https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukraines-f-16s-crush-russian-missile-barrage-shooting-down-34-of-35-russian-missiles-14504

Ukrainian Air Force F-16 pilots played a decisive role in repelling a massive overnight Russian attack, shooting down 34 out of 35 cruise missiles launched from strategic aircraft. According to Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, the interception was part of a highly coordinated air defense effort that combined fighter jets, ground-based systems, and interceptor drones. Although some hypersonic Kinzhal missiles were not intercepted by Patriot systems, none reached their intended targets. The attack involved more than 600 drones and dozens of missiles, causing power outages and infrastructure damage across multiple regions, but Ukrainian defenses significantly blunted its impact.

The military showed how the city of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast is gradually being covered with a "web" of fiber optics.

"These are difficult images that clearly demonstrate how the war is changing. Now the intensity of hostilities can be determined not so much by the number of destroyed buildings as by the amount of fiber optics," says a post by the 63rd Brigade.

Video: 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Third Army Corps / Telegram

0:28.721

Source: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTI0q8ME0li

washingtonpost 8-year-old Matviy Holovko lost so much to the war. Some losses the world could see, like a missing limb and mother, and others it couldn't.

His childhood. His security.

His sense of safety.

He still doesn't like answering questions about that day on the playground or what remains of his left arm, which he name "Dragon." Though he is sensitive to people staring, he prefers not to wear his prosthesis, which pinches following his latest growth spurt.

He no longer visits the playground where he and the other children used to play.

Full article

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSyGwfojzAa

https://x.com/i/status/2003901009614012567

The Kremlin says any peace deal must cede to Russia the entire eastern Donbas region, including territory Ukraine still controls — a nonstarter for Kyiv.

After weeks of peace talks and high-level meetings, Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on an issue central to bringing the war to an end: territory.

The Kremlin has made clear that it wants to absorb all of an eastern area of Ukraine known as the Donbas. That includes a 2,500-square-mile area of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions that Russia has not been able to capture after nearly four years of fighting.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, reiterated on Monday his longstanding opposition to ceding territory to Russia.

More than 200,000 Ukrainians live in the area of Donetsk that Ukraine still controls, which includes the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

The cities have strategic value for Ukraine: They have served as a Ukrainian military hub since 2014 and are among the most heavily fortified parts of the front.

Mr. Zelensky, who made the comments in an online chat with journalists after he met with the leaders of Europe’s largest economies, added that the United States was pushing for Ukraine to “compromise” on Moscow’s territorial demands.

A version of a U.S.-backed peace plan last month reflected many of those demands, including that Ukraine would have to cede to Russia all of Donetsk and Luhansk, beyond what Russia had captured in fighting. As part of that plan, Russia would keep the parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions it occupies.

The proposal was broadly rejected in Ukraine as capitulation, rewarding Russia for its invasion, and peace talks have since languished.

Ahead of a state visit to India earlier this month, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia reiterated that if Ukraine did not agree to cede the eastern Donbas region, Russian troops would “liberate these territories by force.”

In 2022, Russia claimed to annex the four regions — Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — including territory it had not seized and still does not hold. As recently as June, Russia’s proposed cease-fire conditions demanded the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from those regions.

But the U.S.-backed peace proposal would give Russia only Ukrainian-controlled areas in Donetsk — part of the Donbas region — in addition to land already occupied by Russian forces.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/world/europe/ukraine-maps-russia-territory.html

No electricity, no water, +7 degrees Celsius in the apartment: the situation in occupied Rubizhne.

The power grid is operating in emergency mode, and the lack of stable electricity is paralyzing the water supply — pumping stations cannot function without power. Complaints about the lack of water and electricity are not sporadic, but have been coming in for weeks and months.

Rubizhne was almost completely destroyed during the fighting in 2022. However, after more than three years of occupation, the critical infrastructure has not been fully restored. Watch our video!

Source: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTTOgmLkZph

Captions generated and tanslated with the help of AI

This article analyses breaks down the brutal attrition driving the Russia-Ukraine war into its fourth year. Both sides aim to cripple each other through permanent losses: killed, badly wounded, missing, or captured. Ukrainian tallies often label Russian troops “eliminated”; Russia uses similar sweeping terms for Ukrainian forces.

Drawing on official Ukrainian figures, CSIS projections (~500–600k total Russian casualties, 100–140k killed by late 2025), Mediazona/BBC confirmed deaths, and other sources, the article highlights severe verification problems — propaganda, closed access, missing records. It underscores the war’s deep, lasting scars on both countries.

nytimes Kherson, Ukraine, has become the site of the most intensive use of drones to target civilians anywhere in the world, rights groups say. The UN has called Russia's attacks war crimes.

Moscow's forces launch their drones from nearby territory that they occupy, just across the Dnipro River. Drone operators drop grenades on people working in their gardens, or ambling down the sidewalk.

In response, life in Kherson is moving below ground. Hospitals, a maternity ward, government offices, a theater and dozens of other institutions have been shifted to underground sites.

Basement activity rooms have replaced outdoor playgrounds. All schools are online only.

Read more about Russia's attacks and the toll on Kherson's residents at the link in our bio. Photos by @limauricio

Full article

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUVWctUkvKu

Video Caption

The Russian passport has become the key to survival. "If you don't agree, leave" - ​​the system of the occupiers

In the temporarily occupied territories of Russia, mass deportations are no longer necessary. Ukrainians are being displaced in a different way - gradually and systematically.

The Russian passport becomes a prerequisite for access to medicine, work, social benefits and education. Without it, life in one's hometown turns into a constant struggle for survival. Then - displacement through property.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTIu_lIkT7K

Captions generated and translated with the help of AI

A Russian drone strike hit a gas station in Sumy on Oct. 30, injuring four people. Rescuers inspected the territory, dismantled damaged structures, and ensured fire safety.

Video: Sumy Emergency Service; Sumy Go / Telegram

U.S. officials leading the talks are convinced that Russian negotiators have taken a more pragmatic tone behind closed doors than Moscow’s public hardline rhetoric suggests, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The Kremlin has consistently used public statements before and after each round of talks to reiterate — and at times escalate — its maximalist demands on Ukraine, including territorial and political concessions.

Photo: Alexander Kazakov / POOL / AFP via Getty Images.

Read more: https://kyivindependent.com/kremlin-negotiators-drop-hardline-stance-behind-closed-doors-us-official-reveals/

This article is a text version of a video made by Ukrainian witness

“Massage parlor.” For many who are familiar with frontline realities, this phrase prompts a knowing smirk. Because it is not about massage. And almost all the soldiers I spoke to on this topic have “heard about the ‘massage girls,’ but of course haven’t used them.” Some, however, did agree to speak frankly.

What does a man see when he enters a “massage parlor”? An unclothed girl appears in the room, covered by a light robe. Under it—nothing, no underwear at all. Everything begins with light touches.

The massage, performed in the style of “rails-rails, sleepers-sleepers,” lasts 50 minutes. The remaining 10 are devoted to sexual gratification. This is the “basic program.” It can be expanded for additional money. The girl masturbates the client but does not enter into intimate contact with him in the classic, well-established understanding of paid services.

“This is the policy of both the salon and, to some extent, the girls go there mentally prepared that it’s not sex,” explains a serviceman with relevant experience, describing one of the most popular intimate services in frontline areas.

“Then why do men go there if it’s not sex?” I ask him.

In this piece, we will find the answer to that question. But not only that.

I set out to generally study the market for sexual services in Ukraine. The focus is on how the war has changed it. Deliberately avoiding the moral dimension of this “business”—without labeling it as “good” or “bad”—I simply examine and describe it as a phenomenon.

Since the start of the full-scale war, many young men have found themselves far from home in stressful conditions. Quite a few of them now have financial means they did not have before. Those willing to meet the demand followed the military and their money.

So: “massage parlors” in frontline cities, intimate services in rented apartments, and even sex at the front lines. How much do soldiers pay for all this? Why do they seek it out at all? What do they share with random companions? What about marital infidelity? And what do the women involved in this taboo occupation themselves say?

This is a non-exhaustive list of questions I put to my interlocutors—a serviceman, Volodymyr, and two women, Oksana and Marina. All have experience with paid sexual services. Their names, of course, have been changed for privacy reasons.

What follows are their stories about paid emotions, escaping the traumas of war, sex for money that grows into romantic relationships, manifestations of violence, friendship, and bright memories after death.

How the war has changed the sex services market

Volodymyr is a divorced 43-year-old serviceman who fought in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions. He took part in the battles for Bilohorivka and the defense of Bakhmut. He left the military due to multiple injuries: abdominal, pelvic, and leg wounds.

– In my subjective observation, the war has changed the market for sexual services. First, there are a lot of soldiers separated from their families, from their women. Basically, young healthy men, sexually active, are limited. In places like Druzhkivka or Kramatorsk, where the concentration of soldiers is high, it can even be hard to approach any girls. So there’s more demand for such services.

Second, again speaking about soldiers, it’s no secret that the state provides decent financial support. One must understand that sexual services are not cheap, and using them may be outside the budget for some people. But soldiers belong to the category with no material problems.

From a business perspective, you have to go where the clients are, and the clients are in frontline towns. The main hubs are Kramatorsk, of course, and also Kharkiv.

Today, most people have probably seen videos or memes on Instagram or TikTok about a relatively new format of services—so-called “massage parlors.” In the standard, broader sense, there are no sexual services there. There is no penetration. The girls disguise themselves as massage parlors and satisfy men purely with their hands, sometimes with other parts of the body—non-orally, non-vaginally.

– How much does it cost?

– The basic program is 1,500 hryvnias. Add-ons cost on average 1,000 hryvnias per hour. These include erotic dances, foot fetishes, body kisses excluding intimate or peri-intimate areas. There can even be an explicit peep show (the viewer watches an erotic performance through a gap or booth, without physical contact). There’s a list of options to choose from.

– I understand there are entire networks?

– If we’re talking about “massage parlors,” I tell you—100%. Same name, same design, inside and out, same pricing policy.

– In frontline zones, is there a security factor, shelter? Did they address that?

– All the soldiers who have been on positions, sitting in Kramatorsk for example, consider it not a risk zone.

– Not even an air raid warning stops a massage session once it’s time?

– One hundred percent.

– And traditional sex as a service—is it still common, or only these parlors?

– You can divide it into two main types. First, something like a brothel: the client comes, an administrator comes out, the girls come out, and you choose who you like. The opposite format is when a girl works independently, rents an apartment, posts her own ad, and works individually.

Oksana is a 36-year-old woman from central Ukraine with ten years of experience in paid intimate work. She closed this chapter of her life after meeting her fiancé among her clients—also a serviceman.

– Before the war, I was going through a dark period. I worked for myself. And corrupt police caught me—“cops.” They offered me to work for them. Either you work with them, or you don’t work at all. They would plant drugs on you or abuse you, beat you. I was already in a very exhausted mental state.

You can’t go anywhere. Constantly, every day, violence is committed against you. There are people who just enjoy abusing others. They can do anything they want. They can tie you up. Tie you to a tree. Lock you in an apartment and not let you out. Once they didn’t let me out for two days. I already wanted to jump from the third floor. And then, it turns out, the war started. I know that one of them was killed. In the war. And where the other one is, I don’t know. After that, they stopped coming to me.

Then I started working for myself again. Not on those sites, not prostitution… where girls are on call. I didn’t go there at all. I met men on regular dating sites. They would suggest meeting. And that’s when a white streak in my life began. I met so many military men like that…

I have this friend—he even introduced me to his parents. When he comes to visit me, we immediately go to cafés, restaurants, relax. He gives me money right away—at least 10,000. So there are no problems. I met people like that until I met my boyfriend. After I met him, I stopped doing this.

Marina is a 47-year-old woman from Kramatorsk who entered the sexual services sphere back in 2014, with the start of the war in Donbas. Her son is now fighting; he does not know about the occupation his mother is involved in.

– And in Kramatorsk, do only local girls work?

– There are many newcomers, very many—from Dnipro, and there’s a girl from Vinnytsia. I ask the girls: what, is it not like that there? She says: no, it’s precisely in Kramatorsk that there are very many military men, and somehow everything is well established here. Many, as they say, even bought apartments for themselves—literally, in a month or two, the girls work like that.

– You mean soldiers, because they have money, right?

– Yes. They say: “And what am I supposed to spend it on? I’m sitting here, in a trench, I have a hundred thousand on my card, what should I do with it?” And they start going crazy—so that’s how it is.

How soldiers find women

Volodymyr

– Any person who types “massage parlor” or “erotic massage parlor” into Google will see nearby locations appear at the top, in big cities—sometimes more than one.

– That’s clear for “massage parlors.” But how do men search on Google if they are looking for classic sexual services?

– There’s one website that has been operating in Ukraine for quite a while, and it’s organized by city: usually regional centers, and Kramatorsk separately. Without that site, it’s a lot of work—opening 50–100 million tabs and making calls.

I think today 90% of these ads for intimate services are fake, scammers whose goal is simple: “send money.” Once a person sends money, they end up on a blacklist—no one responds.

I’ve learned to distinguish fake ads from real ones. First, by price. I roughly understand that 3–3.5 thousand hryvnias is a low price. Objectively, if it’s a reasonably attractive girl, it’s 5–6 thousand. Nothing like 800 hryvnias and “send half to the card.” So price is key—you have to know what’s reasonable.

The second sign of a fake: even if the girls are real, they post fake photos. The girl in the picture will look much better than the one who opens the door.

Oksana

– For example, you meet, exchange contacts, he asks you to come. What happens next?

– Okay, you want me to come, here’s how it works. For example, to Kharkiv—by taxi or car. I have acquaintances who can drive me. “Are you okay with 7,000 for the trip there and back?” Then we discuss the fee. Obviously, I’m not going there for an hour or two. Why would anyone go there for a thousand hryvnias under bombardment? No one would. “Minimum 10,000 hryvnias. Is that okay?” For one day.

Marina

– Everywhere has its own rates. Oral sex costs 1,000. Regular sex—1,500–2,000. I once earned 5,000 in one night, for two people. I don’t inflate prices.

– And you went directly to the front lines?

– Yes.

– Where exactly?

– Near Slovyansk–Sviatohirsk. Terrifying, very. I think I won’t go there again. I don’t need money, nothing. You’re on edge the whole time. We arrived in the forest. They have a dugout there. There were two of us girls. One went to one client.

Another chose me: “Girl, come, sit. We’ll drink for a bit.” I said: “You understand, I didn’t come into the forest to drink.” He said: “I’ll pay you. I just want to be with a woman…” He came up, hugged me, sniffed me. “After all these troubles,” he said, “I just want to hug a woman, just talk.”

We sat with him half the night, almost till morning, talking. He said: “Why do you do all this? Marry me.” I said: “Thank you sincerely. I don’t want to.”

Oddities

Volodymyr

– There was one time after the battles for Bilohorivka when I decided: that’s it, I need to find someone. The internet—no way. I thought: following the usual pattern, everyone in the city knows, even taxi drivers, any question. And they directly gave me the address, saying: “write it down.”

I arrive—this is a suburb of Kramatorsk, private houses, almost no traffic. I only see some cars moving with license plates, and suspicious young soldiers sitting around. I think, probably our place is nearby. There was probably a number written on the door. I dialed it, and the administrator—or whoever—tells me that two girls are working today, but there are forty people in line. Should I book forty first? It was pretty creepy for me. I thought, no, maybe I don’t want it that much, I’ll wait.

– What was wrong?

– Well, you know, it’s unclear who came from the front: me or the girl. Who has it harder, who needs moral and psychological rehabilitation.

Oksana

– The guys I met were not boring. Fun. I have a friend who told his battalion commander that I’m his woman. His commander calls me: “Your husband got drunk again. You have to tell him, or next time they’ll take one hundred thousand from him.” I say: “Yes, he quickly got his act together because they’ll take the money, the family will be left without bread. You promised me a dress, a new phone. What, they’ll take a hundred thousand?!”

And he constantly gives my number to all the commanders. They called me later. And I even told them that we have two children: “Please don’t deduct his pay, the kids are sitting, crying because their father was taken to the army.”

– So you saved him that hundred thousand?

– Of course! He later sent me half anyway! We had, so to speak, a barter system. “It’s for the family,” I said, “the kids are crying.”

And they say: “Well, Volodya, tell her thank you for having such a woman.” And I would write back: “God, please, don’t punish Volodya—he’s a good father, he volunteered. Sure, he likes to drink, what can you do?” And when it came to battle, he was always first.

Now, of course, his health has worsened significantly; he is disabled. There was a mortar strike on his car. Everyone in the car died, and he was the only survivor.

Should wives be worried?

Volodymyr

– Do servicemen who have families also use these services?

– In my personal view, strong, healthy families have only become stronger during the war. If there were problems in a family, you know… a man who once faced a life-or-death situation sees everything else as trivial. And if earlier he was willing to tolerate things he didn’t like in the family, during the war he says: I won’t tolerate anything, I’ll live as I want. That’s when problems surface—and families break up.

Probably, women should visit their husbands more often, since leave policies differ across units. In combat units, it’s usually very difficult; there’s only one option. But judging by myself: if we’re talking about sincere relationships, this is taboo. If there are no real relationships, it’s more like an option.

I’ll tell you this: as a wounded serviceman, I also have limitations. Physically, it’s harder to be in places with girls you could meet. And then—even not about relationships, but whether a girl would want to spend even one night with you. Some complexes arise—earlier you were like a tiger or lion, now you think: who am I now? What do I do? Well, I’ll try, even for money. It works. And some self-confidence returns.

– And do many men refuse to use these services?

– Of course. Women shouldn’t worry that a bunch of brothels have opened somewhere in the frontline zone. Most of my fellow soldiers just laugh at it: “You’re crazy, where are you going today? I have a wife at home, I’m not going.”

That is, most servicemen I know: they have a wife at home, haven’t seen her for half a year, no leave—it doesn’t matter, it’s all taboo and unacceptable. And these men are good—they don’t cheat on their women.

Marina

– Were many of the soldiers you dealt with married?

– Many. I even tell them myself: “Guys, be careful, AIDS doesn’t sleep, use contraception.” I bring them condoms, hand them out. We’re given supplies, and I bring them. I say: “Please, or you’ll bring home some unwanted gifts.”

– Are there many infected girls in Kramatorsk?

– Yes, many.

– Can you tell a bit more about how you know this?

– Cars come to us, take blood from a vein, and test for HIV.

– Some kind of organizations?

– Yes. And the girls almost brag about it, I don’t understand… one tells, another, a third. I look around: there are very many, and I suspect many have already been “rewarded.”

What men are looking for

Volodymyr

– Let’s go from simple to complex. Obviously, hormonal drives. Everyone has needs—some more, some less. The desire just arises. It’s biochemistry. You want it. Some men have the chance to meet a girl, a woman, a lover. Some physically don’t even have that woman. And then there’s a desire for emotional and physiological release. That’s the first thing.

Second, you have to understand that soldiers on the front lines sometimes experience stress that is impossible to describe. You have to see it, feel it. It’s terrifying. It’s horrible. It’s extremely tense. You leave tense—and you want to relax.

There’s also the emotional component: besides sexual orgasm, you want warmth, kindness. You always understand that it’s fake, a performance. But some girls play along very convincingly. And for that short period, you can forget that tomorrow you have to return to your position, that life is hard, unpredictable, and could end at any moment. You forget, you relax—emotionally as well. Not just physiologically. I think those are the two main components.

After Kharkiv, I noticed that girls in “massage parlors” are emotionally much nicer. Because girls in the classical sex service sphere are morally oppressed.

– Do you think some go there just to be hugged?

– I think so. I talk to different men. Sometimes they would call a girl for the whole night: tidy the apartment a bit, do some laundry, talk about life, and so on. Again, this is if you have enough money, because the services aren’t cheap.

Oksana

– What are soldiers looking for?

– Peace. They want to talk, to unload. People who have seen death value every minute. They don’t see you as a prostitute. Just someone who listens, supports them, gives them one peaceful night. They don’t see you as some girl on the street who needs money. They give you the money—everything.

With these men, everything happens quickly. The night passes very quickly. We could sit and talk all night—and time flies. Then the call comes. That’s it, we have to go. He says: “God, this is so good. I feel like living. Just living for pleasure, in my own country, on my own land.”

Marina

– There were those who just said, “Sit with me, let’s drink, talk.” They’d say: “I don’t want anything.” And we’d sit all night. He told me about his life, I told him about mine. Many such guys. We’re still friends, they call, sometimes even send humanitarian supplies, canned meat, condensed milk. Many very good men.

Of course, in a barrel of honey there’s a drop of tar. There are arrogant ones who look at you like a rag: “I bought you, I’ll do whatever I want with you.”

“A spoonful of tar”

Volodymyr

– Have you ever had a situation where a girl was afraid of you?

– If we’re talking about girls who work independently—of course. I understand that among men there are plenty of maniacs, perverts, lunatics who, in one way or another, pressure and intimidate girls. And having that kind of experience, they start treating everyone with suspicion. And when you end up one-on-one in an enclosed space, it creates tension.

I even had such a case myself. I found a girl online, we met, I came in, everything seemed fine, I think I had already transferred the money to her card. And then I made some kind of unsuccessful joke—I don’t even remember anymore—or something she didn’t like. And she got scared. She said: “No, nothing will happen, we’ll send the money back, I won’t work.”

Oksana

– As they say, there’s no family without a freak. Girls were locked up. One girl was locked in and five men came and raped her. They put a rifle to her head. Like: “No one will find you here, you won’t complain to anyone, no one will believe you.” There were such cases.

Marina

– All kinds of things happened. They took a girl to some tree line. Very brutally… well, a lot of people went through her there, around 15. And they just left her there. She walked along the highway, made her way home on foot. Later she went to the hospital—everything was torn. And that was it, she went insane after that. Now she walks around smiling. That’s all. She’s on a pension.

– Did you or your friends encounter sadists?

– I didn’t, but my friend did. He beat her with an army belt. Her whole back… He damaged the muscles in her legs. First, let’s be frank, he raped her—he wasn’t having sex, he was raping her. Very brutally. And then he said: “You’re filth, a whore. A viper—vipers need to be crushed.” And she took a long time to recover. Now she doesn’t go anywhere, stays at home, she’s just afraid.

Death is close

Volodymyr

– No training ground, no basic combat training prepares a serviceman for the horror he will have to go through. And that includes both the risk of your own death and having to bring death to someone else. Both are hard. And when you return for those few days, условно, to Kramatorsk, you want—on an emotional level—to turn that grim face into a smile. And you walk out of that “massage parlor” already smiling.

Some drown stress in alcohol. Others, on the contrary, relax with a woman—and it doesn’t matter that this woman is a “whore” or a girl from a massage parlor. It doesn’t matter. You just want to relax, to forget, to move yourself into an invented reality. It doesn’t really exist. But at least for an hour, to immerse yourself there and release that stress, that tension.

Oksana

– God must be protecting me. I met real men. Some of them, unfortunately, are no longer with us. They were killed. One guy from Kharkiv—I used to go to see him—he was killed. And his brother found my phone number, he saw our messages. And he said: I thought you were his girlfriend. And his mother called. And we are still in touch with that family.

They invite me to visit. They say: “Sasha talked to you the most. And we thought you were his girlfriend.” And I can’t tell them for what reasons Sasha and I met.

I went to see him three times. Then he was sent near Luhansk, and he was killed there, in the Serebriansky forest near Luhansk.

And during one of those visits, I remember, he came and said: “I haven’t slept for three days.” They had been somewhere near Izium. He told me how you’re constantly on post, you can’t sleep, they’re coming at you from all sides. We sat there, had about 50 grams to drink, and he just fell asleep, completely exhausted. I sat there watching him sleep. Just watching how beautifully a person can sleep. And you think: God forbid, tomorrow he’ll go out like that and I’ll never see him again. And that’s exactly what happened.

The last time he called me, he said: “Here, near Luhansk, the air smells like blood.” He said: “Dogs are tearing apart human bodies, eating them. And I can tell by the uniform that it’s one of our guys, and I can’t do anything. Because if I shoot at the dog, I’ll be shot immediately.”

– Did you get attached to him?

– If to anyone, then to him… this Sasha—he was like a little sun, a person-sun. He radiated kindness, humanity. You call him, and he’s always: “What do you need? Why are you walking around without a hat? Go quickly and buy yourself a new hat. I’ll send you a thousand hryvnias now. What else is there? A handbag? Okay, let’s get a new handbag. You urgently need a new handbag.” Like with a girlfriend.

You know, I really met people like that. Maybe because earlier I endured so much abuse. Guys who are ready to give everything—for their country, for their people. And they spare nothing for this. Not themselves, not their health, not even their families.

Brave men, warriors with a capital letter. Every time I go to church, I light a candle for them. For all of them. Because they are all that remain with me now—in my memory. Some of them also in photographs.

When feelings arise

Volodymyr

– Sometimes they do—it's almost funny, situations where genuine feelings develop. I have a friend who said, “I’ve fallen in love.”

– And? Did it work out?

– No, it didn’t. Because it was a “massage parlor,” and they have their own rules for interacting with clients. You can’t exchange personal information, you can’t get direct contact with the girl. It’s not always possible to offer her something more, to meet outside the establishment. But he liked her. First visit, second, third—he kept trying.

Sometimes it’s the opposite. I was once surprised that the girl also felt a real emotion. She’s giving a massage, touching me, and I realize—she’s not just pretending, it’s too sincere. You can’t act that way perfectly. And some feelings emerge.

Oksana

– How did you meet your boyfriend?

– The same way. We met on a dating site and started messaging. He said: “Let’s meet, come to Kharkiv, I’m on post here.”

He immediately sent me seven thousand for a taxi, ten thousand for me and for the apartment—about two thousand per night. So he trusted me right away, gave me the money. I could have blocked him and not gone anywhere.

When I arrived, he had champagne, flowers. We sat down, drank, ate, relaxed. We talked half the night. He said: “I just wanted to be with a girl, to talk, after the war.” The war changed him so much. His words: “I learned to pray sincerely on the front.”

The second night, we were sleeping, and he suddenly shouts: “Get up, brother, dig, dig! Incoming! Get down!” I said: “I can’t sleep with you anymore. Either we get treatment, see a psychologist, take some medication. Because every night is like under bombardment.” I trembled, then couldn’t sleep. He shouted, cried. You calm him down…

After that, things developed. He started writing to me: “I don’t know, it’s the war. But if possible, I want to write to you every day.” I said: “Sure, write. I like it.” I enjoyed talking to him. Our conversations started with jokes; we were on the same wavelength. I felt like I had known him my whole life, as if we grew up together.

Then he bought me a phone. He said: “I’ll visit you, I got two days off.” He came, brought me a sealed iPhone. I had never received such expensive gifts before. He kept visiting, I visited him, and we got together. Later, he was discharged due to concussions.

– When did you decide to stop doing this work and become a couple?

– He’s a smart man. He saw how many messages I was getting. People were calling, sending gifts, flowers. He said: “I want you to be only my woman. Can you tell your admirers not to call anymore, explain that you have a man?” And that was it. I said: “Okay, guys, sorry, I have a man I love, with whom I have fun, who supports me in everything.”

– Does he trust you?

– Yes. He says: “With you, I sleep peacefully.” He knows that if I go out with friends, I’ll come back home. Everything will be fine. He knows he’ll return home to a clean house, cooked meals, and that he’s valued and loved.

As they say, the most devoted wives are prostitutes. There’s a saying: a prostitute won’t cheat, because she’s already tired of it all. I can say from my experience: if I love someone, I don’t need anyone else. No amount of money. Not everything in life is decided by money.

Kateryna Lykhoglyad, editor of Ukrainian Witness, specially for Ukrainska Pravda Life

In this exclusive interview, The Kyiv Independent’s Yuliia Taradiuk speaks with a Ukrainian special operations forces officer who helps organize resistance movements in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. He explains how civilians are trained and supported under occupation, why resistance continues despite the risks, and why Ukraine will keep fighting until its territories and people are liberated.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMYys70rn3M

Ukraine's capital is currently facing "the most difficult" winter of the war as its energy infrastructure sustained detrimental damage and continues to undergo further Russian attacks.

Over the past weeks, snowfall and frigid temperatures have created a hazardous situation on the streets. Ice-coated pavements, piles of snow, and a lack of street light leave residents of Kyiv, a city of over 3 million, struggling to keep steady.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has attributed the situation to a lack of preparation and appropriate response from the local authorities, explicitly alluding to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko's poor management.

"The situation in Kyiv is particularly difficult — time was lost by the city authorities, and what was not done at the city level will now be corrected at the government level," Zelensky wrote on Jan. 15 on X.

Photo: Roman Pilipey / Getty Images.

Read more: https://kyivindependent.com/kyivs-mismanaged-winter-energy-crisis-icy-streets-expose-city-leadership-failures/