‘We are not scared’: the Ukrainians building families in the shadow of war

Birthrates have fallen since Russia’s invasion but some have held on to hope and are bringing up children despite risks Four years ago Russian troops were a few kilometres away from Leleka maternity hospital, beyond a pine forest and a lake. Vladimir Putin’s plan to conquer Ukraine – wrapping it into a new Russian empire – began just down the road. They were meant to seize Kyiv and topple Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s pro-western government. To the Kremlin’s surprise, Ukraine fought back. A Russian a...

By Luke Harding in Pushcha-Vodytsia

Ukrainian resilience remains strong as war enters fifth year

Russian attacks have made an already harsh winter even harder to endure for Ukrainians. And yet, after four years of war, most remain determined to tough it out.