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Divers from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service have repaired a pipe damaged in a Russian attack at one of Kyiv’s thermal power plants, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
According to the minister, the operation was an exceptional underwater rescue mission carried out in extreme conditions, with temperatures dropping to minus 15 degrees Celsius. Shelling had damaged a pipeline, causing flooding at the plant and significantly complicating repair work. The damaged infrastructure is crucial for heating and electricity supply to thousands of households.
Read more: Ukrainian rescue divers repaired a damaged power plant pipe in icy conditions
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- Written by: Oleg Fedotov
Today, January 27, marks the day of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade.
Today, January 27, also marks the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Today, January 27, is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust.
Russian propaganda has a particular fondness for these dates. They are always commemorated loudly and with great emphasis.
Above all, the liberation of Leningrad from the siege is highlighted.
The victims of a horrific tragedy are remembered, as is the heroism of the city’s residents.
Yet precisely today, many people are asking a very simple question:
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- Written by: Oleg Fedotov
Kyiv in darkness. Only a few apartments glow with light. The lack of electricity is not the worst part. The worst are the broken sewage systems and the cold.
I am not always sure who I am speaking to when I write about what is happening in Ukraine.
“Everyone already knows everything” — we learned this phrase about three years ago. People living in Ukraine right now hardly have the time or energy to read my posts. And those who live far away are simply tired of the war — tired of the news about shelling, death, and now the cold.
So why do I write?
The easiest answer would be: in hope of a miracle. But I have long been an adult, and I no longer believe in miracles.
I write so that the few who do read these texts and live through the horror of this war know they are not alone. That someone truly cares. If I were religious, I would say that people are praying for them.
Does it make things easier? No.
But we cannot remain silent.
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Large parts of Kyiv remain without electricity and heating. The Ukrainian capital, home to more than three million people, is facing severe disruptions to power and heat supply caused by Russian air strikes on critical infrastructure. According to Ukrainian sources and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s evening address, more than one million consumers were without electricity in Kyiv on the evening of January 20.
Various reports indicate that between 4,000 and 5,600 apartment buildings were left without heating on Tuesday evening. Power and heating outages may continue for days, as there is a constant shortage of qualified technicians and electricians needed to repair the damage.
Despite the situation, Ukrainians refuse to break under Russia’s illegal attacks. Across the country, hundreds of so-called “Points of Invincibility” have been established to help people cope with blackouts. At these locations, residents can warm up, charge their phones and power banks, and access basic services. In Kyiv, even community kitchens have emerged, allowing citizens to prepare hot meals during outages.
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- Written by: Hosha
Hosha is a 16-year-old young writer from Kharkiv who writes under a pseudonym. She was born and raised in Kharkiv, where her childhood passed. Her school and friends are also there.
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Hosha’s family had to leave the city. The decision was not immediate – they left in April 2022, when Hosha was still a child. The family moved temporarily to a smaller town, where they lived for about three years.
That time brought many new experiences and taught her to appreciate simple things and adapt to constant change.
Even though Kharkiv is still dangerous, the family has now moved back to the city. Hosha has returned after spending several years in the countryside.
This week’s main event has definitely been heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures. Recently, it dropped to –17°C, and my hands froze completely outside.
There has been an incredible amount of snow this week. I went to the window and started watching people moving through the snow. Someone was running to catch public transport and barely managed to get in. Near the stop, children ran with sleds and snow sliders. People came out of the shop carrying bags, talking so enthusiastically that they even forgot to board the trolleybus.
This winter has actually surprised me in a very pleasant way. People often joke, saying:
“War, missiles, Shaheds, sleepless nights… and Kharkiv residents say: what are you talking about – there hasn’t been snow like this in a hundred years!”
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- Written by: Oleg Fedotov
After the events in Venezuela, social media is flooded with the same kind of posts:
“The United States handled Venezuela in three hours, Moscow tried to take Kyiv in three days – and failed! We are tough! And the only ones tougher than us are the Carpathian mountains!”
Yes. We are tough.
Especially those who, in the first hours and days of the war, went to defend Ukraine. These people deserve the deepest respect. At the moment when their own lives and health were in direct danger, they did not run away – they went toward danger. And they defeated it.
All of this is true.
But now I want to remind you of one thing.
Moscow acted according to the same pattern as the U.S. in Venezuela
Russia started the war in almost the same way the United States acted in Venezuela.
First – missiles and bombs.
Air defense bases.
Military airfields.
Imagine for a moment:
What if Moscow had destroyed Ukraine’s air defense and aircraft in the first hours of the war?
What if Russia had gained full air superiority?
Then the Hostomel airfield would certainly have been captured.
Russian airborne troops would have landed without resistance.
All opposition would have been crushed from the air.
Artillery would have been silenced by airstrikes.
More troops would have been flown in.
Kyiv’s fate would have been completely different.
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- Written by: Hosha
Hosha is a 16-year-old young woman from Kharkiv who writes under a pseudonym. She was born and has lived most of her life in Kharkiv.
That is where her ordinary everyday life, her schooling, and her childhood took place. When Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Hosha’s family was forced to move temporarily to a smaller town. The decision to leave was not made immediately, but only in April 2022, when Hosha was still a child. The family lived in the new place for about three years.
That period brought many new experiences and taught her to appreciate simple things and to adapt to constant change.
Although Kharkiv is still dangerous, Hosha says she can no longer live without the feeling of home. That is why returning feels inevitable — and at the same time like the moment to close one chapter of life and begin the next.
Hosha writes irregularly but continuously about her own life in the midst of war.
I know Christmas is approaching when shops fill up with holiday symbols: Christmas stars, soon carried by carol singers as they go from house to house, bringing people together and lifting spirits; candles lit at the table with hopes for a brighter future; and kutia ingredient sets, which we also bought for our Christmas meal.
What I find especially interesting is how talking with people from different regions reveals small but meaningful differences in recipes. Some make kutia with rice and nuts, others with wheat and raisins. Some add candied fruit or sweets, making it thick or almost soup-like. It’s fascinating to observe and take little ideas for yourself.
But what I love most is the moment when the city starts to dress for Christmas. One day there is only a single tree on the street, and the next day large, glittering light installations appear, and suddenly there are many trees. To me, every person adds a bit of Christmas to the city in their own way: lights glowing in windows, children hanging paper snowflakes they carefully cut out in kindergarten or at home with their parents. Near some buildings, even the trees growing outside are decorated.
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Illustration photo. Photo: Mikko Oja.
During evacuations in Ukraine, not only the living are being relocated. Increasingly, families are also forced to move the graves of their loved ones.
People leaving dangerous or frontline areas do not take with them only belongings and memories. They are compelled to relocate the remains of relatives buried in regions that have become unsafe or inaccessible. Reburials are carried out in areas where families can now live and move more safely, allowing them to remain close to the graves and care for them.
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- Written by: Oleg Fedotof
War does not affect only front lines, infrastructure, or the economy. It also reaches culture, education, and people’s ability to preserve meaning and continuity in everyday life. In Ukraine, books and libraries have taken on an exceptional importance under wartime conditions.
Russia’s war of aggression has damaged libraries across the country. Some have suffered direct destruction from shelling, others have endured occupation, while many have lost collections, facilities, or staff. Despite this, numerous libraries have continued to operate—often with very limited resources—offering children and adults not only access to books, but also a sense of stability in an environment defined by constant uncertainty.
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- Written by: Oleg Fedotof
An ordinary Christmas celebration in an ordinary Ukrainian kindergarten.
Children are reciting poems and singing songs when the air raid siren sounds. Everything stops. Everyone must move quickly to shelter. For the children, this is already a sadly familiar routine.
The Christmas celebration continues underground, in a bomb shelter.
Read more: Children of War – A Christmas Celebration in a Bomb Shelter
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- Written by: Hosha
Hosha is a 16-year-old young woman from Kharkiv who writes under a pseudonym. She was born and has lived most of her life in Kharkiv.
That is where her ordinary everyday life, her schooling, and her childhood took place. When Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Hosha’s family was forced to move temporarily to a smaller town. The decision to leave was not made immediately, but only in April 2022, when Hosha was still a child. The family lived in the new place for about three years.
That period brought many new experiences and taught her to appreciate simple things and to adapt to constant change.
Although Kharkiv is still dangerous, Hosha says she can no longer live without the feeling of home. That is why returning feels inevitable — and at the same time like the moment to close one chapter of life and begin the next.
Hosha writes irregularly but continuously about her own life in the midst of war.
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For some people, moving means new opportunities, the next stage of life. For me, it meant suitcases packed in a hurry and a home I had to leave behind with the thought:
“Will I ever return to these familiar walls even once?”
I looked at my room and tried to memorize every small detail: the empty cage where my parrots had been — they too had to be taken in a hurry to my grandmother; the bed laid out in the corridor, where I spent many nights and which gave me at least a small sense of safety — so small, fragile, and unreliable that it broke with every air-raid alert. I looked at my toys and understood: by leaving them behind, my childhood was ending too.
But the strength of Ukrainians made a deep impression on me on that April day in 2022. We were helped to find a home in another region, farther from the front. We met the very kind owners of the house and new neighbors. And we began to live again.
Living away from home is already difficult, but when your heart and soul long for your own Kharkiv and you cannot return there, the pain becomes physical.
Still, even in this, something positive can be found. I had to accept the bitter experience and move forward. I have learned, among other things, how to plant potatoes — neighbors brought them to us and patiently explained how best to take care of them.
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Extensive Support from a Small Municipality in Finland
From the small Finnish town of Oulainen and its surrounding areas (https://www.oulainen.fi), aid has been flowing to Ukraine and Ukrainians since the very first days of the war. The volume and type of assistance have varied in response to changing needs.
In Oulainen and nearby communities, a dedicated group of people was quickly assembled to organise the collection and transportation of aid, for example to the town of Raahe, where several hundred refugees arrived. At the outset of the war, large quantities of basic household supplies were delivered to refugees.
During 2022, the Lions Club of Oulainen fully furnished several apartments specifically for Ukrainian refugees.
In Ylivieska, a neighbouring town of Oulainen, a donation shopping cart for Ukraine has been located at K-Market Mustikka for the past three and a half years. Customers can purchase aid items and place them directly into the cart. Over time, the cart fills up, after which volunteers collect the goods, pack them, and forward them onward.
Most food supplies have been delivered to the Logistics Centre of the Ukrainian Association, from where they have been organised and sent onward to those in need in Ukraine.
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- Written by: Oleg Fedotof
Lozova is a city in the Kharkiv region, located close to the front line. It is under constant shelling by Russian forces. Due to the lack of centralized heating and water supply, so-called Points of Resilience have been opened in the city, providing residents with a place to warm up, rest, and charge phones and other electronic devices. The situation remains difficult, but is not critical at this time.
Read more: Lozova Lives in the Shadow of War Near the Front Line
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Only a true President can stand alongside the people. To sleep in the same dugout together with the soldiers. This is in Kupiansk few days ago december 2025.
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- Written by: Oleg Fedotof
War, without embellishment. As it truly is – mud, sweat, blood, rats, no heroism. Only our strong spirit, which the rusnia will never break!
At the end of the video we deliberately shout “Glory to Ukraine” so that the rusnia hears it. It enrages them – and even more so the fact that they cannot break us.
Oleg Fedotov: “Victory Tomorrow!”
Today I have not seen a single feature film that could compare to the work of an ordinary soldier defending his position in a hopeless situation, under artillery barrages and FPV drones.
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Oleg Fedotov
We do not use bomb shelters, because experience has shown that in villages they are not safe — in practice, they become graves the moment they are hit. The force of an explosion immediately buries the shelter under earth, concrete, bricks, and debris. In rural areas, people have traditionally used their own cellars as shelters — places where food is stored throughout the winter.
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UkraineFieldNotes.net documents the everyday reality of civilians living through a full-scale war. Through the observations and experiences of Oleg Fedotov and our other contributors, this project shows life as it truly is in Ukrainian villages, towns, and cities under constant threat.
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Олег Федотов
We traveled to Poltava with books and toward books. And, of course, toward people — those who give birth to texts, publish them, preserve them, and carry them forward.
Or, more precisely, toward the memories of people and of entire generations — sometimes more than one.
The newly printed books of Volodymyr Shovkoshytnyi, scorched after a recent strike on Kyiv, speak directly to this. And no matter which direction one walked around the regional youth center where the book fair was held, the smell of burned paper drifted alongside in a thin thread — a reminder and a warning.
This is also what the two books I brought with me to Lviv are about: Vasinka and Lidochka by Marina Fedorova, where memories of a grandmother and grandfather and their far-from-easy lives are kept alive; and Photopoetic Etudes by Galina Vovchenko, where the beauty of word and image is so tightly interwoven that it becomes impossible to tell which came first. These are not only engaging and compelling works, but also publications of exceptional quality — beautifully, even lovingly produced.
I bought two postcards in which Poltava lives from the artist’s mother, one year after her daughter’s death.
Maria Panchenko — remember this name. Look up her work. It is beautiful.
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This is a small city called Lozova. In early May 2022, Russia carried out a missile strike on the city’s House of Culture. The building had just been renovated, yet it was destroyed in the attack. The strike was justified with claims that the building allegedly housed military personnel and that its backyard served as a military parking area and training ground.
Photographs show a different reality. Next to the building there is a children’s playground. Instead of military vehicles, there is an empty football field with no signs of military activity. No tire tracks, no traces of heavy equipment — just a clean field.
War is not limited to the front line. It exists in cities and homes as well. Although Lozova lies close to the front, civilians carry much of the burden. Constant shelling and air-raid sirens wear down people’s mental resilience. Daily life is further disrupted by long power outages and water supply failures. When electricity is cut, water stops flowing. Drinking water is available only through special vending machines and distribution points.