Russia-Ukraine war

People arrive at a parking lot in Zaporizhzhia from places like Melitopol and Kherson, areas that have been occupied by Russia for months now.

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Russia begins annexation vote, illegal under international law, in occupied Ukraine

1:07pm September 23, 2022

by The Associated Press

Ukrainians are fleeing from Russian-held areas to avoid the sham referendums, which could pave the way for annexation. "It was all staged," said one Ukrainian. "How can you vote when they have guns?"

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Luda Toryanyk, 58, walks across the railroad tracks in Kozacha Lopan, Ukraine, on Sunday. The village was retaken by Ukrainian troops on Sept. 11 after being occupied by Russian forces for more than six months. Toryanyk carries home bags of food that Ukrainian volunteers were distributing in the center of the village.

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In a retaken border village, Ukrainians point to signs of Russian abuse of civilians

10:26am September 22, 2022

by Jason Beaubien

Villagers describe allegations of abuse and officials say they found a torture chamber in Kozacha Lopan, in the Kharkiv region, which Russian forces invaded and took over at the start of the war.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech Wednesday at a ceremony. In separate remarks, Putin said Russia will mobilize additional troops to fight in Ukraine and he expressed support for referendums in parts of Ukraine on joining Russia.

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Facing setbacks, Vladimir Putin makes his biggest gamble yet in Ukraine

8:45am September 22, 2022

by Greg Myre

The Russian leader has already lost several big bets in Ukraine. He may be taking his largest risk yet by mobilizing more troops and pushing ahead with plans to annex Ukrainian territory.

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

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

4:40pm September 21, 2022

by Joanna Kakissis

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

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

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

8:42am September 20, 2022

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

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

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

4:27pm September 19, 2022

by NPR Staff

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

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands with soldiers after attending a national flag-raising ceremony in Izium, Ukraine, on Wednesday. Zelenskyy thanked soldiers for their efforts in retaking the area, as the Ukrainian flag was raised in front of the burned-out city hall building.

A war with recurring themes: Russian blunders, Ukrainian ingenuity

4:25pm September 19, 2022

by Greg Myre

In Ukraine's successful military offensive, the country again made the most of its lesser resources and also capitalized on Russian miscalculations. This scenario has played out multiple times.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar on Sunday. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world.

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Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactors won't restart until Russians leave, its operator says

5:41pm September 15, 2022

by Kat Lonsdorf

Europe's largest nuclear plant will remain shut down until Russian forces leave, the head of Ukraine's atomic energy agency tells NPR. Under Russian occupation, he says, "staff cannot operate freely."

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China's President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose during their trilateral meeting with Mongolia on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Thursday.

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Xi Jinping travels out of China to see Putin and other leaders. Here's why it matters

5:29pm September 15, 2022

by Emily Feng

The leaders of China and Russia have joined other foreign leaders in Central Asia. Top concerns include Russia's war in Ukraine.

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

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

2:21pm September 14, 2022

by Ashley Westerman

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

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