds
The Economic Impact of the War, In Israel And In the West Bank
We look at the economic impacts caused by the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. In Israel, the call-up of military reserves has led to a severe labor shortage. In the West Bank, curtailed economic activity with Israel has taken a toll. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates.
1/23/2024 • 14 minutes, 34 seconds
How Life is Transforming in Russian Occupied Ukraine
We talk to a Russia expert who is keeping tabs on what is going on in the roughly 18% of Ukraine that Russia now controls. He says that an "administrative occupation" seeks to incorporate the people that live in those areas into Russian politics and culture. And that with U.S. and Western aid for Ukraine in doubt, there is a chance these areas could be lost for good.
1/22/2024 • 8 minutes, 14 seconds
Will a Controversial Temple in India Become a Political Flashpoint?
In Northern India, Prime Minister Modi consecrates a temple to the Hindu god Ram. The event is meant to draw support ahead of spring elections, but it also highlights the growing rift between Hindu nationalists and Muslim communities.
1/19/2024 • 4 minutes, 58 seconds
A Vital Ukrainian Port Survives Despite Russian Attacks
Grain export is a vital part of the Ukrainian economy and Russian attacks and threats on ports have come close to shutting it down. We go to one Ukrainian port, barely used before the war, which has now become crucial.
1/18/2024 • 6 minutes, 26 seconds
Has the Israeli Military Made Progress in Its Goal of Destroying Hamas?
It has been over one hundred days since the war between Israel and Hamas began with an attack on Israel October 7th, killing over 1,200 with more than two hundred Israelis taken hostage. Israel responded with a ground, air and sea offensive on Gaza that has killed thousands and displaced many more. Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas. We investigate whether, after a hundred days, Israel is any closer to that goal. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates
1/17/2024 • 7 minutes, 51 seconds
A Pivotal Election in Taiwan and a Guatemala Inauguration that Almost Didn't Happen
Taiwan held a close and closely watched election for president that has implications for the self-ruled island's relationship with China, which claims Taiwan as it's own. And Guatemala swore in a new president, the anti-corruption campaigner Bernardo Arevalo. But opponents tried to prevent the transfer of power up to the last minute. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
1/16/2024 • 8 minutes, 52 seconds
Hope for River Dolphins in Pakistan
In Pakistan, a dolphin species that's lived in the Indus River for millions of years was facing near-extinction. Now, thanks to the help of nearby fisher-people, the dolphin is making a fragile recovery.
1/15/2024 • 5 minutes, 46 seconds
The U.S. and U.K attack targets in Yemen: What It Means for Global Shipping
The series of strikes in Yemen were against the Houthis, an Iran-backed military group, that had been attacking military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, in what they said was retaliation for Israel's war in Gaza. We hear from our national security correspondent and a international trade expert on the strikes and their economic implications.
1/12/2024 • 6 minutes, 16 seconds
How People in China View Taiwan's Election
Taiwan elects a president this weekend and while the government in China believes Taiwan should be under its control, we hear that people in China hold a variety of views about the island next door. And the story of a Palestinian artist in Gaza who continues to make art amid destruction and displacement. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
1/11/2024 • 8 minutes, 20 seconds
Why Truck Drivers in Poland are Blocking Goods Going Into Ukraine
Poland has been one of Ukraine's strongest allies in its fight against Russia. But the two countries are now in a border dispute over trucking. Polish truckers are blocking thousands of Ukrainian trucks waiting to return home. We go to the border and talk to truckers on both sides of the dispute.
1/10/2024 • 5 minutes, 43 seconds
China's Influence on Taiwan's Politics and Taiwan's Influence on Chinese Pop Culture
Taiwan has an important election coming up and we hear that relations with China is one of the main things on the minds of many voters. And though China is much bigger and more powerful than Taiwan, the island does wield influence in China when it comes to pop culture.
1/9/2024 • 10 minutes, 53 seconds
Why Are Soldiers From Nepal Joining Russia's Fight In Ukraine?
Hundreds of Nepalese have travelled to Russia to join the army. They've been lured by the promise of employment and Russian citizenship. Some say they were told they wouldn't be doing risky jobs, but once they arrive they say they were sent to the front line to fight in Ukraine. Reporter Shalu Yadav went to Nepal and spoke to families of those who died fighting in Ukraine.
1/8/2024 • 6 minutes, 59 seconds
Return to the Motherland or Illegal Land Transfer? Depends on Who You Ask
Ghana began encouraging people of African descent from around the world to move to the country in 2019, calling it the "Year of Return". They even created settlements for the people who took them up on the offer, giving out free land. But our correspondent talks to locals who say their farm land was stolen to give to foreigners.
1/5/2024 • 7 minutes, 47 seconds
Return to the Motherland or Illegal Land Transfer? Depends on Who You Ask
Ghana began encouraging people of African descent from around the world to move to the country in 2019, calling it the "Year of Return". They even created settlements for the people who took them up on the offer, giving out free land. But our correspondent talks to locals who say their farm land was stolen to give to foreigners.
1/5/2024 • 7 minutes, 47 seconds
When Will the War in Gaza End?
Israel's Prime Minister has vowed to fight until the "definitive victory over Hamas". But what is actually achievable? Our correspondent in Tel Aviv examines what it will take for Israel to declare mission accomplished in Gaza, and end the war. And Uber is trying to win over cab drivers in London, who have resisted the company for years. We talk to cabbies to see if they might succeed.
1/4/2024 • 11 minutes, 39 seconds
Chinese Storytellers Find Freedom in New York City
Inside China, the state is cracking down queer and feminist groups... so some are staging their own events in New York City. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org
1/3/2024 • 5 minutes, 43 seconds
Roman Temples Revealed in Turkey and Greece Seeks Return of Elgin Marbles
Greece says Britain should return sculptures taken from the Acropolis and a Turkish archeological dig uncovers Roman churches, temples, and canals. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org
1/2/2024 • 8 minutes, 3 seconds
Portraying Africa's Beauty and Challenges Through Music and Art
Two stories about Africa's art and music. We hear from a rapper who raises awareness of the war in Sudan. And attend an influential art festival in Lagos.
1/1/2024 • 9 minutes, 27 seconds
Accusations of Betrayal in One Ukrainian Village
A Ukrainian village with divided loyalties reels from both the loss of life following a missile attack and the loss of trust in their community.
12/29/2023 • 5 minutes, 21 seconds
A Rare Look Inside Nicaragua
NPR's Eyder Peralta brings exclusive reporting from Nicaragua, which has become one of the most authoritarian countries in the Western Hemisphere, and bars foreign journalists. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org
12/28/2023 • 8 minutes, 48 seconds
Russia's Battle With Western Culture Is No Match For Barbie
Hollywood left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. However, improbably, Barbie was a huge hit in the country. Our correspondent in Moscow examines the phenomenon.
12/27/2023 • 8 minutes, 8 seconds
Making Babies... Baby Glaciers, that is
Surviving climate threats demands adaptation. In Bangladesh, an engineer and a housewife improvised their own early warning system for historic floods. And villagers in Pakistan are revisiting an old tradition of growing their own glaciers. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org
12/26/2023 • 14 minutes, 42 seconds
Building a New Castle the 13th Century Way
We visit Guedelon Castle in Burgundy, France. A 26 year-old building project, dedicated to training workers in medieval construction techniques and teaching visitors about history.
12/25/2023 • 6 minutes, 21 seconds
Germany's China Dependence and Dilemma
German economists and politicians have warned German companies to not rely so heavily on Chinese businesses, advocating "de-risking". We go to Germany's industrial heartland where business leaders have found that advice hard to follow.
12/22/2023 • 7 minutes, 44 seconds
What Raw Fish Tells Us About the Ukrainian Economy
Ukraine is been at war for nearly 22 months, with airports closed and many sea ports blockaded. Yet NPR's Nathan Rott has found sushi in the country is widely available. And, he says, that says something about the supply chain and the resilience of the Ukrainian economy. Support the NPR Network by joining State of the World+ or by giving a tax-deductible donation. And thank you!
12/21/2023 • 6 minutes, 12 seconds
The U.S. Relationship With Israel
U.S. officals have been increasingly public in their appeals to Israel to limit casualties in Gaza, but so far nothing has changed. So what does this say about the relationship between the U.S. and Israel now? We hear from a retired diplomat with long experience in the region.
12/20/2023 • 7 minutes, 24 seconds
Ukraine isn't the only country partially occupied by Russia
Even as Ukraine continues to battle Russia, funding from the West is in doubt. We hear from some Ukrainians who are nervous about the funding. And the former Soviet state of Georgia has been partially occupied by Russia since 2008. We hear about Georgia's delicate balance between Russia and the West. Support the NPR Network by joining State of the World+ or by giving a tax-deductible donation. And thank you!
12/19/2023 • 11 minutes, 9 seconds
Why is the Mood in China Changing?
China is at an inflection point. The country that enjoyed decades of growth, confident that the future was bright, has experienced a shift in the vibes. Our correspondent in Beijing illustrates what this looks like by bringing us stories from 4 people living in China today.
12/18/2023 • 9 minutes, 2 seconds
Some Convicted Russian Prisoners, Who Fought In Ukraine, Are Now Free
A government program in Russia offers pardons to prisoners convicted of serious crime who agree to fight in Ukraine, if they survive. The policy has serious consequences for victims of crimes and their families. We hear more from our correspondent in Moscow. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org
12/15/2023 • 9 minutes, 52 seconds
Some Convicted Russian Prisoners, Who Fought In Ukraine, Are Now Free
A government program in Russia offers pardons to prisoners convicted of serious crime who agree to fight in Ukraine, if they survive. The policy has serious consequences for victims of crimes and their families. We hear more from our correspondent in Moscow. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org
12/15/2023 • 9 minutes, 52 seconds
Rising Popularity of Hamas in the West Bank
Though Israel's goal in Gaza is to eliminate Hamas as a military threat, there appears to be rising popularity for Hamas among Palestinians in the West Bank. We travel there and hear that many Palestinians don't believe Hamas committed atrocities in the October 7th attack. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
12/14/2023 • 5 minutes, 58 seconds
Ukraine's Tech Industry Works to Defeat an Enemy and Rebuild an Economy
Nearly two years into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine is building its tech industry as a part of its war effort and as a means of rebuilding its economy. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org
12/13/2023 • 7 minutes, 59 seconds
Israel's Military Offensive in Gaza's Second-Largest City
There is a fierce battle between Israeli forces and Hamas in the city of Khan Younis in Gaza. The battle is coming close to the city's main hospital. We hear dispatches from Khan Younis. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org
12/12/2023 • 6 minutes, 18 seconds
A Power Shift In Poland; French Singer Edith Piaf and AI
A vote in the Polish parliament ended the rule of a right-wing political party— an historic power shift in the country, which is a key US ally and NATO member. A movie studio plans to use artificial intelligence to recreate the voice and image of iconic late French cabaret singer Edith Piaf. Super-fans in her neighborhood aren't so sure machines are up to the task. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
12/11/2023 • 9 minutes, 31 seconds
Can the UK Send Undocumented Migrants to Rwanda?
The British government is pushing forward with a controversial plan to deport undocumented migrants, no matter where they've come from, to the central African country of Rwanda.
12/8/2023 • 4 minutes, 7 seconds
A second frontline: fighting on the border between Israel and Lebanon
Israeli forces have traded artillery and rocket fire with Hezbollah, a militia backed by Iran that operates in Lebanon. We hear the voices of people living on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org
12/7/2023 • 11 minutes, 21 seconds
Ukraine prepares for winter attacks on infrastructure
Russia has made it a practice of attacking electrical infrastructure in Ukraine over the winter with missiles and drones. We hear about Ukraine's preparations for these attack and how they'll be put to the test.Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. And you can donate to your local NPR member station by going to stations.npr.org
12/6/2023 • 7 minutes, 47 seconds
The oil-rich country hosting this year's international climate summit
Once again at COP28, the annual global climate summit, experts are warning of the dire consequences of the world ignoring a warming planet. But this year that message is being delivered in the United Arab Emirates, a country that is dependent on oil and gas. Our correspondent based in Dubai is at the conference and talks about that tension.
12/5/2023 • 5 minutes, 44 seconds
Will Venezuela invade Guyana? And counselling Ukrainian children traumatized by war
Venezuela held a vote on whether to annex some of neighboring Guyana. But the turnout may point to problems for the autocratic ruler of Venezuela.And, a rehabilitation camp in Ukraine for children, who have witnessed death, survived bombings and lost family.
12/4/2023 • 8 minutes, 47 seconds
The Israel-Hamas cease-fire ends and fighting resumes
After a week-long pause, Hamas again fired rockets into Israel and Israel resumed airstrikes in Gaza. A report on why the fighting resumed. And were Gaza's hospitals able to resupply and catch up on treating patients during the cease-fire?For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates
12/1/2023 • 7 minutes, 59 seconds
War fatigue in Russia
Our reporter in Moscow tells us of a manifesto, claiming to be from families of Russian troops, calling for demobilization and other signs of faltering support for Russia's war in Ukraine.And amid an improving economy, Venezuela is trying to ramp up oil production. But with neglected oil infrastructure, that has meant more oil spills.Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
11/30/2023 • 9 minutes, 17 seconds
What it's like on the ground in Gaza from an Israeli and a Palestinian
We hear about two experiences of life in Gaza. One from a 22 year-old Israeli reserve soldier sent into the Gaza Strip with his unit. And a mother of two who lives in Gaza trying to shield her children from the horrors of war and stay alive.
11/29/2023 • 12 minutes, 53 seconds
Danger for Gazans who followed Israel's evacuation order; family of released hostage
We hear from the family of four-year-old Abigail Edan, who was held hostage by Hamas and is the first American freed. And even though Israel urged civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate to the south of the territory for safety, Israeli bombardment in the south continued.Mark Giving Tuesday by signing up for State of the World+ and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
11/28/2023 • 15 minutes, 1 second
The Hamas leader behind the October 7 attack and the hostage release
The secretive leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahiya Sinwar, is thought to be the mastermind of the October 7 attack on Israel and he has led the Hamas negotiations on hostages. Our Jerusalem correspondent has met the Hamas leader at press conferences over the years and has this look at who he is and what his war strategy seems to be.Mark Giving Tuesday by signing up for State of the World+ and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
11/27/2023 • 6 minutes, 43 seconds
The economic boom and environmental bust of illegal gold
Illegal gold mining is profitable in Brazil, bringing in more than $2 billion a year. And the government has made it easier to get away with. But the practice damages the rainforest and poisons indigenous communities. We go to a town at the center of the illegal mine business.You can support NPR's journalism this Giving Tuesday by going to donate.npr.org or learn more about NPR+ at plus.npr.org.
11/24/2023 • 8 minutes, 6 seconds
A possible deal to release Israeli hostages; Russian news media in exile
Hamas and Israel have reached a deal to release some Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a pause in fighting. We get the details from our reporter in Tel Aviv.And in Russia, a crack down on journalists following the invasion of Ukraine has caused some to continue their work outside the country.You can support NPR's journalism this Giving Tuesday by going to donate.npr.org or learn more about NPR+ at plus.npr.org.
11/22/2023 • 13 minutes, 26 seconds
What it's like to be a Palestinian living in Israel right now
One fifth of Israeli citizens also identify as Palestinian or Arab. Israel's war with Gaza has meant a tension between the actions of their country and their identity. At the same time, many are facing increased discrimination.And we meet a mother whose premature babies were finally evacuated from Gaza.You can support NPR's journalism this Giving Tuesday by going to donate.npr.org or learn more about NPR+ at plus.npr.org.
11/21/2023 • 10 minutes, 36 seconds
We rewind to a time when Israel and Gaza were close to peace
We hear about a time when an airport opened in Gaza, a U.S. president visited and it seemed like Palestinian statehood was close to being a reality.And, a multi-ethnic, multi-religious band in Israel is working to bridge some of the divides in the country.Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
11/20/2023 • 10 minutes, 50 seconds
An aid lifeline to Gaza: we go to the only crossing point in or out of the territory
There's only one place goods or people are allowed to enter or leave Gaza. Our reporter is in Rafah, Egypt and sees the trickle of aid going into Gaza.Also, in an interview with NPR, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vague on who will govern Gaza when the fighting stops.And comedians and writers on both sides of the conflict use satire to express their anger and grief.Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
11/17/2023 • 13 minutes, 11 seconds
President Biden's breakthrough agreements with the leader of China
Biden met with President Xi Jinping of China for the first time in a year. And though expectations were low, our China correspondent tells us some important agreements emerged from the meeting.
11/16/2023 • 9 minutes, 23 seconds
Israel's military enters Gaza hospital; Guatemala's president-elect on coup attempt
The Israeli military says Hamas militants operate in the hospital. International rights groups say hospitals are protected under international law.And the president-elect of Guatemala, who won on an anti-corruption platform, believes the country's ruling elite are trying to prevent him from taking office.
11/15/2023 • 10 minutes, 14 seconds
Renewed fighting on the border between Israel and Lebanon
We go to southern Lebanon to hear from people who have endured decades of conflict and face new fighting as the war between Israel and Hamas increase regional tensions.
11/14/2023 • 7 minutes, 37 seconds
A Ukrainian city one year after liberation from Russia
The southern city of Kherson has been free from Russian occupation for a year. But while its liberation energized Ukrainian forces, Russian troops remain just a mile away.
11/13/2023 • 5 minutes, 39 seconds
Can Berlin's legendary nightclubs survive?
Berlin's iconic nightclubs are a cultural institution. But they face dwindling revenue due to decreased tourism and strained relationships with their gentrifying neighborhoods.
11/10/2023 • 7 minutes, 44 seconds
A massive civilian displacement caused by war— but not the war you're thinking of
The war in Sudan has been going on for over six months. Thousands have died and more than six million have been displaced. He hear about conditions inside Sudan from the voices of those living through the violence.
11/9/2023 • 8 minutes, 23 seconds
In the face of an escalating war, optimism for peace
We hear from two people who negotiated previous peace proposals between Israelis and Palestinians. They believe there is a peaceful solution to the current conflict.
11/8/2023 • 8 minutes, 15 seconds
Will the Israel-Hamas conflict spill over into a wider Middle East war?
We hear about whether other groups, or countries, in the Middle East could expand the conflict beyond Israel and Gaza. And an account from a surgeon caring for patients in Gaza, under bombardment.
11/7/2023 • 10 minutes, 10 seconds
The war in Ukraine and a high level disagreement over messaging
Ukraine's president and top military commander disagree over the message to send about the lack of progress in the effort to retake territory from Russia. And the effort to recreate the original acoustics of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as it is being rebuilt. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
11/6/2023 • 9 minutes, 44 seconds
What we know about Israel's ground war in Gaza
The Israeli military isn't saying much about it's ground offensive in Gaza but satellite images and social media offer some clues about its strategy. And the dramatic scene at the border between Gaza and Egypt where only a small number of people are being allowed to escape the war.
11/3/2023 • 8 minutes, 4 seconds
An international summit on the dangers of A.I.
Tech CEOs and politicians from around the world gathered to discuss the potential dangers posed by artificial intelligence and how to work together to prevent some of the worst outcomes from happening.
11/2/2023 • 9 minutes, 21 seconds
The tunnels of Gaza will present a formidable challenge for the Israeli military
As Israel undergoes a ground assault of Gaza, Hamas will be able waiting to attack from a network of tunnels. We hear about the challenges that will present.
11/1/2023 • 5 minutes, 41 seconds
How do European countries view the war between Israel and Hamas?
Reactions to the Israel-Hamas war vary across Europe, determined by each country's unique history and perspectives. We hear from NPR correspondents from three European capitals.
10/31/2023 • 9 minutes
Life in Gaza under intense shelling and a communications blackout
Israel has expanded its war with Hamas, stepping up attacks from the air and sending troops into Gaza. For 34 hours communication was cut off in Gaza, we hear our producer in there describe what the scene was like. And a group of workers from Gaza who were trapped in Israel when the fighting started, worry about their loved ones and wish they could go home. You can find coverage of all sides of this conflict at npr.org/mideastupdates.
10/30/2023 • 11 minutes, 36 seconds
Devastation in Acapulco; Iran's role in the Mideast conflict
We hear from our reporter on the ground in Acapulco, Mexico, where a devastating hurricane grew in intensity so rapidly residents were unable to prepare. And an interview with the foreign minister of Iran about his country's support for Hamas and their involvement in the group's conflict with Israel.
10/27/2023 • 11 minutes, 31 seconds
China subtly increases pressure on Taiwan
China is increasing military pressure on Taiwan without declaring an outright invasion. We hear about what the pressure looks like and what China's goals are from our correspondent based in Taiwan.
10/26/2023 • 8 minutes, 17 seconds
Israel vowed to invade Gaza. Why hasn't it happened yet?
It has been weeks since Israel said it would invade Gaza to eradicate Hamas, following the attacks on Israel launched by that group October 7th. The U.S. may be among those trying to delay the invasion. We hear from NPR reporters about what the concerns could be. And a conversation with someone trying to get aid into Gaza from the only point where a small number of trucks have been allowed through. Sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org.
10/25/2023 • 13 minutes, 4 seconds
State Of The World Trailer
World news doesn't have to feel worlds away. Immerse yourself in the most compelling and consequential stories from around the globe. Hear new episodes every weekday and sign up for State of the World+ to listen sponsor-free and support the work of NPR journalists. Visit plus.npr.org. State of the World was previously State of Ukraine. You'll continue to hear Ukraine coverage here, along with other international stories.
10/25/2023 • 45 seconds
Soldiers who invaded Gaza before, weigh the dangers of a new invasion.
We hear from Israeli veterans of the last Gaza invasion nine years ago, about their reflections from that conflict and their fears for this new one.
10/24/2023 • 7 minutes, 3 seconds
How do Palestinians feel about the war and Hamas now?
Though Gaza has been the focus of Israel's response to attacks by militants, the West Bank is also seeing an increase in violence. Residents there react to recent events. We also hear from members of a community that was hit hard by the Hamas attacks. They've been relocated to a hotel and are trying to make sense of what they've lost.
10/23/2023 • 11 minutes, 46 seconds
What role will Egypt play in the Mideast crisis?
Egypt finds itself in a tricky situation with the crisis in neighboring Gaza. They want to make sure aid gets into suffering residents of Gaza but they don't want to accept refugees for fear of being drawn into the conflict. We hear analysis of how Egypt's leadership is responding and the voices of protesters in Cairo.
10/20/2023 • 9 minutes, 28 seconds
Amidst reports of Israeli military supply shortages citizens try to fill the gap
As the Israeli military gets ready for an invasion of Gaza, local media and some soldiers say they're short on supplies. And grassroots organizations are taking it upon themselves to fill the gap.
10/19/2023 • 8 minutes, 30 seconds
President Biden travels to Israel and President Putin travels to China
We hear analysis from two important presidential visits. President Biden offers condolences and support on a visit to Israel. And President Putin displayed Russia's bonds with China in a meeting with the Chinese leader.
10/18/2023 • 10 minutes, 48 seconds
An explosion at a Gaza hospital. And making sense of life after the Hamas attack
A blast at a crowded hospital in Gaza could become a turning point in the war. And people who lost their family and homes in Hamas' attack on Israel try to reckon with the aftermath.
10/17/2023 • 19 minutes, 5 seconds
Will there be any relief for Gaza? And Poland voters reject ruling government
The situation for civilians in Gaza continues the to deteriorate as food, medicine and water run short. Israel continues airstrikes and prepares for a ground assault. Hamas continues to fire rockets in Israel. And in Poland, a surprising election result with a record-breaking turnout.
10/16/2023 • 8 minutes, 22 seconds
Israel orders a million people in Gaza to move and snapshots of life under siege
Israel has ordered effectively half the population of Gaza to flee their homes ahead of an expected military assault. Many Israelis have decided to leave the country. And we hear from a hospital in Gaza.
10/13/2023 • 12 minutes, 2 seconds
U.S. diplomacy in Israel and an American family trapped in Gaza
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to Israel to show U.S. support in the wake of deadly attacks by Hamas militants. We talk to our correspondent travelling with him. And we hear from an American who is among the millions trapped in Gaza amid the Israeli blockade and airstrikes.
10/12/2023 • 8 minutes, 27 seconds
Voices from both Gaza and Israel as the violence continues
The power is out in Gaza, as Israel's blockade prevents fuel, food, and water from entering. Civilians there fear nowhere is safe from Israeli airstrikes. And in Israel they are still reeling from Hamas' brutal cross-border attack and many are searching for missing loved ones who may have been kidnapped. We hear from our correspondents on the ground and from people on both sides of the conflict.
10/11/2023 • 12 minutes, 11 seconds
Fighting corruption in Ukraine and a view on the war between Israel and Hamas
Some in Congress point to Ukrainian corruption as a reason to cut off U.S. aid. But Ukrainians say that image of them is outdated and they're working hard to fight corruption. And, because we know you value world news, we widen our focus to bring you an on-the-ground report from the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group in Gaza.
10/10/2023 • 15 minutes, 34 seconds
The war in Ukraine has left a scar across valuable farmland visible from space
Satellite imagery shows that millions of acres of productive farmland have gone unplanted. We hear what researchers have learned and what the effects may be.
10/6/2023 • 3 minutes, 31 seconds
The war in Ukraine causes a religious rift
There are more than 10,000 Russian Orthodox parishes in Ukraine with ties to the church's leader in Moscow. Many see them as disloyal now that Russia has invaded Ukraine.
10/5/2023 • 6 minutes, 28 seconds
The Pentagon warns U.S. lawmakers that military aid for Ukraine is running out
With future U.S. aid to Ukraine in doubt, the Defense Department is warning members of Congress that current military funding for Ukraine is nearly exhausted. NPR's Pentagon correspondent tells us what that could mean.
10/4/2023 • 4 minutes, 14 seconds
The Ukrainian government reacts to potential cuts in aid funding
Future funding for Ukraine from allies, including from the United States, is being challenged. Our correspondent in Kyiv tells us how the Ukrainian government is reacting and gives us an update on where progress on the battlefield stands.
10/3/2023 • 3 minutes, 42 seconds
Is U.S. funding for Ukraine in doubt?
Aid to Ukraine was stripped out of a bill to avert a government shutdown at the last-minute. We hear from a U.S. senator about what message this might send to Ukraine and to Russia.
10/2/2023 • 5 minutes, 57 seconds
Will Ukraine lose an ally in a consequential election in Slovakia?
Ukraine's neighbor, Slovakia, has been supportive in the war against Russia. However the frontrunner in this weekend's election sides with the Kremlin. We hear more from our correspondent in Bratislava.
9/29/2023 • 5 minutes, 54 seconds
The impact of cluster munitions on civilian deaths
Cluster munitions are banned in more than 100 countries, but they're being used by Russia and Ukraine in their war. We hear about a report documenting the deaths and injuries caused by these weapons.
9/27/2023 • 4 minutes, 29 seconds
What are the impacts of Ukrainian attacks on the Russian Navy?
Ukraine has been increasing attacks on the Russian Navy in occupied Crimea. Ukraine even claims to have killed the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet- though Russia is disputing that. We talk to a retired U.S. Navy admiral about what the attacks on the Russian Navy say about Ukraine's strategy.
9/26/2023 • 5 minutes, 5 seconds
Border tensions in Poland
Poland borders Ukraine, a Russian territory and Russian-ally Belarus. Poland has also experienced illegal migrants and a visa fraud scandal. We learn what all this means for Poland and it's closely fought upcoming election.
9/25/2023 • 7 minutes, 25 seconds
A conversation with the President of Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been making his case at the U.N. and on Capitol Hill for continued support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. He's also been making his case in the U.S. media and he sat down for a one-on-one interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep.
9/22/2023 • 15 minutes, 29 seconds
The person in charge of U.S. efforts to rebuild Ukraine's economy
We talk to Penny Pritzker, US special representative for Ukraine economic recovery about how Ukraine can rebuild even as the war is far from over.
9/21/2023 • 5 minutes, 31 seconds
Russia's invasion of Ukraine looms large at the UN General Assembly
We hear what the United Nations secretary-general, President Biden and Ukraine's president had to say about Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine at this year's UN General Assembly.
9/20/2023 • 4 minutes, 8 seconds
Meet the soldiers who do the crucial and dangerous work of removing landmines
The Ukrainian military's progress in its effort to retake territory controlled by Russia is being slowed by thousands and thousands of landmines. We meet the "sappers" who do the painstaking and extremely dangerous work of removing these explosives.
9/19/2023 • 9 minutes, 24 seconds
Time is running out for the Ukrainian counteroffensive
The Ukrainians are running out of time to make progress on their summer-long effort to retake territory from Russia. Soon rains and winter weather will make fighting difficult. We hear about the future of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
9/18/2023 • 5 minutes, 9 seconds
The Reemergence of a Widely-Banned Weapon
Ukraine bears the brunt of a spike in cluster munition attacks.
9/15/2023 • 4 minutes, 31 seconds
Should the U.S. be pushing for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia?
Ukraine is fighting hard to retake territory Russia currently holds, but so far progress has been limited. We hear about what options the U.S. and other allies have in looking for an end to this war.
9/14/2023 • 5 minutes
Are rural Americans turning against US support of Ukraine?
More and more conservative Americans in rural towns think US aid to Ukraine would be better spent elsewhere and the GOP presidential candidates are taking notice.
9/13/2023 • 5 minutes, 32 seconds
The leaders of two marginalized countries meet
The North Korean leader travels to Russia to meet with Putin and western countries believe the discussion will be about a potential arms deal. We hear about what each side stands to gain from the other.
9/12/2023 • 5 minutes, 31 seconds
Reflections from a reporting trip to Ukraine
Brian Mann has just finished a rotation filling in as NPR's Ukraine correspondent. He tells us what experience will stick with him from this trip and how the country compares to his last trip, a year ago.
9/11/2023 • 9 minutes, 38 seconds
Inside one Ukraine nuclear power plant under the shadow of war
We talk to workers facing a terrible precedent: Ukraine is the first nation with a large-scale nuclear power industry to face a full-scale war. Experts say the risks are daunting.
9/8/2023 • 4 minutes, 6 seconds
Ukraine's Cyber War Against Russia
An inside look at Ukraine's cyber war against Russia from a top Ukrainian intelligence official.
9/7/2023 • 6 minutes, 45 seconds
The U.S. Secretary of State travels to Kyiv
We hear about the purpose of the visit from NPR's correspondent travelling in Ukraine with Secretary Blinken.
9/6/2023 • 4 minutes, 1 second
The Ukrainian defense minister is fired
The change comes after some corruption scandals and in the middle of a costly summer counter offensive. We hear from NPR's correspondent in Kyiv.
9/5/2023 • 9 minutes, 2 seconds
Who is setting fire to Russian military recruitment centers?
We hear from an independent Russian media outlet about some 150 acts of arson against Russian military recruitment centers.
9/4/2023 • 5 minutes
The Ukrainian military claims progress in the south
The Ukrainian military claims it has broken through a Russian defensive line in the south. NPR's correspondent in Kyiv explains what it could mean for the Ukrainian counter offensive.
9/1/2023 • 4 minutes, 12 seconds
Is Russia trying to buy arms from North Korea?
The U.S. accuses North Korea of selling weapons to Russia. We hear about what this means from the White House National Security Council spokesman.
8/31/2023 • 4 minutes, 13 seconds
Remembering Ukrainian fighter pilot "Juice"
NPR's Brian Mann met the well-known fighter pilot who went by the callsign "Juice" in the early weeks of the war. And he recently attended his funeral in Kyiv.
8/30/2023 • 3 minutes, 51 seconds
Ukrainian civilians flee fighting on the eastern front
Ukrainian forces have been trying to push back on Russian gains this summer. But NPR found in the eastern front, Russians are on the attack and civilians are fleeing the fighting.
8/29/2023 • 5 minutes, 26 seconds
What is the future for Wagner?
NPR's Moscow correspondent went to a makeshift memorial for Wagner's dead leader and also talked to a former member of the mercenary group to try to understand what happens to the organization now.
8/28/2023 • 4 minutes, 47 seconds
Where the Republican candidates for president stand on the war in Ukraine
The first Republican presidential debate exposed some big differences in what candidates think should be the U.S. role in the war in Ukraine. We hear reporting from both NPR's correspondent in Ukraine and our Pentagon correspondent.
8/25/2023 • 6 minutes, 15 seconds
A deadly plane crash in Russia and suspicions of revenge
We hear two conversations about the possible death of the leader of the Wagner private mercenary group, who was both instrumental in Russia's war in Ukraine and the leader of an uprising that embarrassed the Kremlin.
8/24/2023 • 9 minutes, 20 seconds
Ukrainians Take A Defiant Dip in the Black Sea
Ukrainians are thumbing their noses at Putin by sunbathing and swimming on Black Sea beaches that have reopened despite the dangers of war.
8/23/2023 • 4 minutes, 3 seconds
NATO Training Better Prepares Ukrainian Troops in Latest Counter-Offensive
Ukrainian soldiers, who were trained by the U.S. in Germany, speak to NPR about using Western tactics – and weapons – in the latest counteroffensive to push out Russian forces.
8/22/2023 • 8 minutes, 12 seconds
How a common greeting has become an opening to share the trauma of war
Ukrainians are struggling to cope with a mental health crisis as the war in their country drags on. NPR's Greg Myre reports "how are you?" has taken on greater meaning.
8/21/2023 • 6 minutes, 55 seconds
Applying lessons learned in Afghanistan to US aid money in Ukraine
We hear from the the man charged with tracking U.S. spending in Afghanistan about what lessons learned there can be applied to the billions of dollars going to Ukraine.
8/18/2023 • 4 minutes, 34 seconds
How the use of drones in Ukraine is changing the way wars are fought
We hear from Kelly Grieco, senior fellow at the Stimson Center, about how the use of drones by both sides in the war in Ukraine is changing the way wars are fought.
8/16/2023 • 6 minutes, 5 seconds
Questions about China's support of Russia
NPR's Charles Maynes tells us about China's Defense Minister's second visit to Moscow this year and what it means for China's support of Russia in its war in Ukraine.
8/15/2023 • 4 minutes, 19 seconds
Two young Ukrainian singers silenced by a missile
NPR's Kyiv correspondent Joanna Kakissis profiles a young musical duo who sang through the war until they were killed by a Russian missile.
8/14/2023 • 4 minutes, 41 seconds
Rising tension between Poland and Belarus
Military tensions are rising between Ukraine's ally Poland and Russia's ally Belarus. NPR's Rob Schmitz explains why Poland is planning to send ten thousand troops to its border.
8/11/2023 • 3 minutes, 39 seconds
Women's professional soccer flourishes in Ukraine even as war touches some players
At a women's professional soccer match in Kyiv, NPR's Jenna McLaughlin found players are overcoming the challenges of a growing sport and a country at war.
8/10/2023 • 4 minutes, 51 seconds
A meeting of experts on the front lines of Ukrainian cyberdefense
NPR's Jenna McLaughlin attended a meeting of Ukrainian experts in cyberdefense where they discussed lessons learned and the challenges they face.
8/9/2023 • 4 minutes, 2 seconds
Is the war in Ukraine the most documented ever?
NPR's Greg Myre has covered over a dozen wars around the world, but says covering the war in Ukraine is different because of the massive amount of information coming out of the conflict.
8/8/2023 • 7 minutes, 15 seconds
Talks on how to end the war in Ukraine
Diplomats from about 40 countries met in Saudi Arabia recently to discuss how to end the war in Ukraine. NPR's Ukraine correspondent, Joanna Kakissis, explains that even though Russia wasn't part of the summit, Ukraine is still hoping to move closer to ending the war with these talks.
8/7/2023 • 3 minutes, 35 seconds
Russian Attacks on Ukrainian Ports Keep Grain From World Markets
Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports have intensified since Moscow suspended participation in a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to reach world markets.
8/3/2023 • 3 minutes, 44 seconds
US Officials at the UN Focus on World Food Supply
US Ambassadors at the United Nations say Russia's attack on Ukraine threatens global food security.
8/1/2023 • 2 minutes, 46 seconds
Ukraine Reclaims A Small Village and Inches Forward Through Grinding Battles
As Ukraine claims a strategic victory in a long, grueling counteroffensive, its troops say they need more long-range weapons to fight increasingly entrenched Russian troops.
7/31/2023 • 3 minutes, 39 seconds
Aboard A Patrol Boat As Ukraine Rebuilds its Navy
First, Russia wiped out Ukraine's navy. Now, Russia is blockading Ukraine's critical grain exports. As Ukraine tries to rebuild its navy, NPR's Greg Myre got a ride on one of its few boats.
7/28/2023 • 5 minutes, 4 seconds
Nobel Peace Prize Winners Say Ukraine Needs More Weapons to Prevail Against Russia
Nobel Laureates from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia are in Washington to make the case for more weapons for Ukraine.
7/26/2023 • 16 minutes, 39 seconds
Ukrainian Community Rises from the Ashes
At the start of Russia's invasion, advancing troops reached the outskirts of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. They devastated the suburb of Bucha, killing hundreds. Now, Bucha is coming back to life.
7/24/2023 • 4 minutes, 39 seconds
A step-back look at the war in Ukraine from a foreign relations veteran
Richard Haass served in the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department. For the last 20 years he was the head of the Council on Foreign Relations. On the occasion of his retirement A Martinez talked to him about the war in Ukraine and other foreign policy issues around the world.
7/20/2023 • 6 minutes, 46 seconds
How many Russians have died in Ukraine?
Two Russian media outlets have tried to find the true number of Russian soldiers who have died in Ukraine. Mary Louise Kelly speaks with one of the editors on the project.
7/19/2023 • 4 minutes, 29 seconds
How will Ukraine continue to ship grain now that Russia pulled out of an export deal?
Russia has pulled out of a deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain to markets around the world from blockaded ports. In the port city of Odessa, a senior U.S. official pledged support in keeping the grain shipments going. NPR's Joanna Kakissis was there and tells us what it means.
7/18/2023 • 4 minutes, 43 seconds
Russia pulls out of a grain deal and another attack on an important bridge
NPR's Charles Maynes in Moscow tells us about two significant developments between Russia and Ukraine. First, Russia announces it is backing out of a deal allowing Ukraine to export grain to world markets. And a key bridge connecting the Russian mainland and Russian-annexed Crimea was attacked, apparently by Ukraine.
7/17/2023 • 4 minutes, 26 seconds
A recent increase in cyber attacks coming from Russia
Though Russian cyberattacks have not been a major factor in the war in Ukraine, Russian cyber-criminals have recently been ramping up attacks on the rest of the world. NPR cyber security correspondent Jenna McLaughlin tells us what the increase might mean.
7/14/2023 • 3 minutes, 55 seconds
The head of NATO on possible Ukrainian membership in the alliance
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg talks about Sweden being admitted to the alliance and what it might take for Ukraine to join.
7/13/2023 • 5 minutes, 24 seconds
President Biden and NATO pledge support for Ukraine now and into the future
At the NATO summit in Lithuania, Ukraine didn't get a pathway to join the alliance as it had hoped. But it did get long term promises of suport from the US and other countries. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley was at the summit and tells us what happened.
7/12/2023 • 3 minutes, 26 seconds
Trying to understand the aborted revolt in Russia
The Kremlin has revealed President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenaries just days after they staged an uprising against military leadership. And one of Russia's top generals has resurfaced. NPR's Charles Maynes in Moscow explains what we know.
7/11/2023 • 4 minutes, 39 seconds
In a reversal, Turkey's president says he'll support Sweden joining NATO
Turkey's president Erdogan said he would not stand in the way of Sweden joining the NATO alliance, ending months of speculation. Mary Louise Kelly talks about all the dynamics at play with Aslı Aydıntaşbaş of the Brookings Institution.
7/10/2023 • 5 minutes, 13 seconds
Remembering a Gifted Ukrainian Writer
A young award-winning novelist who retrained as a war crimes researcher to document Russian atrocities and preserve Ukrainian culture has met a tragic end.
7/7/2023 • 5 minutes, 33 seconds
Ukraine and Russia Trade Accusations of Sabotage
Ukraine and Russia each say the other is planning to sabotage the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. They've been trading accusations over the past year, but now they say an attack is imminent.
7/6/2023 • 6 minutes, 47 seconds
A Rare Visit to Ukraine's Air Defense Systems
When Russia launches an airstrike on Kyiv, the first line of defense is parked in a hayfield outside the city. The protection consists of two soldiers, a Humvee and a Stinger missile.
7/6/2023 • 5 minutes, 34 seconds
How history in Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine informs the current conflict
The Zaporizhzhia region is currently an active frontline in the Urainian counteroffensive against Russia. NPR's Joanna Kakissis tells us that 500 years ago, the area was in the same position.
7/3/2023 • 4 minutes, 35 seconds
An analysis of the counteroffensive's progress
Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, gives us his views on how the Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russia is progressing.
6/29/2023 • 5 minutes, 49 seconds
The key person in ending the uprising in Russia
NPR Moscow correspondent Charles Maynes explains what we know about the leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and his apparently crucial role in ending the crisis in Russia.
6/28/2023 • 4 minutes, 19 seconds
The chair of the US Senate Intelligence Committee on the events in Russia
We hear from US Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner on the dramatic uprising and then reversal of a mercenary force in Russia.
6/27/2023 • 4 minutes, 30 seconds
A direct challenge to Putin's authority
A mercenary leader launched a brief uprising against the Russian military and the authority of Vladimir Putin, taking over a Russian military headquarters and even sending fighters toward Moscow, before later turning them around. NPR's Charles Maynes in Moscow and Greg Myre in Kyiv tell us about the aftermath of this event in Russia and Ukraine.
6/26/2023 • 6 minutes, 52 seconds
What American military support for Ukraine looks like on the ground
U.S. military support has been crucial to Ukraine throughout the war and is a key component to their current counteroffensive against Russia. NPR's Greg Myre tells us what that support looks like on the ground in Ukraine.
6/23/2023 • 11 minutes, 8 seconds
One of Ukraine's most effective weapons in the war can be purchased on the internet
Cheap, widely-available drones have given Ukraine a real advantage on the battlefield. Greg Myre tells us how thousands of drone operators have helped Ukraine and why the military want to train thousands more.
6/20/2023 • 4 minutes, 39 seconds
Are Russians laundering money at a holy site in Greece?
Julian Hayda takes us to northern Greece where there is a site, holy to Orthodox Christianity, that many believe Russian oligarchs are using to launder money.
6/19/2023 • 6 minutes, 56 seconds
The Ukrainian counteroffensive comes into focus
To understand where the war stands at this moment, we hear from Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman in Washingotn, and NPR's Greg Myre in Kyiv.
6/16/2023 • 7 minutes, 41 seconds
NATO makes military readiness a priority
The war in Ukraine has prompted NATO to go into high gear, accepting new members and stepping up their military training. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley attended NATO military exercises in Romania.
6/15/2023 • 4 minutes, 36 seconds
Will NATO offer Ukraine membership?
Ahead of their summit in July, some NATO countries are suggesting the alliance offer Ukraine a path to membership. NPR's Michele Kelemen tells us more.
6/14/2023 • 3 minutes, 55 seconds
Ukrainian anarchists compelled to support the government in a time of war
War can cause strange alliances. NPR's Julian Hayda brings us the story of Ukrainian anarchists supporting their government.
6/13/2023 • 0
An early assessment of the Ukrainian counteroffensive
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the military offensive against Russian forces has begun. NPR's Greg Myre in Kyiv gives us the latest on what we know.
6/12/2023 • 4 minutes
How the war in Ukraine plays a part in Egypt's food crisis
The disruption of grain from Russia and Ukraine have hurt the food supply in many countries. NPR's Aya Batrawy shows us how it is a factor in Egypt's crisis of food insecurity.
6/9/2023 • 5 minutes, 11 seconds
Memories of Bakhmut before it was a killing field
NPR's Joanna Kakissis introduces us to an aid worker who evacuates people from the front lines. He remembers his hometown of Bakhmut from before it was the site of the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.
6/8/2023 • 0
The scene in a city flooded following the destruction of a dam
We hear from a resident of Kherson, a city downstream of the recently destroyed Kakhovka dam. In addition to near constant shelling by Russian forces, the city is now dealing with flood waters.
6/7/2023 • 3 minutes, 44 seconds
Who destroyed a dam that causes flooding and raises nuclear risk?
We hear from NPR reporters in Kyiv and Moscow for the latest on what we know about the dam's destruction, and from our science correspondent on what this may mean for Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
6/6/2023 • 9 minutes, 47 seconds
Workers describe arrests and torture inside Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant
Joanna Kakissis brings us the stories of workers who fled the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in central Ukraine.
6/5/2023 • 7 minutes, 1 second
Are International Sanctions Finally Affecting Russia's Resilient Economy?
Russia has so far avoided economic fall-out from international trade sanctions. But that could be changing, as Russia's economy is bearing the consequences of declining oil prices, the expense of waging war on Ukraine, and a brain-drain of skilled workers.
6/2/2023 • 4 minutes, 25 seconds
How is the war in Ukraine affecting Russia's regional influence?
For the past three decades, Russia has tried to mediate a border conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But NPR's Charles Maynes found that the war in Ukraine is causing ripple effects in parts of the former Soviet Union.
6/1/2023 • 4 minutes, 49 seconds
The Ukrainian fighters preparing to retake key land from Russia
NPR's Joanna Kakissis talks with the Ukrainian fighters who have been quietly laying the groundwork to take back the land next to an important waterway in southern Ukraine.
5/31/2023 • 7 minutes, 4 seconds
Drones attack the Russian capital
Russia claims Ukraine attacked Moscow with eight drones. We hear from NPR Moscow correspondent Charles Maynes.
5/30/2023 • 3 minutes, 8 seconds
How Ukraine has kept its economy from collapsing
International assistance is allowing Ukraine to stabilize its economy, avoiding collapse. NPR's Julian Hayda takes us to a market in Kyiv to see how these monetary moves are affecting shoppers.
5/29/2023 • 4 minutes, 39 seconds
What are reasonable goals for Ukraine's counteroffensive?
NPR's Greg Myre looks at what realistic goals might be for Ukraine's military campaign to push back on Russian gains.
5/26/2023 • 4 minutes, 5 seconds
Two views of the Ukrainian counteroffensive: from Eastern Ukraine and the Pentagon
NPR's Joanna Kakissis in Eastern Ukraine and Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman talk about the goals for the Ukrainian counteroffensive, and increasing U.S. support for Ukraine.
5/25/2023 • 7 minutes, 4 seconds
Going from a city at war to a boarding school in rural New York
This graduation season marks the end of a surprising chapter in the life of one student, displaced by war, who went from Ukraine's second largest city to a junior boarding school in Northern New York.
5/24/2023 • 5 minutes
Why has there been a months-long, bloody fight for Bahkmut?
Both sides have endured great losses in the fight for a minor Ukrainian City. NPR's Scott Simon talks to a professor of strategic studies to find out why.
5/23/2023 • 7 minutes, 2 seconds
A wave of diplomacy for Ukraine's president
President Zelenskyy has recently visited European capitals as well as meetings with Arab leaders and the G7 nations. NPR's Joanna Kakissis talks about the Ukrainian president's diplomatic push.
5/22/2023 • 4 minutes, 13 seconds
Ukraine's president addresses a meeting with some countries that support Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Arab League summit, a group which contains countries that have very close ties to Russia. NPR's Aya Batrawy tells us what Saudi Arabia's invitation to Zelenskyy means.
5/19/2023 • 3 minutes, 57 seconds
A high-profile case of corruption in Ukraine
The head of Ukraine's supreme court has been arrested for corruption. NPR's Joanna Kakissis tells us it is part of an on-going crackdown.
5/18/2023 • 2 minutes, 58 seconds
Have the Ukrainians begun their spring military push?
Ukrainian forces claim they've made advances in the battle for Bakhmut, a city in the east that Russia has been trying to capture for more than 10 months. NPR's Joanna Kakissis tells us this may be a sign that the long-awaited counteroffensive has begun.
5/17/2023 • 2 minutes, 55 seconds
Should Ukraine try to take back Crimea?
Russia took Crimea from Ukraine illegally nine years ago and many Ukrainians want it back. But the peninsula is seen as a red line for Russia. Eleanor Beardsley takes a look at the high-stakes decision of whether Ukraine should make retaking the territory one of its goals.
5/16/2023 • 5 minutes, 5 seconds
What will the Ukrainian counteroffensive look like?
To understand the upcoming, or possibly started, Ukrainian counteroffensive to push back Russian gains, NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Max Bergmann of the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
5/15/2023 • 5 minutes, 22 seconds
Is the Ukrainian counteroffensive on hold?
Ukraine's president says more weapons are needed before a spring counteroffensive begins. NPR's Leila Fadel talks to retired U.S Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges about whether a delay hurts Ukraine's effort.
5/12/2023 • 4 minutes, 29 seconds
Ukraine co-hosts the Eurovision Song Contest from afar
Though last year's winner, Ukraine, cannot host the contest because of the war, it will put forward a powerful entry. NPR's Joanna Kakissis introduces to the duo who will showcase the country's evolving cultural identity.
5/11/2023 • 7 minutes, 52 seconds
War in Ukraine hangs over holiday celebrations in Russia
The war in Ukraine meant a scaled back celebration in Moscow honoring the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. NPR's Moscow Correspondent Charles Maynes explains how the holiday is different this year.
5/9/2023 • 3 minutes, 26 seconds
An American volunteer fighter is laid to rest in Ukraine
NPR's Julian Hayda attends a funeral for an American who died fighting for Ukraine in Bahkmut.
5/8/2023 • 3 minutes, 33 seconds
College students in Ukraine and the U.S. compare their daily lives
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to two students, one from each country, whose classes connect over Zoom to learn about each other's lives.
5/5/2023 • 6 minutes, 54 seconds
A top Ukrainian official on the coming counter-offensive and Russia's future
A Ukrainian defense official tells NPR's Joanna Kakissis, that he believes Russia's standing in the world will be very different when the war is over.
5/4/2023 • 4 minutes, 35 seconds
An alleged attack on the Kremlin
We hear from NPR's Greg Myre about Russian claims that two drones were sent by Ukraine to attack the Kremlin compound in Moscow. Russia says the target of the attack was Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
5/3/2023 • 3 minutes, 42 seconds
Russian strikes cause civilian deaths far from the front lines
Russian missile strikes evaded Ukraine's air defenses killing at least 24 people-- including four children. NPR's Joanna Kakissis takes us to the central Ukrainian city of Uman, which suffered the most casualties.
4/28/2023 • 3 minutes, 43 seconds
The leaders of China and Ukraine discuss how to possibly end the war
China correspondent Emily Feng talks about Chinese leader Xi Jinping's offer, on a call with the Ukrainian President, to facilitate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
4/26/2023 • 4 minutes, 9 seconds
Mourning the Ukrainian war dead and pinning hopes on a spring counteroffensive
NPR's Joanna Kakissis brings us to an ever-growing cemetery in Kyiv where loved ones of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the battle of Bahkmut, pin their hopes on an imminent Ukrainian counteroffensive.
4/25/2023 • 4 minutes, 20 seconds
A town close to the fighting in Bakhmut is nervously waiting to see if they're next
Eleanor Beardsley takes us to an eastern Ukraine town anxiously watching the fighting in nearby Bakhmut, because they know if it falls, they might be next.
4/24/2023 • 4 minutes, 37 seconds
Businesses Find A Russian Exit Is Complex. And A Ukrainian Athlete in the US.
Many American companies left Russia shortly after it invaded Ukraine. Others that waited are now finding it challenging to leave. And a promising young Ukrainian tennis player flees the war and works to realize her dreams in the US.
4/22/2023 • 9 minutes, 34 seconds
The U.S. Wants More Transparency In Its Aid To Ukraine
Ukraine relies on billions of dollars in aid from the U.S. to keep services running during the war. The way Ukraine spends the money is strictly monitored. The U.S. wants to bolster that transparency.
4/20/2023 • 2 minutes, 29 seconds
Ukrainian Mothers Journey To Find Their Children in Russia
Since the start of the war, thousands of Ukrainian children were sent or taken to Russia. Human rights organizations allege Russia is trying to indoctrinate those children against their home country.
4/19/2023 • 5 minutes, 58 seconds
Six-Year-Old Best Friends, Separated by War in Ukraine
The Russian invasion of Ukraine impacted one kindergarten class in Kharkiv city — spreading families across the world and forcing them to make choices to deal with trauma affecting their children. We hear about two kindergarten best friends, now separated by an ocean and a war.
4/18/2023 • 14 minutes, 26 seconds
Parenting the Youngest of Children During War
The Russian invasion of Ukraine spread families of one kindergarten class in Kharkiv across the world and forced families to make choices about how to deal with trauma manifesting in the country's youngest.
4/17/2023 • 16 minutes, 44 seconds
Russia gets serious about its conscription efforts
Moscow correspondent Charles Maynes tells us about a new Russian law cracking down on draft dodging and its implications for the war in Ukraine.
4/13/2023 • 3 minutes, 31 seconds
Living, and trying to rebuild, amongst the destruction in Kharkiv
In a war-ruined district of Kharkiv, Joanna Kakissis brings us the story of a widower who tries to repair his bombed apartment building as Ukraine struggles to restore neighborhoods destroyed by Russian attacks.
4/12/2023 • 4 minutes, 12 seconds
The scramble in the U.S. to speed up the production of military weapons
The U.S. is low on rockets and artillery shells. Congress is funding a huge arms buying spree, but U.S. factories can't produce munitions fast enough. And price gouging is a concern.
4/11/2023 • 4 minutes, 11 seconds
How will leaked classified documents impact the war in Ukraine?
Ukraine correspondent Joanna Kakissis talks about the U.S. intelligence leaks, some of which detail the state of the war in Ukraine, and what their impact will be as Ukraine is preparing for a counter-offensive sometime this spring.
4/10/2023 • 3 minutes, 49 seconds
The medics who risk their lives in Bakhmut to save others
The battle over the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been a deadly slugfest that has reduced it to ruins. We meet a team of Ukrainian medics who have worked hard to support and treat wounded soldiers.
4/6/2023 • 5 minutes, 17 seconds
Are Ukraine's Aging Helicopters Up To Their Task?
Ukraine's military is asking its Western allies for modern aircraft to fight Russian forces. In the meantime it is making do with Soviet-era equipment. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley takes a look at some of the many vintage helicopters in Ukraine's fleet.
4/5/2023 • 4 minutes, 20 seconds
Finland Joins NATO, But Is It A Good Idea?
Finland raced to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This addition doubles the alliance's border with Russia. We'll hear some pros and cons of this move.
4/4/2023 • 5 minutes, 25 seconds
How The U.S. Is Pressuring Companies And Countries That Help Russia Evade Sanctions
The U.S. is trying to step up enforcement of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine — looking to make countries and their companies fear losing business if they evade sanctions.
4/3/2023 • 4 minutes, 12 seconds
Retired Foreign Military Volunteers Train Ukrainians For The Battlefield
Retired military personnel from the U.S., Sweden and other countries are volunteering in Ukraine to teach ordinary citizens to be soldiers. They sometimes only get a few days to explain the basics before the new soldiers are sent into battle.
3/31/2023 • 9 minutes, 4 seconds
A Street Artist Finds Inspiration Amid The Destruction In Kharkiv
Thousands of residents fled during the heavy shelling of Ukraine's second largest city. But one street artist, known as the Ukrainian Banksy, remained and continued his work.
3/30/2023 • 4 minutes, 19 seconds
How Kyiv's Elderly Weather The War
While nearly half of the residents of Kyiv fled the city when Russia invaded Ukraine, many elderly could or would not leave. We hear about several of these elderly Ukrainians from when the fighting began, and then revisit them after a year of war.
3/29/2023 • 11 minutes, 46 seconds
Civilians Escaping The Fighting In Bakhmut
There are still some 10,000 civilians in the Ukrainian frontline city of Bakhmut. Many have left and some live in a shelter in a nearby town where they share stories of survival and loss.
3/28/2023 • 5 minutes, 6 seconds
A Former Russian Lawmaker Now Fights Russian Propaganda From Kyiv
The only member of Russia's parliament to vote against the annexation of Crimea now lives in Ukraine and runs an online news channel, intended to subvert the Kremlin's propaganda machine.
3/27/2023 • 5 minutes, 7 seconds
A Money Lifeline For Ukraine's Government
A $15.6 billion International Monetary Fund loan to Ukraine will be its first to a country at war. Scheherazade Rehman, professor of international finance at George Washington University, talks about the agreement's significance.
3/26/2023 • 6 minutes, 14 seconds
A Different Existential Threat To Ukraine: Population Decline
The Russian invasion has cemented the decision for many couples to opt out of having babies, in a country that struggled with incredibly low fertility rates long before the war.
3/22/2023 • 4 minutes, 54 seconds
Can China Serve As A Broker For Peace In The War In Ukraine?
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and China's leader Xi Jinping wrapped up two days of discussions in Moscow with China potentially seeking to serve as peacemaker to end the war in Ukraine.
3/21/2023 • 6 minutes, 25 seconds
A Republican Congressman Who Questions Continuing U.S. Support For Ukraine
There is a sharp debate among Republicans over continuing aid for Ukraine. We hear from Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., on why he is skeptical of ongoing U.S. financial support of Ukraine in their fight against Russia.
3/20/2023 • 5 minutes, 55 seconds
The International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin
The Russian President is charged with the the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children to Russia.
3/17/2023 • 4 minutes, 25 seconds
Giving Ukraine's soldiers some badly needed rest
As Russia's war on Ukraine drags on, traumatized soldiers can recharge at a Western-style healing center in northeastern Ukraine before returning to the frontline.
3/16/2023 • 5 minutes, 1 second
Russia downs a U.S. drone and rescuing civilians while the bombs fall
A Russian fighter jet clipped a U.S. drone, forcing it to crash in the Black Sea. It is one of the most serious incidents involving U.S. and Russian militaries in and around Ukraine.And a young volunteer from Poland braves artillery barrages to evacuate residents from Bakhmut, the epicenter of recent fighting in Eastern Ukraine.
3/15/2023 • 11 minutes, 19 seconds
Are toxic substances from the war contaminating Ukraine's farmland?
Weapons used in the war are leaving behind contamination in Ukraine that will linger for years. We hear from an expert in how landscapes recover from war about what Ukraine's farmers will face once the war is over.
3/14/2023 • 6 minutes, 2 seconds
Ukraine mourns a famous war hero
Ukraine's best-known soldier began fighting Russians in eastern Ukraine in 2014, at age 18, forgoing dreams of becoming an artist. He died earlier this week on the same frontline.
3/13/2023 • 3 minutes, 11 seconds
Is Russia trying to destabilize Ukraine's neighbor, Moldova?
Researchers warn that Russia is ramping up its efforts to destabilize Moldova through propaganda and false information.
3/10/2023 • 3 minutes, 11 seconds
Russia launches a large and deadly missile attack on Ukraine
At least six people died after a barrage of Russian missiles hit targets across Ukraine early Thursday. The attack included an unprecedented number of hypersonic missiles and knocked out power at Europe's largest atomic power station.
3/9/2023 • 4 minutes, 16 seconds
The US effort to seize wealth from Russian oligarchs
For over a year, a Justice Department task force has been charged with targeting Kremlin-aligned Russian oligarchs and seizing their riches — including everything from luxury yachts to opulent homes.
3/8/2023 • 4 minutes, 43 seconds
Ukrainian soldiers speak bluntly about the challenges they face
After a year of war, Russia and Ukraine have lost many of their best troops. The problem for Ukraine is that Russia's far larger population means it likely could access far more troops to send to the front. NPR's Frank Langfitt talks to two front-line Ukrainian soldiers about the future of the conflict.
3/7/2023 • 12 minutes, 51 seconds
Why Russian and Ukrainian forces are focused on the town of Bakhmut
Both sides in the war have suffered horrific losses fighting over the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Joanna Kakissis talks about why this battle is important in the overall war.
3/6/2023 • 3 minutes, 56 seconds
Ukrainian soldiers prepare for another possible invasion from the north.
Along the quiet but unpredictable border with Belarus, Ukrainian soldiers dig in for a protracted war and train to help besieged forces in the east.
3/3/2023 • 4 minutes, 58 seconds
A brief but noteworthy diplomatic meeting between the US and Russia.
The US Secretary of State met with his Russian counterpart for the first time in more than a year. The war in Ukraine has led to a collapse relations between the two. A war that shows no signs of ending, with no diplomatic end game in sight.
3/2/2023 • 4 minutes, 34 seconds
The war in Ukraine has caused the biggest upheaval in oil in almost 50 years.
Russia's war in Ukraine has had a profound and permanent shift in the world's oil markets, creating new geopolitical alliances. Analysts say it's comparable to the 1970s Arab oil embargo.
3/1/2023 • 4 minutes, 16 seconds
What has been the war's impact on global food prices?
Russia's war on Ukraine affected grain shipments and raised concerns about a global food crisis. A year later, the worst fears about food prices and worldwide hunger failed to materialize. Nurith Aizenman talks about what went right and what the future of global food prices may be.
2/28/2023 • 3 minutes, 34 seconds
Are the sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine working?
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Rachel Ziemba of the Center for a New American Security about whether the more than 11,000 sanctions on Russia are weakening their ability to finance the war.
2/27/2023 • 4 minutes, 3 seconds
What does the rest of the world think about the war in Ukraine?
As Russia's war in Ukraine enters its second year, four NPR correspondents based around the world talk about what the impact has been in their regions. We hear the viewponts from West Africa, South America, China and India.
2/25/2023 • 15 minutes, 58 seconds
How Ukraine's President surprised everyone and rose to the occasion.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confounded expectations of his leadership qualities, in a transformation with few parallels in modern history.
2/24/2023 • 11 minutes, 25 seconds
What has a year of war with Ukraine been like inside Russia?
One year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, life in Russia has changed profoundly. Our correspondent in Moscow tells us it is a place of lost freedoms, historical grievances, pride and despair.
2/23/2023 • 9 minutes, 40 seconds
How the citizens of Kherson resisted Russian occupation.
Kherson was the first large city in Ukraine to fall to Russian forces. The historically Russian-speaking city fought back under occupation as ordinary citizens spied on their occupiers.
2/22/2023 • 12 minutes, 36 seconds
The man behind the Wagner mercenaries fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
Yevgeny Prigozhin founded the Wagner Group, a mercenary force fighting for Russia in Ukraine. NPR's Charles Maynes has a portrait of Prigozhin from his home town Saint Petersburg.
2/21/2023 • 7 minutes, 53 seconds
Biden's surprise visit to Kyiv. And NATO's disagreements over the war's future.
President Biden made an unannounced trip to Ukraine's capital. And NATO countries have been remarkably united throughout the past year. But there are big divisions, including on how the conflict should end.
2/20/2023 • 10 minutes, 34 seconds
War in Ukraine: One Year Later
With the war in Ukraine entering its second year with no end in sight, we're taking a long look at this grim milestone. NPR's Leila Fadel takes stock of the war, the people affected by it, and looks at what could happen next.
2/18/2023 • 50 minutes, 54 seconds
Why were predictions about the war in Ukraine so wrong?
From a swift Russian victory to fragmentation of the West, most of the big fears and predictions about the war in Ukraine proved wrong. NPR's Frank Langfitt explains why.
2/17/2023 • 7 minutes, 33 seconds
What the fighting in Eastern Ukraine will look like. And Russian exiles in Armenia.
Russia throws new conscripts into battle — beginning an offensive in Ukraine. Ukrainians plan their own offensive soon. Can either side avoid a stalemate?And thousands of Russian exiles opposed to the war in Ukraine have taken up residence in Armenia, a former Soviet republic which offers Russians passport-free admission.
2/16/2023 • 10 minutes
Russia has thousands of Ukrainian children. Investigators say that's a war crime.
War crimes researchers at Yale University say they have documented the illegal deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.
2/15/2023 • 6 minutes, 35 seconds
Secretary of State Blinken on what it would take to end the war in Ukraine.
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the war in Ukraine and what is needed for peace.
2/14/2023 • 3 minutes, 25 seconds
Why is Russia draining a huge reservoir in Ukraine?
Satellite data obtained by NPR indicate Russia appears to be draining a huge reservoir in southern Ukraine — imperiling drinking water, agricultural production and Europe's largest nuclear plant.
2/10/2023 • 3 minutes, 50 seconds
As Ukraine uses up ammunition quickly, allies scramble to restock warehouses
As the war in Ukraine approaches the end of its first year, NATO allies face a challenge to keep the Ukrainian army supplied with weapons and ammunition — as their own stocks dwindle.
2/9/2023 • 6 minutes, 41 seconds
How prominent was Ukraine in Biden's State of the Union speech?
Last year, President Biden elicited long, bipartisan standing ovations for his stirring vows of crippling sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine. This year, the situation is different.
2/8/2023 • 3 minutes, 48 seconds
Ukrainian soldiers benefit from U.S. prosthetics expertise
A prosthetics clinic that once served mostly American military veterans is now helping Ukrainian amputees get state-of-the-art artificial limbs.
2/7/2023 • 6 minutes, 11 seconds
The paramilitary group fighting for Russia in Ukraine
Examining the Wagner Group, a private military company that Russia has relied on to provide fighters, including prisoners, in Ukraine
2/6/2023 • 6 minutes, 58 seconds
Poland's view of the war next door. And ballet dancers perform in exile.
Polish Ambassador to the U.S. Marek Magierowski talks about Poland's support of Ukraine, and its call for more military aid in the war against Russia. And a ballet company formed from Ukrainians who fled the war, perform in the U.S.
2/3/2023 • 9 minutes, 30 seconds
The fight for air superiority and the fight against corruption
Russia and Ukraine are waging a fierce war in the sky but one thing makes this fight distinctive from previous air wars: pilots are extremely rare. And NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Conor Savoy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies about Ukraine's efforts to root out corruption to ensure allies their money is going to the right places.
2/2/2023 • 10 minutes, 2 seconds
Ukraine recently got a promise of new tanks, will fighter jets be next?
In an interview with NPR, Ukraine's defense minister says he's optimistic Western allies will supply his country with advanced fighter jets.
1/31/2023 • 4 minutes, 59 seconds
An elderly couple in Ukraine says their resilience is all about happiness
An elderly couple who survived a Russian air strike in a town on the front lines in Ukraine celebrate the electricity and water they once again have.
1/30/2023 • 5 minutes, 36 seconds
How the US is helping keep the lights on in Ukraine.
Ukraine needs more than weapons to defeat Russia. The US is also working frantically to provide infrastructure help to keep the lights on.
1/27/2023 • 4 minutes, 17 seconds
Can Western tanks change the game?
NPR's Leila Fadel talks with former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Douglas Lute about decisions by the U.S. and Germany to send battle tanks to Ukraine, and their likely impact on the war against Russia.
1/26/2023 • 4 minutes, 21 seconds
The US and Germany agree to send tanks to Ukraine. What will their impact be?
In coordinated announcements, the US and Germany said they will send two types of state-of-the-art tanks to Ukraine. We hear from NPR reporters in Berlin and Washington, DC about why these announcements were made now and what these weapons will mean on the front lines.
1/25/2023 • 7 minutes, 40 seconds
A shakeup in Ukraine's government. And why Germany is reluctant to send tanks.
A number of high-level officials were dismissed from Ukraine's government amid allegations of corruption. And a former member of Germany's Parliament talks about the historical and cultural reasons for Germany's reticence to send tanks to Ukraine or allow other countries to do the same.
1/24/2023 • 9 minutes, 4 seconds
What it's like to spend a winter in the trenches, according to Ukrainian soldiers
Ukrainian soldiers in the country's northeast describe winter living conditions in their trenches, in advance of a possible springtime Russian offensive.
1/23/2023 • 5 minutes, 42 seconds
Will Ukraine's allies send in tanks? And an icy cold tradition.
Ukraine's allies are announcing their latest weapons packages for the country. But not all of them agree on whether to share western-designed and made heavy battle tanks.And an NPR reporter takes part in a chilly January ritual.
1/20/2023 • 7 minutes, 13 seconds
Germany's chancellor said he'd boost military. How is the German army doing now?
The war in Ukraine shook Europe. Just days after Russia's invasion, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a $100 billion boost for Germany's military. Has it helped? Here's a look at the state of Germany's armed forces and the industry that depends on their survival
1/19/2023 • 11 minutes, 32 seconds
A helicopter crash near Kyiv kills at least 12, including Ukraine's interior minister
A helicopter crash near Kyiv killed more than a dozen people, including the country's interior minister.
1/18/2023 • 3 minutes, 49 seconds
Amid the rubble in Dnipro, Ukraine, a frantic search grows increasingly desperate
Rescuers have been racing to find survivors at an apartment complex attacked by Russian forces on Saturday. At least 40 people were killed, and more than 25 others are missing and feared dead.
1/17/2023 • 3 minutes, 31 seconds
Armored vehicle pledge to Ukraine marks a change in the war with Russia
The U.S., France and Germany have recently announced plans to send armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine. The Western-designed weapons are an upgrade, but they're not the tanks that Ukraine wants.
1/13/2023 • 4 minutes, 46 seconds
Condoleezza Rice calls for 'urgency' in sending weapons and money to Ukraine
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice thinks the way forward for the war in Ukraine is: more. More weapons and more money to Ukraine's forces trying to kick Russia out of their country.
1/12/2023 • 7 minutes, 8 seconds
Russia makes a tactical advance in Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine
Intense fighting continues in and around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Russia and a Kremlin-aligned mercenary force have made small advances in nearby villages in recent days.
1/11/2023 • 3 minutes, 44 seconds
People in Odesa try to do business even after Russian attacks leave them in the dark
Ukrainian officials in Odesa say the local economy has contracted 40% since the war began. The shutdown of the local ports and unreliable electricity have forced businesses to adapt.
1/10/2023 • 3 minutes, 47 seconds
Putin has only 1 option left but won't accept it, says Ukraine's foreign minister
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba details the so-called ceasefire, the options he believes Vladimir Putin has left, and what counts as a victory for Ukraine from here on.
1/9/2023 • 8 minutes, 16 seconds
Russian President Putin orders a temporary cease-fire in Ukraine
Putin instructed his defense minister to order a temporary cease-fire in Ukraine over Orthodox Christmas. Ukraine accuses Russia of trying to buy time to replenish its stocks along the front lines.
1/6/2023 • 3 minutes, 23 seconds
Ukrainian civilian killed by Russia was a celebrated children's author
The killing of children's author Volodymyr Vakylenko has become a symbol of Russia's war on Ukrainian culture. His last work was a diary of life under Russian occupation.
1/3/2023 • 7 minutes, 3 seconds
In Ukraine, the New Year was met with more sheltering from aerial bombardment
Ukraine's government issued 15,000 air raid warnings in 2022, and it doesn't look like Russia is planning to let up this year.
1/2/2023 • 3 minutes, 25 seconds
Russia is finishing the year with continued strikes on Ukraine's electrical grid
Lights flickered or went out in some Ukrainian cities Thursday. More than 300 days into the war, airstrikes and power outages have become part of life. Where do things stand as the year winds down?
12/30/2022 • 3 minutes, 45 seconds
A flood of Russians arrive in Uzbekistan to avoid being drafted and sent to Ukraine
While there are many people in Uzbekistan welcoming Russians fleeing conscription to the war in Ukraine, others are irritated by their presence.
12/28/2022 • 6 minutes, 4 seconds
Officials in Ukraine and Russia are talking about negotiations. Why now?
NPR's A Martinez speaks to Daniel Fried, former U.S. ambassador to Poland, about the possibility of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in the new year.
12/27/2022 • 5 minutes, 7 seconds
Putin reiterates claims he's willing to negotiate but attacks on Ukraine continue
Russian President Putin has started referring to the invasion of Ukraine as a war — after insisting it was an operation. It's been more than 10 months since Russia invaded Ukraine.
12/26/2022 • 3 minutes, 42 seconds
Zelenskyy told Congress continued aid is an investment in global security. Is it?
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Amanda Sloat, senior director for Europe on the National Security Council, about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's trip to Washington and U.S. assistance.
12/22/2022 • 4 minutes, 56 seconds
Despite sanctions on Russia since it invaded Ukraine, the war continues
The international community has slapped an unprecedented number of sanctions on Russia since it invaded Ukraine. What impact have they had?
12/21/2022 • 3 minutes, 51 seconds
Ukraine warns Russia is preparing for a major ground offensive this winter
NPR's A Martinez talks to retired Marine Col. Mark Cancian, senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about a possible major Russian ground offensive in Ukraine.
12/19/2022 • 3 minutes, 30 seconds
A century and counting: Ukraine's ongoing fight to free itself from Russia
This month marks 100 years since Ukraine joined the Soviet Union. It did so after Ukraine lost in a bid for independence. Ukraine once again finds itself in another life-and-death battle with Moscow.
12/16/2022 • 7 minutes, 16 seconds
A Russian recruit, mobilized for the war in Ukraine, is fighting to avoid the fight
A Russian recruit, mobilized for the war in Ukraine, is fighting to serve his country in a different way: alternative service as a conscientious objector.
12/12/2022 • 5 minutes, 39 seconds
Ukrainian doctors train for live-saving surgery in the U.S.
Ukrainian doctors are getting a crash course in lung transplants here in the U.S. Patients usually leave Ukraine for the surgery, but the war has increased the need for care back home.
12/9/2022 • 3 minutes, 47 seconds
A look into one of 50 thousand war crimes under investigation in Ukraine
There are 50 thousand war crimes under investigation in Ukraine. NPR looked into just one case — the death of a man — and what it might take to find justice.
12/8/2022 • 22 minutes, 22 seconds
Russia blames Ukrainian drones for explosions at two air bases within the country
Max Bergmann of the Center for Strategic and International Studies joins NPR to discuss the implications of reported Ukrainian air strikes deep within Russia.
12/7/2022 • 4 minutes, 52 seconds
In an ongoing race, Ukraine tries to repair faster than Russia bombs
Ukraine's electrical grid has been under assault from Russian airstrikes for two months. Repair workers are racing to fix damaged power stations, even as the country braces for more attacks.
12/6/2022 • 4 minutes, 2 seconds
Russian airstrikes cause electricity outages, but Ukraine says it shot down missiles
Russian airstrikes caused electricity outages in some Ukrainian cities. However, Ukraine says it shot down many missiles, and the damage was substantially less than in previous attacks.
12/5/2022 • 3 minutes, 58 seconds
100 years ago, 'Carol of the Bells' came to America — from Ukraine
"Carol of the Bells" is a Christmas staple in the U.S., but it was written by a Ukrainian composer and first came to the U.S. 100 years ago — when Ukrainians were fighting for freedom.
12/2/2022 • 3 minutes, 38 seconds
The EU aims to find a way to hold Putin responsible for war crimes in Ukraine
NPR's A Martinez talks to Luis Moreno Ocampo, former chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, about an EU proposal for a special war crimes court in Ukraine.
12/1/2022 • 5 minutes, 11 seconds
With a trip to Kyiv, NATO foreign ministers underscore their commitment to Ukraine
NATO foreign ministers are now meeting in Romania to discuss how to support Ukrainians as they confront a harsh winter and a constant barrage of Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.
11/30/2022 • 3 minutes, 45 seconds
Ukraine remembers a famine under Stalin, and points to parallels with Putin
Ukraine marked 90 years since a terrible famine that killed at least 4 million of its people. The event was especially poignant this year as Ukraine deals with its present crisis.
11/28/2022 • 4 minutes, 31 seconds
Ukrainians prepare for winter by cutting down trees, raising concerns about forests
Ukraine is suffering power outages and damaged heating systems as Russia attacks its energy systems. Many are preparing for winter by cutting down trees, raising concerns about the country's forests.
11/24/2022 • 4 minutes, 55 seconds
Georgians alarmed at the arrival of tens of thousands of Russian exiles
A small country bordering Russia and partly occupied by it is alarmed by the recent arrival of tens of thousands of Russian men fleeing conscription into the Ukraine war.
11/23/2022 • 7 minutes, 3 seconds
Aid to Ukraine is vital this winter as Russia keeps up its attack on infrastructure
As Russia's bombardment of Ukraine's infrastructure continues, the Ukrainian government is set to receive more than $4 billion in aid from the U.S. to help keep basic services running.
11/22/2022 • 2 minutes, 25 seconds
How Russia is weaponizing the Ukrainian winter
Ukraine says Russia is using the cold as a weapon against Ukrainians, by targeting the country's ability to heat and power homes. Repair crews are struggling to restore power to damaged areas.
11/21/2022 • 6 minutes, 48 seconds
She was a diplomat in Ukraine when war came. In a U.S. suburb, a truck took her life
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to Dan Langenkamp, former press attaché for the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, about his advocacy for bike safety. His wife was killed in a crash in August.
11/18/2022 • 5 minutes, 59 seconds
Examining the missile mishap in Poland and the lessons to take away
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Stephen Flanagan, a senior fellow at the RAND Corporation, about the lessons NATO can learn from this week's missile strike near Poland's border with Ukraine.
11/17/2022 • 5 minutes, 56 seconds
The missile strike in Poland was potentially a stray Ukrainian missile
Initial investigations suggest the missile strike in Poland was not a deliberate attack but potentially a stray Ukrainian missile.
11/16/2022 • 3 minutes, 45 seconds
Ukrainian soldiers are picking up new skills — even from YouTube — to fight Russia
As the war has changed over the months, Ukrainian soldiers have had to adapt quickly and learn new skills — even if it means figuring out how to fire anti-tank missiles by watching YouTube videos.
11/14/2022 • 4 minutes, 51 seconds
In a major blow to Putin, Russia says it has fully withdrawn from Kherson
The Russian Defense Ministry says it has completed its withdrawal from the strategically important city of Kherson in southern Ukraine.
11/11/2022 • 3 minutes, 57 seconds
Ukraine is skeptical of Russian claims that it is withdrawing from Kherson
Russian officials made an announcement that they are withdrawing troops from the key city of Kherson. The city is the capital of a region Russia claims to have annexed.
11/10/2022 • 3 minutes, 55 seconds
Italy has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine — but that support could dwindle
Italy has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February. But with high energy prices, inflation and a new government, there's concern that support might start to dwindle.
11/8/2022 • 3 minutes, 55 seconds
A chance meeting in war-torn Ukraine helps reconnect friends half a world away
NPR checks in on a woman in Ukraine, six months after her town was liberated from Russian occupation.
11/7/2022 • 8 minutes, 17 seconds
Russia's invasion has prompted Biden to offer reconciliation to Venezuela's president
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted the Biden administration to extend an olive branch to Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro.
11/4/2022 • 4 minutes, 35 seconds
A new school in Kyiv is training women to pilot drones
A new school in Kyiv aims to get more women involved in the war effort by putting them in a driver's seat where few have been before: piloting drones.
11/2/2022 • 3 minutes, 52 seconds
Updates on the latest strikes in Ukraine
Ukraine says it shot down many of the missiles sent by Russia on Monday, but the ones that got through have caused a lot of damage.
11/1/2022 • 3 minutes, 27 seconds
Russia faces backlash over threat to pull out of grain deal
Russia has threatened to pull out of the Black Sea Grain initiative - a move that threatens to have a profound impact on global food prices.
10/31/2022 • 3 minutes, 30 seconds
Putin makes unsubstantiated claim that Ukraine has plans to use a dirty bomb
Russia has given no evidence of Ukraine planning to use a bomb that would spread radiation on its own territory. The U.S. has warned Russia may be setting a pretext for its own future actions.
10/27/2022 • 3 minutes, 43 seconds
Another casualty of Russia's war: Some Ukrainians no longer trust their neighbors
The war in Ukraine hasn't only destroyed lives and buildings. It's also ripped apart trust in communities that endured Russian occupation. Neighbors now see each other as collaborators with the enemy.
10/26/2022 • 5 minutes, 4 seconds
Progressive Democrats withdraw a letter urging Biden to be more proactive in Ukraine
Members of the congressional progressive caucus have withdrawn a letter urging President Biden to adjust his approach to the war in Ukraine.
10/25/2022 • 4 minutes, 3 seconds
Ukrainians keep a wary eye on U.S. midterm elections, fearing a loss of support
The likelihood that Republicans may win the House has triggered concerns in Ukraine. Last month, most House Republicans voted against a funding package that included billions earmarked for Ukraine.
10/21/2022 • 4 minutes, 24 seconds
Iran denies that it is supplying weaponry to Russia for use in Ukraine
Iran is wading into Russia's war on Ukraine with reported plans to sell surface to surface missiles and drones to Moscow. Will Iran's help change the trajectory of this war?
10/20/2022 • 3 minutes, 7 seconds
Putin orders martial law in four Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered martial law in four Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
10/19/2022 • 3 minutes, 34 seconds
In Ukraine, trend lines point to escalation, not an endgame
When the question comes up on how the war in Ukraine ends, the debate tends to be brief. After eight months of fighting, most all the signs are pointing toward prolonged conflict.
10/18/2022 • 6 minutes, 17 seconds
U.S. to send Ukraine more air defense systems after Russia stepped missile attacks
NPR's A Martinez talks to John Kirby, White House national security coordinator for Strategic Communications, about the Russian bombardments, and expedited U.S. shipments of weapons and equipment.
10/17/2022 • 5 minutes, 37 seconds
Young Ukrainians are spreading joy by organizing cleanup parties
A group of volunteers are spreading joy in Ukraine by organizing cleanup parties. Young Ukrainians blast music and dance as they clean the debris of obliterated homes.
10/14/2022 • 5 minutes, 3 seconds
The U.N. votes to condemn Russia's attempts to annex parts of Ukraine
Russia looks increasingly isolated on the world stage. The General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn Russia's attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory and called on it to reverse the move.
10/13/2022 • 2 minutes, 1 second
An 11-year-old girl was among the casualties in Russia's strikes across Ukraine
Thousands of civilians have been killed in the war in Ukraine. Nasta Grycenko was among Monday's casualties after Russia hit areas across Ukraine. Her father says she shouldn't be a statistic.
10/11/2022 • 6 minutes, 39 seconds
Here's what to know about the Nobel Peace Prize winners
The winners of this year's Nobel Peace Prize are recognized, the Nobel Committee said, for years of protecting the fundamental rights of citizens in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
10/7/2022 • 7 minutes, 25 seconds
The differences between what Russia and Ukraine say is happening on the ground
Russia says it is claiming parts of Ukraine, but facts on the ground say otherwise. Ukrainian troops continue a counteroffensive in the country's south and east that is upending the Kremlin's plans.
10/6/2022 • 8 minutes, 6 seconds
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has stopped all foreign adoptions of Ukrainian children
Dozens of American parents who were in the process of adopting children from Ukraine are stuck in limbo as the war with Russia grinds on with no end in sight.
10/5/2022 • 4 minutes, 52 seconds
How likely is a Russian nuclear strike in Ukraine?
Russian President Vladimir Putin is again raising the possibility of such an attack. Experts said the likelihood still remains low, though risks are rising.
10/4/2022 • 3 minutes, 49 seconds
How Russian forces lost control of the Ukrainian railway hub of Lyman
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the key railway hub is under his country's control. Russian forces had been using the rail lines to resupply their troops farther south in Ukraine.
10/3/2022 • 3 minutes, 30 seconds
How Russia's illegal annexation of Ukrainian regions could change the war
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Andrew Weiss of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about Russia annexing four Ukrainian territories and how that could escalate the war.
9/30/2022 • 4 minutes, 51 seconds
Moscow prepares to annex 4 Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to PBS NewsHour's Simon Ostrovsky about what the earlier annexation of Crimea might suggest for what happens now for the next areas Russia is trying to annex.
9/29/2022 • 5 minutes, 3 seconds
Russia claims its occupied territories in Ukraine voted to become part of Russia
Final results from so-called referendums in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine indicate overwhelming support for joining the Russian Federation. The voting is widely condemned as a sham.
9/28/2022 • 3 minutes, 46 seconds
Results of sham annexation votes in 4 occupied regions of Ukraine may be known soon
NPR's A Martinez talks to Thomas de Waal of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about Russian-organized annexation votes that Ukraine's allies say violate international law.
9/27/2022 • 6 minutes, 15 seconds
What meaningful action could the United Nations take to help Ukraine?
As the U.N. General Assembly comes to a close, NPR's Leila Fadel asks Yale law professor Oona Hathaway how nations can unite in responding to Russia for its war against Ukraine.
9/26/2022 • 4 minutes, 27 seconds
Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine begin illegal referendums
Referendums began in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine today. The voting is illegal under both Ukrainian and international law. But that hasn't stopped Moscow from going through with it.
9/23/2022 • 3 minutes, 34 seconds
What Putin's partial mobilization announcement means for Ukraine
NPR's A Martinez talks to retired Col. Mark Cancian about what Putin's partial mobilization of the Russian military and attempts to annex Ukrainian territory tell us about the next phase of the war.
9/22/2022 • 4 minutes, 41 seconds
Putin says Russia will mobilize up to 300,000 additional troops to fight in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia will mobilize up to 300,000 additional troops to fight in Ukraine. Moscow appears poised to annex the Ukrainian territory it currently controls.
9/21/2022 • 5 minutes, 59 seconds
Some Ukrainian towns are now liberated, but Russian forces left them in shambles
One Ukrainian woman planted flowers after Russia took over her town — to show she wasn't going anywhere. Now the Russian forces are gone and she and the town are trying to pick up the pieces.
9/21/2022 • 4 minutes, 35 seconds
President Biden discussed the war in Ukraine, China and climate change at UNGA
The war in Ukraine is dominating this year's general assembly. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to address the world body about newly discovered graves in formerly Russian occupied territory.
9/21/2022 • 3 minutes, 41 seconds
After 6 months of occupation, a small Ukrainian town has been liberated
The Ukrainian town of Balaklia was the first to be liberated as part of Ukraine's recent counteroffensive. The work to understand what happened there during six months of occupation is just beginning.
9/13/2022 • 3 minutes, 33 seconds
Ukrainian delegation rallies Washington for support
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Ukrainian activist Hanna Hopko about her efforts leading a civil society delegation in Washington trying to lobby lawmakers to send more aid and weapons to Ukraine.
9/13/2022 • 7 minutes, 13 seconds
Zelenskyy's former spokesperson writes about working with the Ukrainian president
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with political adviser Iuliia Mendel about her book, The Fight of Our Lives: My Time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine's Battle for Democracy and What it Means for the World.
9/13/2022 • 8 minutes, 8 seconds
How Ukraine broke the stalemate with Russia
In a counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces have claimed swaths in the east of the country, dealing a heavy blow to Russian forces as the war marks 200 days.
9/12/2022 • 4 minutes, 15 seconds
Ukrainians celebrate as troops make gains
Ukrainians react to the gains made by Ukrainian forces in a military offensive carried out in recent days.
9/12/2022 • 1 minute, 26 seconds
Here's why the risk of a nuclear accident in Ukraine has 'significantly increased'
The head of the world's atomic watchdog warned that the reactors at Zaporizhzhia might have to be shut down. That would start a clock ticking at the site.
9/9/2022 • 3 minutes, 51 seconds
Blinken announces more security aid to Ukraine during a surprise visit
Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Thursday to announce more security aid to Ukraine.He was also there to signal support as Ukraine tries to push back Russian forces.
9/8/2022 • 2 minutes, 58 seconds
Is Africa being held hostage in the politics of grain wars?
The first shipment of Ukrainian grain arrived in Ethiopia on Wednesday. But the delivery — six truckloads — is just a fraction of what is needed across the entire continent.
9/7/2022 • 3 minutes, 41 seconds
These groups are working to help the animals affected by the war in Ukraine
Six months into the war in Ukraine, thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced. Four-legged Ukrainians are also suffering, but there are groups working to help the animals.
9/7/2022 • 3 minutes, 50 seconds
An economic perfect storm is battering emerging markets. Debt crises loom
With a strengthening dollar and rising commodity prices, developing nations are having a hard time paying their debts.
9/6/2022 • 4 minutes, 28 seconds
U.N. calls for demilitarized zone around nuclear plant in Ukraine
The United Nations is calling for a demilitarized zone around a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.
9/6/2022 • 4 minutes, 41 seconds
U.N. inspectors arrive at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine
A team of nuclear inspectors from the United Nations has made its way to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Southern Ukraine.
9/2/2022 • 3 minutes, 31 seconds
Fukushima could provide insight into a potential nuclear disaster in Ukraine
Some experts fear the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, could meltdown in a way similar to what happened in Fukushima, Japan, over a decade ago. What would that look like in a war zone?
8/31/2022 • 4 minutes, 30 seconds
This Ukrainian grandmother is rebelling against the war-time beach ban
In Ukraine's most popular summer destination, a 90-year-old grandmother encourages a rebellion against a war-time beach ban, swimming despite the threat of fines – and floating mines.
8/31/2022 • 3 minutes, 52 seconds
Revisiting Ukraine's front line in Slovyansk
The government has sent evacuation orders to Ukraine's Donbas region but many remain. One sparsely open city has become a hub for Ukrainian military members taking a break from the front line.
8/30/2022 • 4 minutes, 14 seconds
Why the U.S. cares about the war in Ukraine
Six months into the war in Ukraine, why should the U.S. continue to care and spend billions of dollars on the war when Europe is so ambivalent? And what do U.S. officials see as the end game?
8/26/2022 • 3 minutes, 52 seconds
What are the longterm implications of the U.S. sending military supplies to Ukraine?
The Pentagon is ramping up its support of Ukraine in its war against Russia. The Defense Department is sending another $3 billion to Ukraine. That brings total U.S. aid to more than $13 billion.
8/25/2022 • 3 minutes, 20 seconds
6 months of war: The view from the frontlines
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Ukrainian politician Volodymyr Omelyan, who left his job and family, and has been fighting against the Russians on the frontlines for the last six months.
8/24/2022 • 7 minutes, 16 seconds
Six months into the Russia-Ukraine war, how can we measure the loss of life?
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Matilda Bogner, head of the United Nations Human Rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, about whether death tolls in Russia's war on Ukraine have been underestimated.
8/23/2022 • 4 minutes, 36 seconds
Kyiv hosts a different kind of parade to celebrate Ukraine's independence day
Aug. 24 marks the day when Ukraine's parliament vowed to separate from the Soviet Union in 1991. The date this year will also mark six months since Russia's invasion began.
8/22/2022 • 3 minutes, 44 seconds
Russia's war in Ukraine pushes Ukrainian steel production to the brink
The Russian invasion has taken a toll on Ukrainian metalworks — the country's second-largest industry — and there's still no deal to ship iron and steel products to customers.
8/19/2022 • 4 minutes, 33 seconds
How a journalist and an aspiring writer in Ukraine grew while working on a news site
A local journalist in small town New York and an aspiring writer in Eastern Ukraine discovered they had a lot more to learn from each other than either expected.
8/18/2022 • 7 minutes, 59 seconds
Europe's largest nuclear power plant is at risk
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Olena Pareniuk of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine about the threat to the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
8/17/2022 • 4 minutes, 5 seconds
What it was like as family of Ukrainian prisoners of war waited for news after blast
The families of Ukrainian soldiers imprisoned by Russian forces have embarked on a desperate search for information after a deadly explosion at the prison where the soldiers are kept.
8/16/2022 • 7 minutes, 17 seconds
The war in Ukraine is disrupting the world's supply of neon
A growing shortage for neon is driving up its prices by 5000%. Neon production became highly concentrated in post-Soviet states, such as Ukraine and Russia. The world is paying for that concentration.
8/12/2022 • 3 minutes, 29 seconds
Violence has damaged infrastructure near a Ukraine power plant, sparking safety fears
Concern is growing over damage to a Ukrainian nuclear facility seized by Russians in March, which is reportedly currently under bombardment. Ukraine is seeking an international mission to the plant.
8/10/2022 • 3 minutes, 41 seconds
Violence has damaged infrastructure near a Ukraine power plant, sparking safety fears
Concern is growing over damage to a Ukrainian nuclear facility seized by Russians in March, which is reportedly currently under bombardment. Ukraine is seeking an international mission to the plant.
8/8/2022 • 3 minutes, 41 seconds
Ukraine condemns Amnesty International report that troops were too close to civilians
Amnesty International has criticized Ukraine for setting up military bases in residential areas. Ukrainian officials say It's Russian forces that are putting Ukrainian civilians lives in jeopardy.
8/4/2022 • 2 minutes, 55 seconds
A retired ISS commander weighs in on Russia's decision to leave
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Terry Virts, retired NASA astronaut and commander of the International Space Station, about Russia's decision to leave the ISS after 2024.
8/3/2022 • 4 minutes, 59 seconds
Turkey's President Erdogan is set to meet with Putin again — and has some requests
Turkey is part of NATO and keeps close ties with the West, but its president is on the way to Russia with some very specific requests.
8/3/2022 • 3 minutes, 8 seconds
'Vogue' cover of Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska sparks debate and controversy
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.
8/2/2022 • 3 minutes, 46 seconds
Ukraine's army is waging its 1st major offensive against Russia to retake Kherson
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.
8/2/2022 • 7 minutes, 38 seconds
Resuming Ukrainian grain exports may help reduce food insecurity in the Middle East
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.
8/1/2022 • 4 minutes, 48 seconds
For the 1st time since Russia invaded, ships are set to depart Ukraine with grain
In Odessa, Ukraine is trying to launch ships filled with grain as part of deals brokered to address a global food shortage. Its ports have been closed since Russia invaded more than five months ago.
7/29/2022 • 2 minutes, 5 seconds
Concerns around shipping Ukrainian grain
What it would actually take to send out Ukrainian grain. They need to bring in minesweepers, figure out shipping companies to use, assure no more missile attacks, sort out danger pay, and lots more.
7/28/2022 • 3 minutes, 34 seconds
Brittney Griner testifies about her medical marijuana prescription and chaotic arrest
The WNBA star took the stand in Russian court Wednesday to explain why she had vape cartridges in the first place, how they ended up in her luggage and what happened after they were discovered.
7/27/2022 • 2 minutes, 7 seconds
The EU has agreed to cut gas consumption by 15% in order to reduce reliance on Russia
Russia's gas company Gazprom has once again reduced the flow of natural gas to Europe. To counter that move, the EU has agreed to reduce its gas usage by 15%. But that's easier said than done.
7/26/2022 • 2 minutes, 19 seconds
Russia to quit the ISS after 2024
Russia says it will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024. This echoes intentions previously set by Russia and comes amid tensions with the U.S. and the West over the war in Ukraine.
7/26/2022 • 2 minutes, 15 seconds
Rep. Elissa Slotkin on her visit to Ukraine and meeting with President Zelenskyy
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., about her trip to Ukraine with a bipartisan Congressional delegation and meeting with President Zelenskyy.
7/25/2022 • 7 minutes, 2 seconds
Ukraine and Russia agree to a new deal focused on grain shipments
Ukraine and Russia agreed to a UN-brokered deal on grain shipments out of the Black Sea that Turkey will oversee. The food supplies are badly needed around the globe.
7/22/2022 • 3 minutes, 26 seconds
A man must decide to flee Ukraine to join his family or stay to care for his parents
A Ukrainian man is being forced to choose between the two: a wife and three children who have fled the country and aging parents who are trapped behind enemy lines.
7/20/2022 • 2 minutes, 53 seconds
Kharkiv is finding a new normal as residents return to work — despite missile strikes
As the war in Ukraine nears its sixth month, people in the northeastern city of Kharkiv are finding a new normal. Construction crews are cleaning up bombed buildings and people are returning to work.
7/19/2022 • 4 minutes, 17 seconds
Riding Ukraine's last train line out of Donbas with families fleeing for their lives
Russia is fighting to conquer the entire Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. To help civilians escape, the Ukrainian railway runs a free evacuation train out of the east. Here's what it's like.
7/18/2022 • 4 minutes, 39 seconds
Chechen soldiers join Ukraine's fight against Russia
Soldiers from Chechnya, a Muslim territory, are part of the foreign fight against Russia in Ukraine. Russia brutally suppressed them in two wars, and their presence echoes old hatreds in Ukraine.
7/15/2022 • 3 minutes, 23 seconds
A Russian strike on a humanitarian hub is part of a pattern, Ukrainian officials say
More than 20 people were killed when Russian missiles hit several buildings in Vinnytsia, a central city that has become a major logistical hub for humanitarian aid and military operations.
7/14/2022 • 3 minutes, 53 seconds
Many soldiers in Ukraine will long be left with the mental toll of trench warfare
The brutal trench warfare-style fighting happening in eastern Ukraine is traumatizing soldiers. There are concerns in Ukraine about the psychological legacy it will leave behind.
7/14/2022 • 5 minutes, 23 seconds
Ukrainian rail service adds a special train to get people out of Donbas
Russia is pounding eastern Ukraine as it tries to consolidate its control of the entire Donbas region. To help get people the out, the Ukrainian rail service has added a special train from the Donbas.
7/12/2022 • 4 minutes, 39 seconds
Japan is examining its security and defense policy as Russia continues war in Ukraine
Shinzo Abe, former Japanese prime minister who was killed July 11, championed for more robust defense and security policies. With current world events, those ideas are increasingly important in Japan.
7/11/2022 • 4 minutes
A new reality reverberates through Russia's music scene
Canceled concerts, lawsuits, existential turmoil. As Russia has cracked down on anti-war speech, the country's music scene reaches a particularly high pitch.
7/11/2022 • 4 minutes, 59 seconds
One man's efforts to lighten the spirits of displaced children in western Ukraine
In a western Ukraine town that's refuge to people from the war in the east, a clown who is a refugee himself tries to keep up children's spirits.
7/8/2022 • 3 minutes, 34 seconds
Zelenskyy has consolidated Ukraine's TV outlets and dissolved rival political parties
President Zelenskyy has consolidated all TV platforms in Ukraine into one state broadcast and restricted political rivals. Political opposition fears such civil liberty constraints could continue.
7/8/2022 • 5 minutes, 7 seconds
The Russian army appears close to taking the entire Donbas region
Russian troops have taken Luhansk and are headed for Donetsk, pounding cities along the way. When Donetsk falls, which seems likely, Putin will have "liberated the Donbas." But will he be satisfied?
7/7/2022 • 3 minutes, 37 seconds
Taiwan is watching Ukraine to prepare for a possible invasion by China
As people in Taiwan watch the war in Ukraine, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with veteran journalist Chris Horton about what they think it could mean for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
7/6/2022 • 8 minutes, 11 seconds
Russia is facing a huge geopolitical price for its invasion of Ukraine
Russia has won significant ground on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine but a growing number of experts say the growing costs to Moscow's military, economy and stature far outweigh the gains.
6/28/2022 • 3 minutes, 57 seconds
G-7 leaders focus on Ukraine war in summit
Leaders of the G-7 nations met in Germany and focused on the war in Ukraine. They talked about new missile defense systems for Kyiv and a proposal for a price cap for Russian oil.
6/27/2022 • 3 minutes, 52 seconds
Russia's economy is weathering sanctions, but tough times are ahead
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Russian political scientist Ilya Matveev about the impact of sanctions on the Russian economy.
6/23/2022 • 7 minutes, 49 seconds
Ukraine could become a candidate to join the EU. Here's what it takes to get in
European Union leaders will meet Thursday in Brussels where they are expected to approve Ukraine as a candidate to join the EU — a process that is neither quick nor easy.
6/22/2022 • 3 minutes, 38 seconds
Why volunteer grave diggers in Ukraine are exhuming Russia's dead
Ukraine has been collecting the bodies of dead Russians left behind pushed Russian forces back from Kharkiv weeks ago. Two brothers from an outside village are helping unbury the dead.
6/21/2022 • 5 minutes, 50 seconds
The once-quiet southwestern corner of Ukraine is now playing a key role in trade
An overlooked corner of Ukraine is quietly playing a critical role in the country's efforts to import and export goods. Russia is trying to cut it off.
6/20/2022 • 5 minutes, 3 seconds
Ukrainian activist pleads with Washington lawmakers for more military support
Hanna Hopko, a pro-democracy activist from Ukraine, traveled to Washington, D.C., to try and convince lawmakers to send Ukraine more aid. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly spoke with her to see if it's working.
6/17/2022 • 7 minutes, 57 seconds
European leaders meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to show unity and support
Four European leaders are meeting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in talks intended as a show of European unity. Also, the U.S. ambassador tells NPR she expects "a long, grinding, tough war."
6/16/2022 • 3 minutes, 51 seconds
What's motivating the foreigners who have gone to Ukraine to fight against Russia
The U.S. State Department says it is "aware of unconfirmed reports of two U.S. citizens captured in Ukraine." They are believed to among the thousands of foreigners who have gone to fight in Ukraine.
6/15/2022 • 11 minutes, 4 seconds
One of President Zelenskyy's top advisers told NPR what Ukraine wants
The leaders of Ukraine are gaming out where the war with Russia goes from here. One of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top advisers at Kyiv's presidential compound weighed in on what Ukraine wants.
6/14/2022 • 3 minutes, 58 seconds
Gas and food prices are rising in Kenya, too, driven by the war in Ukraine
Inflation is the talk of the town in Nairobi, Kenya, just like it is in the United States. From gas to food to soap, here's how one African country is feeling the impact of the war in Ukraine.
6/10/2022 • 3 minutes, 20 seconds
Despite help from the U.S., Ukraine says it's outgunned by Russia
The U.S. is supplying billions of dollars of weapons to Ukraine. Yet getting armament to the battlefield is challenging and Ukraine says it needs even more firepower to fight Russian forces.
6/10/2022 • 5 minutes, 52 seconds
Russia threatens to kick out U.S. journalists unless U.S. treats Russian media better
Russia is warning foreign journalists that they could lose the right to stay unless the situation of Russian journalists in the U.S. improves.
6/9/2022 • 4 minutes, 33 seconds
Maine volunteer welcomes Ukrainian refugees
Across the U.S., volunteers are stepping up to resettle Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion. In Maine, one Ukrainian man has taken in 11 people and plans to welcome more.
6/9/2022 • 3 minutes, 46 seconds
Russia is still blocking key Ukrainian port as fighting continues in Ukraine's east
There's intense fighting in the east of Ukraine, new information on a Ukrainian city under Russian occupation, and a possible cholera outbreak in Mariupol.
6/7/2022 • 3 minutes, 58 seconds
An ex-member of one of the world's most dangerous mercenary groups has gone public
The Wagner Group, known as "Putin's shadow army," has come to the world's attention because of the Ukraine war. Marat Gabidullin, who left Wagner after fighting in Syria, has written a book about it.
6/6/2022 • 4 minutes, 17 seconds
In Ukraine's National Opera house, artists have sworn off Russian music
Ukraine's National Opera was built to celebrate Russian opera at the height of the imperial era. But the venue now represents a history of competing empires, censorship and survival.
6/6/2022 • 3 minutes, 4 seconds
One Ukrainian man finds solace tending to his pigeons while war draws nearer
Many civilians have fled the fighting in eastern Ukraine. Even as the fighting intensifies, some Ukrainians who remain are still trying to go about their normal lives.
6/3/2022 • 3 minutes, 22 seconds
Ukraine has Russian war wreckage on display as a reminder
Ukrainian officials have put up a display of destroyed Russian vehicles in front of the country's Foreign Ministry, intending to show the residents Kyiv and the world that Russia can be defeated.
6/3/2022 • 3 minutes, 10 seconds
Has military support for Ukraine from the U.S. and NATO peaked?
NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with defense policy expert Andrew Exum about whether the U.S. and its allies will continue to endure the economic cost of supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.
6/3/2022 • 4 minutes, 41 seconds
Tensions around the war in Ukraine are impacting the sports world
If you wanted to forget the Ukraine war by watching a little tennis, forget it. The war is affecting everything, including professional sports.
6/2/2022 • 3 minutes, 54 seconds
Volodymyr vs. Vladimir: How rival statues explain the Russia-Ukraine conflict
A 10th-century prince is a founding figure to Ukrainians, who call him Volodymyr, and to Russians, who call him Vladimir. This isn't just some minor historical tiff.
6/2/2022 • 5 minutes, 34 seconds
The wartime U.S.-Poland alliance provides opportunities to work on other issues
Poland and the United States have had a see-saw relationship over the years. But the war in Ukraine has drawn them closer and turned Poland into an indispensable ally.
6/1/2022 • 3 minutes, 57 seconds
Nearly 100-days since Russia invaded, Biden pledges new advanced weapons to Ukraine
President Biden pledged new advanced weapons to Ukraine as the 100-day mark since Russia's invasion nears. Biden reiterated that the U.S. will "stay the course" as the conflict drags on.
6/1/2022 • 3 minutes, 46 seconds
The U.S. is sending advanced rocket systems to Ukraine
President Biden says in a guest essay in The New York Times that he's decided to provide Ukraine with more advanced rockets that will enable it to more precisely strike targets on the battlefield.
6/1/2022 • 3 minutes, 17 seconds
These Belarusians join the fight against Russia, defying their Moscow-backed regime
Belarusians who see their country's fate as linked to Ukraine's victory are joining an anti-Kremlin resistance that includes activists, ex-spies and a Belarusian brigade fighting for Ukraine.
5/31/2022 • 4 minutes, 33 seconds
Russia presses a major offensive in eastern Ukraine as other areas regain normalcy
Russian military ambitions have narrowed, but it's still pressing a major offensive in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, places from which Russian troops retreated are rapidly regaining a sense of normalcy.
5/31/2022 • 7 minutes, 20 seconds
A look inside the "billionaire's battalion" fighting the Russians in Ukraine
In Ukraine, one of the country's richest men has set up his own battalion to fight against the Russian invasion. He funds, trains and leads the infantry unit on the front lines.
5/31/2022 • 4 minutes, 29 seconds
How a Facebook page for Irish setter lovers helped Ukrainians flee with their dogs
Many Ukrainians who have fled their country brought their animals along with them. Two Irish Setters played an instrumental role in their owners' making it to safety in France.
5/30/2022 • 4 minutes, 38 seconds
A missing Ukrainian woman's family wants to know if she was forcibly taken to Russia
NPR spoke to five Ukrainian civilians who were detained, deported and subject to what human rights advocates call enforced disappearance.
5/30/2022 • 6 minutes, 24 seconds
After months of harsh sanctions, Moscow seeks to stabilize the country's economy
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Russian history professor Sergey Radchenko of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, about the state of the Russian economy after three months of war.
5/27/2022 • 4 minutes, 14 seconds
Ukraine claims victory in Kharkiv, but some nearby areas face relentless attacks
Even as conditions improve in Ukraine's second largest city, some people just outside Kharkiv continue living in basement bomb shelters.
5/27/2022 • 4 minutes, 44 seconds
A cyberwar is already happening in Ukraine, Microsoft analysts say
Microsoft's global ubiquity gives its cybersecurity experts a unique window into the Russian cyberwar against Ukraine. The software giant is involved in both monitoring and combatting attacks.
5/26/2022 • 4 minutes, 19 seconds
Lithuania has become the 1st European country to stop using Russian gas
As Russia's war in Ukraine enters its fourth month, European countries are scrambling to wean themselves off of Russian gas. The Baltic nation of Lithuania has become the first to do so.
5/26/2022 • 4 minutes
War hacks: How outgunned Ukraine finds ways to counter Russia
To combat Russia's larger military, Ukraine has turned to creative tactics, from low-tech to high-tech. You could call them "war hacks." And many seem to be working.
5/25/2022 • 4 minutes
A Ukrainian medic recorded footage of her time in Mariupol — then sent it to the AP
NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Lori Hinnant, investigative correspondent with the Associated Press, about the story of a Ukrainian medic who recorded footage of her time in Mariupol.
5/25/2022 • 5 minutes, 3 seconds
U.S. National Guardsmen trained Ukrainian soldiers and it seems to have paid off
Behind some of the success of the Ukrainian military against Russia is a little-known U.S. initiative, one built around state national guards.
5/24/2022 • 4 minutes, 17 seconds
How the U.S.'s goals in Ukraine compare to Europe's goals
The U.S. wants to weaken Russia and help Ukraine win, while some in Europe are looking for a diplomatic solution.
5/23/2022 • 3 minutes, 51 seconds
Monday, May 23, 2022
The court gave a life sentence to a 21-year-old Russian army sergeant for shooting and killing an unarmed Ukrainian man during the first days of the war.
5/23/2022 • 4 minutes, 9 seconds
Monday, May 23, 2022
NPR's Ari Shapiro visits a border crossing between Poland and Ukraine to chronicle the journeys of Ukrainians returning to their homeland.
5/23/2022 • 6 minutes, 19 seconds
Warsaw mayor pleads for a strategic plan as city continues to welcome refugees
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with the mayor of Warsaw, Poland, about how his city is managing the influx of Ukrainian refugees. He says Warsaw's population went up by 15% since the outset of the conflict.
5/20/2022 • 8 minutes, 10 seconds
Rebuilding Ukraine could cost hundreds of billions of dollars
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Ukrainian economist Yuriy Gorodnichenko about the cost of rebuilding Ukraine after the war.
5/20/2022 • 4 minutes, 33 seconds
Millions rushed to leave Ukraine. Now many are lining up to get back in
NPR's Ari Shapiro spends a day at the Medyka border crossing to see how the flow of refugees has changed over the nearly three months since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
5/20/2022 • 11 minutes, 28 seconds
The UN security council discussed how the war in Ukraine may worsen global hunger
The U.S. is using its presidency of the UN Security Council to focus on food security, as much of the world worries about the ripple effects from the war in Ukraine.
5/19/2022 • 2 minutes, 58 seconds
The Senate has approved roughly $40 billion in aid to Ukraine
The Senate approved about $40 billion in aid to Ukraine in a largely bipartisan vote. The House has already passed the bill, and it now goes to President Biden to sign.
5/19/2022 • 3 minutes, 52 seconds
Why does Turkey object to Finland and Sweden joining NATO?
Sweden and Finland officially applied to join NATO, but Turkey's president may oppose their acceptance into the military alliance. There is an international push to resolve Turkey's objections.
5/19/2022 • 3 minutes, 12 seconds
African students who fled to Poland from Ukraine are waiting in limbo
More than 6 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded. Not all of them are Ukrainian. Some citizens of African countries have found that the doors of Europe are much less open to them.
5/18/2022 • 8 minutes, 7 seconds
Russian sergeant pleas guilty in the 1st war crimes case of the invasion in Ukraine
A Russian sergeant pleads guilty for killing a Ukrainian civilian in the war's first war crimes case. Such cases usually occur after a war ends. Ukraine wants to prosecute while the evidence is fresh.
5/18/2022 • 4 minutes, 6 seconds
A lawmaker returned home to Ukraine's south and formed his own reconnaissance team
Col. Roman Kostenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker, has built a reconnaissance and sabotage team to target Russian forces. His ultimate goal: free his family village from Russian control.
5/18/2022 • 7 minutes, 13 seconds
A Ukrainian refugee is still teaching her students, who are spread around the world
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Ukrainian refugee Daria Bietschasna about what life is like some two months after she fled Ukraine.
5/17/2022 • 7 minutes, 52 seconds
Polish young adults talk about the war in Ukraine's impact on their generation
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Polish young adults about how the war in Ukraine and the influx of refugees is affecting their country.
5/17/2022 • 7 minutes, 54 seconds
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
In Ukraine, hundreds of soldiers who'd been barricaded in the Azovstal Steel Works in Mariupol have been evacuated to Russian-held territory. It marks the end of the weeks-long siege.
5/17/2022 • 3 minutes, 29 seconds
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
More than 14 million people have been displaced by the war in Ukraine. At a shelter in Lviv (luh-VEEV), about 4,000 women and children have spent at least one night there since the start of the war.
5/17/2022 • 3 minutes, 37 seconds
How a school in Warsaw is educating kids of Ukrainian families who fled to Poland
NPR's Ari Shapiro reports from Warsaw on how Ukrainian children are being educated in Poland.
5/16/2022 • 10 minutes, 54 seconds
Ukraine says it's downed 200 aircraft, a mark of Russian failures in the sky
Russia was expected to dominate the skies over Ukraine. But Ukrainians are still shooting down helicopters and planes, making Russian pilots very wary about venturing into Ukrainian airspace.
5/16/2022 • 3 minutes, 54 seconds
Finland monitors Russia's movements as it waits for acceptance into NATO
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Mikko Hautala, Finnish ambassador to the United States, about his country's bid to join NATO after decades of remaining neutral.
5/16/2022 • 4 minutes, 50 seconds
Ukraine makes advances in the northeast of the country around the city of Kharkiv
Ukrainian troops are pushing Russian troops away from the country's second largest city. That is allowing residents to move out of subway stations and try to resume something of a normal life.
5/16/2022 • 3 minutes, 37 seconds
A Ukrainian singer finds his voice on the streets of Warsaw, Poland
Roman Panchenko moved to Poland from Chernihiv a few years ago and was afraid of singing in the streets. But now, after the war started, he sings Ukrainian songs in a Warsaw plaza to help his country.
5/13/2022 • 3 minutes, 12 seconds
The latest from Kharkiv, where Ukrainian forces are trying to repel Russian troops
Ukrainian forces are trying to push back Russian forces from Kharkiv, a city Russia has shelled since the beginning of the war.
5/13/2022 • 3 minutes, 57 seconds
With Finland poised to join NATO, how will Russia respond?
NRP's Steve Inskeep talks to Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, about how Russia may react to a new NATO nation on its border.
5/13/2022 • 5 minutes, 3 seconds
Russia may become the only non-NATO nation in the Arctic, sparking fears of conflict
For decades, Russia and other nations collaborated on scientific and environmental issues in the Arctic. Now, there's concern that Finland and Sweden joining NATO could spark a military buildup there.
5/12/2022 • 4 minutes, 12 seconds
Business owners in a suburb of Kyiv are trying to reopen as war moves east
As the war in Ukraine shifts east, many people are returning to the capital Kyiv. Residents in the heavily-shelled suburb of Bucha continue to clean up and businesses are starting to reopen.
5/12/2022 • 4 minutes, 4 seconds
As the EU tries to ban Russian oil imports, it has 1 major obstacle: Hungary
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to András Simonyi of the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center, about Hungary being an obstacle to Europe's aim of banning Russian energy imports.
5/12/2022 • 4 minutes, 42 seconds
Finish government leaders say their country must join NATO without delay
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland is on the brink of joining NATO. Finns have their own memories of Russian aggression.
5/12/2022 • 3 minutes, 52 seconds
House approves $40 billion in aid for Ukraine as fighting continues
The new air package is making its way through Congress as Ukraine launches a counter-offensive against the Russian invasion.
5/11/2022 • 5 minutes, 44 seconds
Germany sends more heavy arms to Ukraine as it fears that Russia could cut off energy
The country is breaking a long tradition of refusing to export arms to war zones.
5/11/2022 • 6 minutes, 4 seconds
How one city in southern Ukraine became a humanitarian hub
It's been too dangerous for many Ukrainians to leave their house — let alone make an escape. But some have found ways to cross the frontlines, navigating dangerous check points, to safer areas.
5/11/2022 • 3 minutes, 43 seconds
What's the way forward in Ukraine?
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana about the state of the conflict in Ukraine, and the path to peace.
5/11/2022 • 6 minutes, 47 seconds
Russia's war in Ukraine could become a 'frozen conflict,' analysts say
As the Russian and Ukrainian armies battle over the country's east and south, analysts say the war could become what's called a "frozen conflict."
5/10/2022 • 6 minutes, 9 seconds
Ukrainian science fair contestants put national unity on display
NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with students representing Ukraine in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Because of the Russian invasion, they say the competition is about more than science.
5/10/2022 • 4 minutes, 36 seconds
In Estonia, Russian disinformation resonates with some, others fight back
On the border with Russia, the Estonian town of Narva has strong cultural and linguistic ties to Russia. That makes it a target of Russian propaganda — something Estonians are trying to combat.
5/10/2022 • 6 minutes, 31 seconds
First lady Jill Biden spent part of Mother's Day in Ukraine
First lady Jill Biden made an unannounced stop in Ukraine on Sunday during a tour of Eastern Europe. She met with Ukraine's first lady, who made her first public appearance since the war began.
5/9/2022 • 3 minutes, 50 seconds
Russia celebrates Victory Day as Ukrainians shelter from attack
Russia marked the end of World War II today with a parade and a speech from President Putin in Red Square. In Ukraine, Victory Day celebrations were muted, as people hunkered down amidst the on-going Russian invasion.
5/9/2022 • 8 minutes
The acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine is preparing for 2 big transitions
The U.S. embassy is about to return to Kyiv, after evacuating to Poland early in the war. Also, President Biden has nominated a veteran diplomat to fill the post that has been vacant for three years.
5/6/2022 • 7 minutes, 41 seconds
How the U.S. is getting weapons to Ukraine
The United States continues to send weapons and machinery to Ukraine to help in its war against Russia.
5/6/2022 • 10 minutes, 52 seconds
Russians wreak havoc on Ukrainian farms, mining fields and stealing equipment
Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain producers. But the war has made much of the country unsafe to farm. That's raising prices, and fears of food shortages around the world.
5/6/2022 • 6 minutes, 27 seconds
Some Ukrainian refugees in Poland are now starting to return home
The war in Ukraine has forced millions of people to flee their homes. Some refugees in Poland however are now starting to return home.
5/5/2022 • 3 minutes, 39 seconds
First Lady Jill Biden head to Eastern Europe to visit Ukrainian refugees
First Lady Jill Biden is departing on a trip to Eastern Europe to visit Ukrainian refugees, as well as U.S. personnel in the region. It's her most high-profile endeavor since her husband took office.
5/5/2022 • 2 minutes, 57 seconds
Attacks persist on Ukrainian steel plant, where some people managed to flee
NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Chris Hanger of the International Committee of the Red Cross about efforts to escort civilians out of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
5/5/2022 • 4 minutes, 55 seconds
Ukrainian Youth Reflect on the War
Children in Ukraine are among the most vulnerable as Russia's army continues to attack with ground troops and artillery. We hear from young people living near the front lines.
5/5/2022 • 4 minutes, 48 seconds
Ukraine's Foreign Minister says Mariupol is still in Ukrainian hands
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly interviews Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about the state of the war and where things might go from here.
5/4/2022 • 8 minutes, 16 seconds
The EU says it plans to ban Russian oil by the end of the year
The European Union says it intends to phase out Russian oil in the next few months. This was part of a package of new sanctions the EU announced Wednesday against Russia for its war in Ukraine.
5/4/2022 • 3 minutes, 33 seconds
Evacuees from Mariupol share their stories
Evacuation efforts continue in Mariupol - even as Russian forces continue to shell the besieged Ukrainian city. Roughly 100 evacuees have now arrived in the city of Zaporizhzhia. NPR's Joanna Kakissis met up with some of them.
5/4/2022 • 4 minutes, 20 seconds
Retired colonel on the rise of javelin missiles, as Biden seeks to aid Ukraine
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Mark Cancian, a former Marine colonel and expert on military procurement, about Biden's request to Congress for billions of dollars to buy Javelin missiles to aid Ukraine.
5/4/2022 • 4 minutes, 6 seconds
Those in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, are struggling as the city runs out of food and gas
Residents of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine are fleeing a Russian offensive. For the few who have stayed, life can be brutal, since the city is running out of food and fuel.
5/3/2022 • 4 minutes, 58 seconds
As UNSC chair, U.S. plans to focus on Russia's war in Ukraine and rising food prices
The U.S. plans to use its presidency of the Security Council this month to keep the spotlight on food security, as Russia's war in Ukraine has ripple effects in global food markets.
5/3/2022 • 3 minutes, 17 seconds
A closer look at some of Russia's military failures in the war on Ukraine
NPR's A Martinez speaks with Jeff Edmonds, a researcher at the Center for Naval Analyses, about what Russia's invasion of Ukraine says about its military power at large.
5/3/2022 • 5 minutes, 55 seconds
In the war on Ukraine, rape has been used as a weapon
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to British lawmaker Arminka Helić about how rape and sexual violence are being used as weapons in Russia's war on Ukraine.
5/3/2022 • 6 minutes, 51 seconds
The war in Ukraine has the cost of bread skyrocketing in places like the Middle East
The war in Ukraine has exacerbated inflation in the Middle East, where countries rely on Russia and Ukraine for imported wheat.
5/2/2022 • 3 minutes, 47 seconds
Civilians and soldiers remain trapped in a Mariupol steel plant
More civilians are being evacuated Monday from a steel facility in Mariupol, Ukraine. But thousands of soldiers remain, many of whom are injured and have been holed up for weeks.
5/2/2022 • 4 minutes, 55 seconds
What it's like living in Ukraine's warzone
Ukraine's army is slowing Russia's invasion to a crawl. But there is still heavy fighting in the South, with many civilians living in the crossfire. For them, the war has started to feel like a deadly kind of normal.
5/2/2022 • 4 minutes, 23 seconds
Will U.S. military aid to Ukraine arrive in time to make a difference?
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Barry Pavel of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, about the mechanics of military aid to Ukraine and the prospect of a long conflict.
5/2/2022 • 4 minutes, 55 seconds
U.S. supports efforts to prosecute Russians for alleged war crimes, including at ICC
The U.S. is eager for the International Criminal Court to prosecute allegations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. But it's not a member of the court itself.
4/29/2022 • 3 minutes, 47 seconds
With an increase in funds to Ukraine, the U.S. aims to help it hold off Russia
The White House sent a $33 billion request to Congress for Ukraine. NPR's A Martinez spoke with deputy national security adviser Jonathan Finer about the largest single funding proposal for the war.
4/29/2022 • 6 minutes, 39 seconds
A family in Kharkiv refuses to flee even as Russian forces shell their city
Millions have fled the war in Ukraine and left the country, but some refuse to leave. For one family in Kharkiv, their fight to simply staying alive has become their biggest act of resistance.
4/29/2022 • 6 minutes, 32 seconds
South Korea's immediate neighbors are impacting the military help its giving Ukraine
South Korea is the world's sixth-largest arms exporter and Ukraine has turned to it for help in its war against Russia. But so far, Seoul has only agreed to provide non-lethal aid.
4/28/2022 • 3 minutes, 38 seconds
Georgia's President wants the world to remember the countries near Ukraine during war
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with the president of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, about the role of women leaders in peace and security and her country's role in the world right now.
4/28/2022 • 7 minutes
Polish farmers along the Ukraine border have stepped in to help source war equipment
A Polish farming town on the Ukrainian border has organized weekly shipments of protective equipment to exhausted Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline.
4/28/2022 • 4 minutes, 14 seconds
Experts expect Putin will try to further weaponize its energy resources
Russia is cutting off natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, and has demanded countries pay for energy in rubles. The move is seen as a warning by Russia to bigger European energy consumers.
4/28/2022 • 7 minutes, 19 seconds
U.N. investigators have documented nearly 3,000 civilian deaths in Ukraine
Atrocities committed by Russian forces in Ukraine have led to widespread accusations of war crimes. Some world leaders, including President Joe Biden and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have gone further and called it a genocide. The United Nations is investigating possible human rights violations.
4/28/2022 • 5 minutes, 43 seconds
After atrocities, many Ukrainians aren't interested in negotiating peace with Russia
For many Ukrainians, there can be no negotiated peace with Russia. Evidence and accounts of atrocities committed by Russian forces have left them unwilling to consider a diplomatic solution.
4/27/2022 • 4 minutes, 24 seconds
Russia cuts gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria
Russia's state-run gas company has cut supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. At the heart of this move: the war in Ukraine, the sanctions imposed by the West, and Russia's attempts to wriggle free of them.
4/27/2022 • 6 minutes, 8 seconds
Ukrainians debate future of Russian identity and culture within their society
People in the Ukrainian city of Odesa are considering how their deep Russian heritage can fit into Ukraine's national identity. Some want Russian monuments and cultural markers removed.
4/27/2022 • 4 minutes, 52 seconds
U.S. officials: More weapons will help Ukraine, hand Russia a strategic defeat
The White House is rushing more weapons to Ukraine to try to ensure "a strategic defeat" for Russia. Aims shifted partly because of Ukrainian battlefield successes with U.S. provided weapons.
4/27/2022 • 4 minutes, 11 seconds
Ukraine's prosecutor general is determined to hold Russia accountable for atrocities
Ukraine's prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, is determined to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for what she says are war crimes. Reviewing the evidence has taken a toll on her.
4/26/2022 • 4 minutes, 16 seconds
UN chief met with Putin to bridge differences with Russia over its actions in Ukraine
The United Nations secretary general met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister. He came to Moscow as a "messenger of peace."
4/26/2022 • 3 minutes, 54 seconds
NATO defense officials meet in Germany to decide next steps for Ukraine
The U.S. wants to weaken Russia to the point where it can't wage a war like this again. NPR's Leila Fadel talks to former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder about what options NATO has left.
4/26/2022 • 6 minutes, 14 seconds
Deep scars remain after Russian troops pulled out of Trostyanets
A small Ukrainian town near the Russian border was the first to be liberated after a four-week Russian occupation. Its challenges provide a window into the tough road ahead for similar communities.
4/26/2022 • 5 minutes, 11 seconds
U.S. defense secretary 'wants to see Russia weakened' as Ukraine's railways are hit
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the U.S. wants to see the Russian military weakened on the battlefield. Meanwhile, Russian missiles struck railway infrastructure in central and western Ukraine.
4/25/2022 • 5 minutes, 22 seconds
Kharkiv's bomb squad neutralizes cluster bombs in Ukraine
Ukrainian forces are struggling to neutralize cluster munitions, which are bombs that scatter over a wide area and are internationally banned.
4/25/2022 • 4 minutes, 3 seconds
A Ukrainian jazz club provides joy in Odesa despite the invasion
In Odesa, a port city in southern Ukraine, one jazz club has continued to host performances despite the Russian invasion, providing a haven for joy and creativity.
4/25/2022 • 7 minutes, 38 seconds
Displaced Ukrainians in Bulgaria are finding ways to mark Orthodox Easter
This weekend is Orthodox Easter, a holiday celebrated in Ukraine. Millions are fleeing the Russian invasion right now, but those seeking refuge in Bulgaria are marking the holiday.
4/22/2022 • 3 minutes, 50 seconds
Many Ukrainians aren't optimistic about peace with Russia
As a Russian general reveals Kremlin plans to take Ukraine's Donbas region to the east as well as all of the country's south, we look at the situation out a village near the frontlines of the war.
4/22/2022 • 6 minutes, 6 seconds
Russia's shifting military strategy
Steve Inskeep speaks with Sergey Radchenko, a Russian history professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, about Vladimir Putin's shift in war and the focus on southern and eastern front in Ukraine.
4/22/2022 • 5 minutes, 8 seconds
A cruise ship in Tallinn, Estonia is housing Ukrainian refugees
More than 5 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia invaded. Tens of thousands are in Estonia, where people remember what it was like to be occupied by the former Soviet Union.
4/22/2022 • 3 minutes, 13 seconds
The latest on the probe into atrocities committed by Russian forces around Kyiv
Russian forces pulling out of the area surrounding Kyiv left behind evidence of atrocities committed against civilians. The effort is now to try to build a war crimes case against the perpetrators.
4/21/2022 • 6 minutes, 29 seconds
Russia is strangling one of Ukraine's most important ports
Odesa's port was a lifeline for Ukraine and a key player in global supply chains. Now, Russia's invasion and a blockade in the Black Sea have the city in a stranglehold.
4/21/2022 • 4 minutes, 12 seconds
Why Mariupol, Ukraine is strategically important
NPR's A Martínez speaks with Peter Zwack, a retired brigadier general and former defense attaché who served in Russia, about the strategic consequences if the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol falls.
4/21/2022 • 4 minutes, 58 seconds
Polish women are shuttling Ukrainians to safety
Spooked over reports that traffickers are waiting at the Ukrainian border, a Polish woman started an all-female carpooling service to drive displaced Ukrainians, many of whom are women and children.
4/21/2022 • 5 minutes, 47 seconds
Ukraine has been preparing to face Russia's expected offensive. Is it ready?
Russia has begun military operations that are expected to lead to a massive offensive. Ukraine has had weeks to prepare.
4/20/2022 • 5 minutes, 52 seconds
How daily life in Russia has changed since the country invaded Ukraine
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Anastasia, a woman who lives and works in Moscow, about what life in Russia looks like since the country invaded Ukraine.
4/20/2022 • 5 minutes, 22 seconds
What is Russia's Plan B?
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to retired General Ben Hodges about how the Russian assault in eastern Ukraine will be different from President Putin's initial plan to take Kyiv at the end of February.
4/20/2022 • 4 minutes, 45 seconds
Ukrainian fighters refuse to surrender Mariupol
The messages from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol are getting more desperate. A local commander Serhiy Volynsky said in a video plea posted to Facebook, "This could be the last appeal of our lives. We are probably facing our last days if not hours. The enemy is outnumbering us 10 to 1."
4/20/2022 • 3 minutes, 52 seconds
How daily life in Russia has changed since the country invaded Ukraine
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Anastasia, a woman who lives and works in Moscow, about what life in Russia looks like since the country invaded Ukraine.
4/19/2022 • 5 minutes, 22 seconds
Russian officials have said a major offensive is coming
Russian officials say they've begun a new phase of their invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials report fierce clashes across a wide front in the east and south.
4/19/2022 • 4 minutes, 31 seconds
Ukrainian families are being separated at the U.S.-Mexico border
Ukrainian refugees arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border are enjoying expedited admission to the U.S. But children who arrive with family other than their parents are still being separated and detained.
4/19/2022 • 4 minutes, 24 seconds
How sanctions could destabilize Russia's 'system of corruption'
Alex Finley, a former CIA officer who's tracking super-yachts used by oligarchs, explains what sanctions against Russia mean for the country's super-rich.
4/19/2022 • 6 minutes, 48 seconds
Ukrainian civilians living close to the frontlines say they feel trapped
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are still living close to the front lines as Russia readies another offensive. Here's how people are surviving in the city of Mykoliav.
4/18/2022 • 4 minutes, 58 seconds
Overnight missile strikes have killed at least 7 in Lviv, Ukraine
Missiles struck cities all across Ukraine overnight, including in the western city of Lviv, where at least 7 people were killed. The town had been relatively peaceful for weeks.
4/18/2022 • 2 minutes, 55 seconds
Is Russia's oil drilling in jeopardy?
Russia has long planned on expanding its oil drilling in the Arctic. But that relies on help from companies that are now pulling back because of the war in Ukraine.
4/18/2022 • 4 minutes, 6 seconds
The U.S. and the International Criminal Court
Why doesn't the U.S. recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court? NPR's Michel Martin speaks with John Bellinger III, a former legal adviser for the National Security Council.
4/18/2022 • 6 minutes, 48 seconds
What do Russians think of the war? Jews who fled Ukraine reflect on Passover
How a pollster in Russia is gauging public opinion about the war in Ukraine. And the Passover story is about displacement and the search for a promised land. It has special resonance for Jews who escaped the fighting in Ukraine and are now scattered across the world.
4/15/2022 • 10 minutes, 41 seconds
What sanctions feel like in Russia, The 'butcher of Syria' takes command
President Vladimir Putin said in a speech that the "blitzkrieg" of sanctions has failed. He said sanctions are disruptive — but they present Russia with opportunities to become more self-reliant. So how are ordinary Russians feeling? Russia has just tapped Gen. Aleksandr Dvornikov to leading its forces. He's known for leading Russia's brutal campaign in Syria's civil war in 2015. But the conflict in Ukraine is vastly different.
4/15/2022 • 9 minutes, 44 seconds
What happened to the Moskva warship? The story of one refugee family
Ukraine says a Russian warship in the Black Sea has been "seriously damaged" by a Ukrainian missile attack. Russia's Ministry of Defense says something very different happened onboard. What do we know so far? And More than four and half million Ukrainians are now refugees. A few hundred have made it to the United States. We meet a Ukrainian refugee and her two children who made that journey.
4/14/2022 • 11 minutes, 33 seconds
Investigating possible Russian war crimes, The aftermath of a Russian siege
The U.S. and European allies have accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine. The Biden administration says it's helping Ukraine investigate. How? And Russia left death and destruction in towns north of Kyiv. What is life like now in one of those towns? Our team travels to Borodyanka.
4/14/2022 • 10 minutes, 22 seconds
Will the 'Iron Curtain' fall again? Remembering Putin's charm offensive in Texas
Relations between Russia and Europe seem to be changed for good. That's having ripple effects along the thousand miles of Russia's border with the EU, including a Norwegian border town that had prided itself on good relations with Russia. And Russia's invasion of Ukraine makes it hard to remember that decades ago, Vladimir Putin was on a charm offensive with the West. One stop was Crawford, Texas, with then-President George W. Bush.
4/13/2022 • 13 minutes, 7 seconds
Russia teeters on the verge of default, A Polish ambassador's thoughts about the war
Events over the past week have brought Russia tantalizingly close to its first default on foreign debt since the Bolshevik Revolution more than a century ago. And why Poland's ambassador to the U.S. thinks there's no diplomatic path to end Russia's assault on Ukraine.
4/13/2022 • 11 minutes, 54 seconds
Is Russia committing genocide in Ukraine, Safeguarding Holocaust survivors
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says what Russia is doing in his country is genocide. A war crimes expert says that might be difficult to prove before the International Criminal Court. And last month, 96-year-old Boris Romanchenko was killed during Russian shelling in Kharkiv. In his youth, he survived four Nazi concentration camps. Now, a major evacuation effort is underway to bring other Holocaust survivors to safety.
4/12/2022 • 11 minutes, 37 seconds
The Kyiv residents who wouldn't leave, A warning for people in eastern Ukraine
Some civilians in Ukraine's capital couldn't or wouldn't leave. An old, Soviet-style apartment building reveals who stayed and why. And President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian troops are readying for a major assault on southeastern Ukraine.
4/12/2022 • 11 minutes, 6 seconds
A Ukrainian city after Russian siege, How the war could set back climate change work
Residents of Chernihiv describe the brutal siege they endured for about a month before Russian forces withdrew. And scientists doing climate change research in the Arctic worry that the rift with Russia will hamper communication with their Russian colleagues.
4/11/2022 • 10 minutes, 13 seconds
Why India hasn't condemned Russia, How Romanians are welcoming Ukrainian refugees
The U.S. wants India to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but so far the world's biggest democracy has not. India has deep ties with Moscow. The war has displaced millions of Ukrainians, and neighboring Romania is adapting to an influx of refugees.
4/11/2022 • 8 minutes, 59 seconds
Targeting eastern Ukraine, How do you prove a war crime?
Ukraine is bracing for more Russian attacks, especially in the eastern part of the country. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks with NPR's Leila Fadel about Russia's newest calculations and how its relationship with NATO is forever changed. Plus, several countries, including the U.S., say they'll help examine potential war crimes in Ukraine. NPR's Julie McCarthy looks into what constitutes crimes in war.
4/8/2022 • 8 minutes, 44 seconds
Dozens killed at train station, Evacuating the trapped
In the eastern region of Ukraine, authorities say dozens were injured after a missile hit a train station in the city of Kramatorsk. And when Russian forces took over neighborhoods in Ukraine, it was difficult to evacuate people. Project Dynamo helps get people out. Leila Fadel speaks with the Army and Navy combat veteran who runs it.
4/8/2022 • 10 minutes, 44 seconds
Russia is removed from the U.N. Human Rights Council, Expecting a baby during a war
The United Nations General Assembly suspended Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council, while in Washington, Congress approved two bills suspending normal trade relations with Russia and banning its oil. Those votes came after NATO foreign ministers and officials from the G7 met in Brussels and Ukraine asked for more weapons. NPR's Michele Kelemen was there. And more than 15,000 babies have been born in Ukraine since the start of the war. At a maternity hospital in Kyiv, new parents shared their experiences with NPR's Elissa Nadworny.
4/7/2022 • 9 minutes, 59 seconds
On the ground in Borodyanka, What is the 'right' response to war?
A look at the fallout from Russian attacks in Borodyanka, a suburb of the Ukrainian capitol of Kyiv. As Becky Sullivan reports, Ukrainian officials accuse Russian forces of indiscriminately attacking civilians there. Since 2019, a lawyer named Andrew Mac has served as an adviser to Ukraine's president. He discusses the U.S. response and the assistance it's providing.
4/7/2022 • 10 minutes, 2 seconds
U.S. imposes fresh sanctions on Russia, How to get weapons to a war zone
The U.S. says it has indicted Russian media tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev as the White House announces further sanctions, including on Russian leader Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters. Plus, Planet Money breaks down the logistics of getting weapons from the U.S. into Ukraine. It looks a lot like the supply chains we're already familiar with.
4/6/2022 • 10 minutes, 44 seconds
Talk of tougher sanctions, Ukrainian bakery reopens amid continuous war
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Brussels for NATO meetings today. State Department spokesman Ned Price talks to Leila Fadel about objectives that could include tougher sanctions on Russia. And in Ivano-Frankivsk, in the western part of Ukraine, a bakery that shuttered for two weeks during the war has resumed business. As Scott Detrow reports, it even employs Ukrainians displaced from other parts of the country.
4/6/2022 • 10 minutes, 26 seconds
The view from Bucha, White House talks options
Ukrainian officials say video and photo evidence shows Russia committed atrocities in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv. But Russia has a different story. NPR's Nathan Rott went to Bucha to for a firsthand look. How can Russia be held accountable? U.S. deputy national security adviser Jon Finer talks about the White House's options.
4/5/2022 • 9 minutes, 3 seconds
Medics on the Frontlines, Care in a Combat Zone
Young military medics in Ukraine talk about their experience and life under the Russian siege. Plus, once war began in Ukraine, COVID-19 ceased being the top-level medical concern. A doctor is doing everything he can to help with a whole new overwhelming crisis.
4/5/2022 • 9 minutes, 9 seconds
U.N. considers future with Putin, How Russians are accessing truth online
As the world sees images of bodies in the streets of a Kyiv suburb, the United Nations considers whether to kick Russia out of the Human Rights Council. Plus, Russia's last independent media sources have closed. So many Russians are turning to virtual private networks, or VPNs, to find out what's really happening next door in Ukraine.
4/4/2022 • 11 minutes, 47 seconds
Investigating Possible War Crimes, Invasion Highlights U.S. & Middle East Tensions
In the Ukrainian town of Bucha, dead bodies have been found along with mass graves after Russian forces withdrew from the area. This has drawn new allegations of war crimes committed by Russian forces. Former Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper was a war crimes prosecutor and lays out the investigation process. Plus Russia's invasion of Ukraine has affected U.S. relations in the Middle East. Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consultancy firm, explains.
4/4/2022 • 9 minutes, 46 seconds
The chase for India support, a pop radio station in Lviv keeps the music alive
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland about the intensive conversations the U.S. is having with India over sanctions imposed on Russia. Scott Detrow reports on how a pop radio station in Lviv is broadcasting music and air raid sirens during a time of war.
4/1/2022 • 14 minutes, 1 second
Ukrainian volunteers make bulletproof vests, CEO works to get employees out of Russia
Both peace talks and fierce fighting continue between Russia and Ukraine. And in Ukraine, volunteers are working to provide any help they can near the frontlines of the southern border. Plus, a CEO based in the United States is working to get her colleagues out of Russia.
4/1/2022 • 8 minutes, 36 seconds
Russia maintains pressure on Kyiv, Moldova keeps a wary eye on the conflict
Some Russian forces have been repositioned away from Ukraine's capital, but as Elissa Nadworny reports, the strikes have continued. Frank Langfitt reports that Moldova, a former Soviet state not in NATO, worries that Putin could turn his attention its way.
3/31/2022 • 11 minutes, 43 seconds
The Negotiations, Impacts on Germany, Escaping the War
Mixed signals surround the negotiations that happened earlier this week in Turkey. Bill Taylor, a former ambassador to Ukraine, discusses the Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Germany relies on Russia for around half its natural gas and its companies do extensive business with both Russia and Ukraine. The effects of those ties fraying is being felt on the ground in Germany. And Sofia Bretl lives in New York City but was born and raised in Kharkiv, Ukraine - about 25 miles from the Russian border. As conditions in Kharkiv worsened, Bretl's family faced a difficult decision.
3/31/2022 • 12 minutes, 7 seconds
U.S. says Putin may not be getting all the Ukraine facts; the impact of cyberwarfare
U.S. defense officials suspect Russian President Vladimir Putin is receiving incomplete information on the status of the war. In the weeks before Russia's invasion, experts said cyberwar could be imminent. It turns out that cyberattacks and information campaigns have played a subtle, nuanced role in the conflict.
3/30/2022 • 10 minutes, 28 seconds
Fleeing Mariupol, Russian Nuclear Forces on High Alert
Thousands of people continue to risk their lives by fleeing the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol. And Russia says it put its nuclear forces on a higher state of alert. This happened as Western officials had already raised the prospect of chemical weapons attacks.
3/30/2022 • 8 minutes, 51 seconds
Signs of hope in Russia-Ukraine talks; the state of the opposition movement in Russia
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Turkey and came away saying some new things, NPR's Nate Rott reports. And NPR's A Martinez talks with Vladmir Ash'urkov, director of The Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was founded by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, about how the war looks from his point of view and whether economic sanctions alone are enough to put pressure on Vladimir Putin.
3/29/2022 • 9 minutes, 11 seconds
The Idea of 'Dividing' Ukraine, Explaining the NATO Exercises
The Kremlin indicated in recent days it's focused on "liberating" parts of eastern Ukraine, which is a region where Moscow-backed separatists seized land years ago. Andrew Weiss from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discusses Russia's potential tactic to partition Ukraine. And as tensions between Russia and NATO countries may be higher than at any time since the Cold War, why would the U.S. and its allies stage war games right near Russia's doorstep?
3/29/2022 • 8 minutes, 50 seconds
Battle lines moving in Ukraine; one of Russia's last independent voices falls silent
Stymied in Kyiv, Russia seems to be turning its focus to Ukraine's south and east. Meanwhile, Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta says it will cease operations until the conflict is over.
3/28/2022 • 11 minutes, 31 seconds
Russia could change strategy, sanctions aren't hitting Russian oligarchs
Ukrainian officials believe Russia may be altering its military strategy. NPR's Elissa Nadworny gives insight on increased attacks in certain areas of the country. And, NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben explains why sanctions may not be effective against Russian oligarchs hiding money abroad.
3/28/2022 • 9 minutes, 57 seconds
Images from the Ukraine conflict are triggering survivor's guilt in combat veterans
Images from the war in Ukraine may have profound impacts on combat veterans, triggering survivor's guilt and mental health crises.
3/25/2022 • 3 minutes, 39 seconds
Biden condemns Russia's Vladimir Putin while visiting Poland
President Biden traveled to NATO's eastern flank as a show of support to allies most unnerved by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
3/25/2022 • 4 minutes, 4 seconds
Examining the humanitarian crisis parallels, created by war, in Ukraine and Syria
NPR's A Martinez talks to Bob Kitchen of the aid group the International Rescue Committee, about the humanitarian lessons for Ukraine from the war in Syria.
3/25/2022 • 5 minutes, 24 seconds
What Russia's war has meant for some of Ukraine's youngest casualties
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, doctors have been treating kids for shrapnel, bullet wounds and mine blast injuries. We visit Ukraine's largest children's hospital to see the war's effects on children.
3/25/2022 • 7 minutes, 47 seconds
Editor-in-chief of Russia's last remaining independent TV station on media's role now
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Tikhon Dzyadko, editor-in-chief of TV Rain, Russia's last remaining independent TV station that recently went off air. He and his family fled to Tbilisi, Georgia.
3/24/2022 • 7 minutes, 17 seconds
War in Ukraine shows little sign of slowing
One in four Ukrainians have been displaced in the month since Russia invaded Ukraine, millions of them children. In recent days, there hasn't been a lot of movement on either side of the war.
3/24/2022 • 3 minutes, 36 seconds
Life in the Ukrainian city of Kyiv — one month into the war
As Russia's war on Ukraine grinds on, so too does life for Ukrainians who still live in Kyiv. We examine how people in the capital city are adapting to life under war a month into Russia's invasion.
3/24/2022 • 7 minutes, 15 seconds
The state of the war: a month after Russia tried to claim an easy victory
It's been one month since Russia invaded Ukraine. With refugees fleeing, we examine how Ukraine has changed — plus the efforts of the Ukrainian military and civilian resistance.
3/24/2022 • 7 minutes, 34 seconds
Georgia president on balancing act of supporting Ukraine without antagonizing Russia
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with the president of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, who the Georgian government is threatening to sue over her support for Ukraine.
3/23/2022 • 7 minutes, 49 seconds
NATO and G7 leaders to meet in Brussels to discuss the war in Ukraine
Leaders of NATO and the G7 will hold an emergency summit in Brussels to talk about the war in Ukraine. But Ukrainian officials are hoping for more than speeches — they want weapons and sanctions.
3/23/2022 • 3 minutes, 46 seconds
The war in Ukraine has driven hospitals and personnel to the breaking point
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Dmytro Shymkiv of Ukraine's biggest pharmaceutical company, about medical supply shortages and distribution issues since Russia invaded Ukraine.
3/23/2022 • 3 minutes, 59 seconds
Biden will be in Brussels for NATO's meeting on the war in Ukraine
NPR's A Martinez speaks with Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, about President Biden's diplomatic strategy at the upcoming NATO summit on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
3/23/2022 • 5 minutes, 4 seconds
Donated clothes help in Ukraine. But here's one thing aid experts like better
Donations are pouring in — but they don't always address the needs of the many displaced and homeless Ukrainians who've lost practically everything they own.
3/22/2022 • 6 minutes, 40 seconds
Russia is a permanent UN Security Council member, making accountability complicated
Most countries at the UN are raising alarms about Russia's invasion, but since Russia is a permanent Security Council member, it's hard to hold it to account in the world body.
3/22/2022 • 3 minutes, 23 seconds
Many Ukrainian civilians are struggling with rapidly deteriorating conditions
In the past month, 10 million Ukrainians have fled the country to get as far from Russia's bombardment as possible. We hear the stories of some of that people that have stayed behind.
3/22/2022 • 3 minutes, 59 seconds
Ex-NATO commander weighs in on if the alliance should do more to help Ukraine
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks with retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, about how the U.S. and other NATO members will address the war in Ukraine when meeting this week.
3/22/2022 • 7 minutes, 20 seconds
A Slovak man wanted to take donations to Ukraine. He ended up leading a convoy of aid
Alarmed by the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia's invasion, an economist in Slovakia gathered food and clothes from friends — and found himself leading a convoy carrying tons of aid into Ukraine.
3/21/2022 • 5 minutes, 53 seconds
Ukrainian officials refuse to surrender Mariupol to Russian forces
Russian forces have shown few signs of advancing but are still actively destroying Ukraine. In the southern city of Mariupol, bombs targeted a school which was sheltering about 400 displaced people.
3/21/2022 • 5 minutes, 58 seconds
NATO is facing pressure to provide more support to Ukraine
As President Biden heads to Brussels for a NATO summit this week and the Russians continue to bomb Ukrainian cities, pressure is building on the military alliance to do more.
3/21/2022 • 6 minutes, 39 seconds
Conditions are deteriorating in Mariupol which is encircled by Russian troops
Hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped in the Ukrainian city — with dwindling supplies of food and water and no electricity. Mariupol has been bombarded by the Russians for weeks now.
3/21/2022 • 3 minutes, 34 seconds
Refugees from other wars see themselves in fleeing Ukrainians
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with people about the experience of being a refugee, how fleeing their home country has affected their life and what life is like now.
3/18/2022 • 11 minutes, 4 seconds
Deputy Secretary of State Sherman on Ukraine latest and talks between China and U.S.
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman about diplomatic efforts in the war in Ukraine and U.S. aid to the country.
3/18/2022 • 7 minutes, 3 seconds
The leaders of the U.S. and China will talk by phone about pressing issues
So far, China has remained noncommittal about whether it opposes Russia's war in Ukraine. President Biden will push China to come out more strongly against Russia.
3/18/2022 • 3 minutes, 24 seconds
The threat of nuclear war hangs over the Russia-Ukraine crisis
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Slate's Fred Kaplan, author of The Bomb: Presidents Generals and the Secret History of Nuclear War, about whether Russia might use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine.
3/18/2022 • 7 minutes
Can Ukraine really win this war?
As the fighting enters its fourth week in Ukraine, a question looms: could Ukraine actually win? NPR's Juana Summers talks with CEPA's Steven Horrell about the prospects of Russian defeat in Ukraine.
3/17/2022 • 5 minutes, 12 seconds
Mariupol theater rescue continues as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its 4th week
Rescue efforts continue at the Mariupol theater that was bombed and American officials said a U.S. citizen has been killed in Ukraine.
3/17/2022 • 4 minutes, 9 seconds
Ukrainian musicians and artists respond to the war in many different ways
In the midst of the Russian invasion, there are artists in Ukraine who are trying to find hope, redemption — and boost their country's spirits.
3/17/2022 • 7 minutes, 16 seconds
President Biden has announced another huge weapons package for Ukraine
The package by the White House includes missiles to take out tanks and bring down Russian aircraft — as well as drones that the U.S. hasn't provided previously.
3/17/2022 • 4 minutes, 8 seconds
Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine says no-fly zone has to be on the table
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch about the Russian invasion and the possibility of a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
3/16/2022 • 7 minutes, 13 seconds
Congress largely supports Zelenskyy's call for more sanctions and weapons from U.S.
Lawmakers are mostly supportive after Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's address to a joint session of Congress during which he pressed the U.S. for more sanctions and weapons.
3/16/2022 • 3 minutes, 56 seconds
In an appeal to Congress, President Zelenskyy asked the U.S. to help Ukraine
Ukraine's president addressed a joint meeting of Congress Wednesday morning. He appeared virtually and referenced Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attacks in his speech.
3/16/2022 • 3 minutes, 54 seconds
If China aligns itself with Russia, that could impact its reputation and economy
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to David Rennie, Beijing bureau chief for The Economist, about whether China should rethink its close relationship with Russia during the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
3/16/2022 • 5 minutes, 38 seconds
Blinken sets a standard for lifting sanctions: an 'irreversible' Russian withdrawal
In an interview with NPR, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the top U.S. diplomat, warns of the further devastation of Ukrainian cities.
3/16/2022 • 10 minutes, 51 seconds
A college student in occupied Ukraine says buying food means it's a lucky day
What's daily life like in one of the recently-occupied parts of Ukraine? We hear from one college student in the city of Kherson, in southern Ukraine.
3/15/2022 • 4 minutes, 9 seconds
Without sending troops, the U.S. wages 'hybrid warfare' against Russia
The U.S. and Russia have talked for years about 'hybrid war' – waging a conflict on multiple fronts beyond the battlefield. In unprecedented ways, the U.S. is now employing this against Russia.
3/15/2022 • 3 minutes, 31 seconds
Ukrainian men, manning a checkpoint for six hours, talk about the war and their lives
Ukrainians across the country are contributing to the war effort in different ways, including manning checkpoints far from the front lines.
3/15/2022 • 6 minutes, 51 seconds
A look inside the war in Ukraine from the capital city of Kyiv
Talks between Russia and Ukraine continue Tuesday after a round of talks on Monday ended without a breakthrough. At the same time, Russian forces keep pressing in on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
3/15/2022 • 4 minutes, 1 second
Jewish and non-Jewish Ukrainian refugees arrive to different treatment in Israel
Israel's diplomatic and security ties with Russia are facing pressure amid calls to help Ukraine more. It's taking in refugees but there's a controversy over how many non-Jewish Ukrainians to accept.
3/14/2022 • 3 minutes, 15 seconds
200,000 Ukrainians have relocated to the city of Lviv, overwhelming resources
Space and resources are strained in the western city of Lviv as more than 200,000 Ukrainians have temporarily settled in the city after Russian airstrikes continued this past week.
3/14/2022 • 4 minutes, 47 seconds
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators finish 4th round of talks without a breakthrough
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators concluded another round of talks without reporting a breakthrough as Moscow's forces attacked Kyiv's suburbs and other cities across the country.
3/14/2022 • 3 minutes, 7 seconds
Russian forces appear to be preparing for a new attempt to take Kyiv
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Olga Stefanishyna, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, talks about what it's like in the besieged parts of Kyiv.
3/14/2022 • 7 minutes, 17 seconds
Russian strikes on Ukraine hit near the border of Poland, a NATO member state
New talks begin Monday to address Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The diplomatic effort comes after Russian missiles hit a Ukrainian military base near the Polish border, where refugees have crossed.
3/14/2022 • 3 minutes, 58 seconds
International and grassroots groups alike are working to get supplies into Ukraine
NPR's Ari Shapiro and Tim Mak look at humanitarian efforts in Poland and Ukraine, which involve major international organizations and small grass-roots groups to bring supplies into Ukraine.
3/11/2022 • 7 minutes, 59 seconds
Foreign investors want out of the economic crossfire, but can't exit Russian holdings
As wide-ranging sanctions cripple Russia's economy, many international investors have determined the country is no longer a place where they can invest their money.
3/11/2022 • 3 minutes, 25 seconds
Video analysis reveals Russian attack on Ukrainian nuclear plant veered near disaster
An NPR analysis of security footage and photos following the attack on Europe's largest nuclear power plant shows that many of the plant's critical safety systems were in the field of Russian fire.
3/11/2022 • 3 minutes, 58 seconds
The world's largest companies continue to abandon Russia after it invaded Ukraine
Most multinational companies have cut ties with Russia. An era of economic openness that started when McDonald's opened its first restaurant in Moscow in 1990, is coming to a close.
3/11/2022 • 4 minutes, 6 seconds
State Department spokesperson on the U.S.' efforts to counter Russia's messaging
NPR's Sarah McCammon speaks with Ned Price, spokesperson for the State Department, who says Russia is accusing U.S. and Ukraine of preparing biological weapons.
3/10/2022 • 4 minutes, 38 seconds
Vice President Harris has traveled to Poland in support of Ukraine and its neighbors
Vice President Harris says the world has witnessed Russian "atrocities" in Ukraine and vowed support for the country and its neighbors. But a proposal for Polish fighter jets is off the table.
3/10/2022 • 3 minutes, 41 seconds
Putin miscalculated what a hard slog the war in Ukraine would be, Rice says
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She is now the director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
3/10/2022 • 9 minutes, 8 seconds
The White House worries that imposing a no-fly zone could lead to a wider war
Ukraine's president has been sharing videos of destroyed hospitals — calling on the West to impose a no-fly zone. U.S. Secretary of State Blinken says the goal is to end the war not to expand it.
3/10/2022 • 3 minutes, 55 seconds
Americans on low incomes are hit harder by high gas prices due to the war in Ukraine
Gas prices are hitting record highs in the U.S. amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That's got a lot of people on modest incomes worried as inflation is already making it tough to scrape by.
3/9/2022 • 4 minutes, 6 seconds
One woman's 18-point survival checklist for fleeing Ukraine as Russia invades
As millions flee Ukraine, one woman's checklist for surviving the train ride into Poland reveals the desperation and struggle that awaits those who leave.
3/9/2022 • 5 minutes, 1 second
The first of Ukraine's fallen soldiers are starting to come home
The Ukrainian military isn't releasing the number of soldiers who have died in the war with Russia. Viktor Dudar, a journalist who joined Ukraine's military, was among the first to be killed.
3/9/2022 • 7 minutes, 27 seconds
Foreign policy experts are calling for a limited no-fly zone
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Evelyn Farkas, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, who is among those calling for a limited no-fly zone.
3/9/2022 • 6 minutes, 8 seconds
Putin has threatened nuclear action. Here's what Russia is actually capable of
NPR's Sarah McCammon asks Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, what we know about Russia's nuclear stockpile and capabilities.
3/8/2022 • 4 minutes, 38 seconds
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy spoke to Parliament to ask for global assistance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave an impassioned speech to the British Parliament as efforts to evacuate civilians were imperiled amid reports of continued fighting.
3/8/2022 • 3 minutes, 33 seconds
President Biden announces ban on Russian oil imports to the U.S.
In an address to the country, President Biden announced that the White House would be banning any Russian oil from being imported into the United States. NPR's Rachel Martin discusses the latest move and what it means for the world with NPR correspondents Scott Horsley and Scott Detrow
3/8/2022 • 5 minutes, 5 seconds
Diplomats are trying to find an off ramp to Putin's war in Ukraine
Can anyone talk Russian President Putin out of his war in Ukraine? French President Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Bennett are trying. The U.S. says it gave Putin off ramps before the invasion.
3/8/2022 • 4 minutes, 52 seconds
Establishing humanitarian corridors out of Ukraine is a top priority
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Jaime Nadal about the humanitarian effects of Russia's war on Ukraine. Nadal is the representative to Ukraine at the United Nations Population Fund.
3/8/2022 • 6 minutes, 28 seconds
Europe's largest nuclear power plant is still occupied by Russian troops
The Ukrainian nuclear power plant that Russia attacked and took over remains occupied by Russian troops. There are fears the Russians could set its sights on Ukraine's remaining nuclear power plants.
3/7/2022 • 4 minutes, 19 seconds
We're trying everything to avoid WWIII, acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine says
As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, NATO forces are building in border countries in an effort to contain the conflict and prevent a wider war, according to the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.
3/7/2022 • 7 minutes, 56 seconds
Russia's military is now encircling several Ukrainian cities
Russia's military is now encircling several Ukrainian cities, but the capital Kiev is still firmly in Ukrainian hands. What mistakes did Russia make, and what are its next likely moves? NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Admiral James Foggo.
3/7/2022 • 6 minutes, 16 seconds
Russian forces are advancing on another power plant, Ukraine's president says
NPR's Leila Fadel talks Mariana Budjeryn, a Ukrainian and a nuclear expert at Harvard's Belfer Center, about the dangers of Russia seizing control of Ukraine's nuclear power plants.
3/7/2022 • 7 minutes, 23 seconds
Russia is forcing media organizations to scrub their websites and go off the air
Media consumers in Russia are losing ways to learn about what's happening in Ukraine. Russia has shut down most independent media and passed a new law criminalizing reporting on the war.
3/4/2022 • 2 minutes, 12 seconds
Russian forces continue attack on Kyiv and seize Europe's biggest nuclear power plant
As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its second week, Russian forces continue to pound the capital city of Kyiv. In the south, they've seized control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
3/4/2022 • 3 minutes, 53 seconds
Did Putin miscalculate the military challenge Russia would face in Ukraine?
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Russia historian Sergey Radchenko about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin under estimated the challenges for Russia when it invaded Ukraine.
3/4/2022 • 7 minutes, 38 seconds
The fire at a nuclear power plant in Ukraine has been extinguished
A fire at Europe's largest nuclear power plant is out — it had been attacked by Russian troops in Ukraine. The U.S. Department of Energy activated its nuclear incident response team as a precaution.
3/4/2022 • 3 minutes, 28 seconds
How the battle between Russia and Ukraine has developed in cyberspace
Russian soldiers continue to push toward Kyiv. In cyberspace, a volunteer Ukrainian cyber army, hacktivists and cybercriminals are battling for impact in an increasingly chaotic information war.
3/3/2022 • 4 minutes, 52 seconds
Residents of Ukrainian cities describe life under bombardment
As the fighting in Ukraine enters a second week, Russian and Ukrainian forces are still battling over control of strategic cities.
3/3/2022 • 4 minutes, 25 seconds
A closer look at the volunteers who are signing up to fight the Russians
Ukraine's western city of Lviv has, so far, been spared the worst of Russia's invasion. But a diverse resistance is taking shape there and is reinforcing some of the cities now under attack.
3/3/2022 • 11 minutes, 19 seconds
Russia is making territorial advances in its invasion of Ukraine
The advances are happening most notably in the south of the country, where Russian troops have entered the Black Sea port of Kherson. It's not yet clear if the city has fallen.
3/3/2022 • 3 minutes, 31 seconds
Ban of Russian aircraft from U.S. airspace has gone into effect
The FAA's order prohibiting Russian flights from entering U.S. airspace is now in effect. Russia is expected to respond in kind, forcing airlines to take longer routes around the massive country.
3/3/2022 • 2 minutes, 9 seconds
How the memory of Nazi atrocities has come to play a role in Russia's war
Putin's claim that he is fighting a Nazi regime in Ukraine is a falsehood based on historical memory.
3/2/2022 • 3 minutes, 49 seconds
What the Russian invasion is like for villages in western Ukraine
Even in the west of Ukraine, far from the Russian invasion, people are on edge and preparing to help in their own way.
3/2/2022 • 4 minutes, 46 seconds
As many people flee Ukraine, others are traveling to the embattled country
As hundreds of thousands of people flee Ukraine, NPR's Leila Fadel takes a train into western Ukraine and talks to some of the passengers headed toward war.
3/2/2022 • 7 minutes, 26 seconds
The western Ukrainian city of Lviv, a base for war preparations, is on edge
Russia's military accelerated its advance on Ukraine with troops positioned to try to surround Kyiv, Kharkiv and other major cities. Russian troops and bombardments have not yet arrived in Lviv.
3/2/2022 • 3 minutes, 35 seconds
Foreign policy expert argues Russia won't stop until it has conquered Ukraine
NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Angela Stent, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, about what could be guiding Putin's decision-making in Ukraine.
3/2/2022 • 4 minutes, 50 seconds
The latest on the attacks in Ukraine
Russian forces appear to be escalating attacks on urban areas of Ukraine as 680,000 people have fled their homes. Sanctions are piling up, and the West is supplying more military hardware to Ukraine.