Ukraine's bookstores have expanded despite the war, fueled by interest in works by Ukrainian writers, some who have been killed by Russian forces. But a Russian missile struck a top printing plant.

While some have fled Ukraine's second-largest city, others remain, even performing a classical music festival in defiance of the war.

Russia has accelerated its destruction of Ukraine's front-line cities in 2024 to a scale previously unseen in the war using glide bombs and an expanding network of airstrips just across the border.

With Russian troops on the offensive, Ukraine's second-largest city is taking the drastic step of moving classrooms for primary and secondary education underground.

Russia launched dozens of attack drones and missiles — including its advanced Kinzhal ballistic missile — according to Ukrainian officials.

Several large Ukrainian cities were attacked, including the capital, Kyiv, as well as Dnipro, Lviv, Odesa and Kharkiv.

Despite more than a year of war in Ukraine, regular missile strikes and power outages, the party goes all night long at a basement club in Kharkiv.

"He's giving us hope this neighborhood will come back to life," says a neighbor in the apartment building in Kharkiv damaged during Russia's invasion.

A Kharkiv metro station became a bomb shelter as the city came under Russian attack. Now, at the holiday season, it's also a Christmas village where kids can drop off letters to Grandfather Frost.

A neighbor recalls the girl saying in her final moments, "Why did this happen to me? I didn't do anything bad to them."

While Ukraine's counteroffensive this month was hailed as stunning by military observers, Ukrainian troops tell NPR that Russian forces put up stiff resistance in parts of the Kharkiv region.

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.

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

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.

The Kremlin made its first public response following Ukraine's success on the battlefield in recent days.