Before the war, the first day of school in Ukraine was a joyous celebration. As nearly 4 million students return to school this month, children and educators are desperate for a sense of normalcy.
Antony Blinken is on a trip to Kyiv, where he visited a children's hospital and met with U.S. Embassy staff. The U.S. announced nearly $3 billion in aid and weapons for Ukraine and other countries.
European sanctions on Russia over Ukraine have caused major traffic backups along the Latvian border. And truckers can feel the mounting tension between Russia and NATO members like Latvia.
Some critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin have died over the years from murky circumstances, as NPR's Scott Simon points out following the death this week of a Russian oligarch.
Progress has been slow but Ukrainian military officers say U.S.-supplied rockets and training are making a difference from when NPR visited in the spring.
As a stalemate sets in on Ukraine's eastern front line, a city lives in limbo with constant shelling, limited fuel and spotty utilities. The government ordered evacuations but some residents remain.
Gorbachev was the Soviet Union's last leader and played a central role in ending the Cold War. The hospital that treated him said he died of a serious and protracted disease.
Andriy Tuz was at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant when it came under Russian control. Now in Switzerland, the plant's ex-spokesman talks about his ordeal leaving and how remaining Ukrainians are doing.
The families of Ukrainian soldiers imprisoned by Russian forces have embarked on a desperate search for information after a deadly explosion at the Olenivka prison.
Dr. Aleksandra Shchebet fled Kyiv but resolved to help any way she could, from virtual visits to packing medical supplies. Now she's back home, tending to patients who are deeply affected by the war.
Russia invaded Ukraine six months ago. In that time, thousands of people have been killed, cities destroyed, millions of people displaced and the Ukrainian economy has been battered.