
Vera, Monday 23 May 2022
Vera describes the decisions she has to make each night about where to sleep
Listen to our collection of daily messages from inside Ukraine as the Russian invasion unfolds.
Vera describes the decisions she has to make each night about where to sleep
Olga describes the impact that increased bombing of Odesa is having
Vera describes how multicultural Kharkiv was before the war
Mariia is still in Kyiv and has been thinking about how, even in the darkest of times, you can still find moments of happiness and hope
Vera describes what it was like to play her violin in a concert in London via videolink from Kharkiv
Olga describes watching children play in a bomb shelter whilst Odesa is attacked
Naliia talks about her mum’s decision to leave Ukraine
Mariia has been back in Kyiv for a while now. In this voicemail she describes what the capital is like
For much of the war the southern city of Odesa has managed to avoid rocket attacks, but when many Ukrainians were celebrating Orthodox Easter the region was bombed. Olga sent us this voicemail about her experience of that weekend
Vera is still in Kharkiv in Eastern Ukraine where shelling has intensified. In this voicemail she describes how Easter Sunday quickly became one of the scariest days of her life
This is our first voicemail from Tania. She’s from Dnipro in central Ukraine, but has moved to the city of Chernivtsi near the Romanian border. Like many of us she started her morning with a cup of coffee and looked at the news
Naliia describes what it was like seeing her dad for the first time since the war started
Naliia has been catching up with friends in Kyiv. She’s noticed they’ve changed physically since the war began
Olga is a professor at the university in Odesa. She has been wondering what history will textbooks will say about the war in Ukraine
On Easter Monday Naliia sent this voicemail about the destruction she sees around her
Olga hasn’t had any issues accessing food and supplies in the southern city of Odesa, but many of her favourite Ukrainian brands have disappeared from supermarket shelves
In this voicemail, Naliia reflects on the many years of upheaval she’s experienced in her life and the strength it’s taken to rebuild each time
Vera has been speaking to friends in occupied areas of Ukraine and the besieged city of Mariupol
Naliia spent the weekend catching up with friends all over Ukraine
Back in Kyiv, Naliia is helping volunteer soldiers in the capital.
Odesa has been attacked by Russian missiles. Olga describes what it was like
After much consideration, Naliia has returned to Kyiv. In this voicemail she gives her visceral reaction to news of civilian killings in areas once occupied by Russian forces.
Last time we heard from Kseniya she was in Poland. She has now travelled to Vienna.
This is our first voicemail from Olga. She’s a University Professor living in Odesa, a city on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast.
Last time we heard from Naliia she was wondering what was really going on at peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. She sent us this one because she’s shocked by some of the stories she’s seeing on social media.
In Vera’s last voicemail, she described how difficult it is for people living without electricity, heating or internet in Kharkiv. A city that has faced heavy Russian bombardment. But she still hopes their lives will return to normal.
Lutsk, where Naliia is living, was bombed over the weekend. Now she’s thinking about going back to Kyiv
Nina arrives in Warsaw after making the decision to leave Ukraine a month into the war
In this voicemail, Vera tells us how difficult it is for people living in Kharkiv right now without any water, heating or electricity
Before the war started Nina moved to western Ukraine. Now she is going to Poland.
In her first voicemail Olga tells us about the physical impact the war has had on her despite her city not being under direct attack.
In an emotional message, Naliia reflects on life in Lutsk a month into the war
A violinist living in Kharkiv, Vera has been playing music in the basement of her house whilst sheltering from heavy Russian bombardment
This is Volodymyr’s first voicemail. He has already had to flee his home once in 2014. Now he has been displaced by war again
Naliia describes how her emotions change from day to day
Mariia has had a busy week buying bulletproof vests for her friends
Nina is brought to tears by memories of her childhood and hometown
In her first voicemail Viktoria tells us how she was living abroad when her country was invaded and what it is like being separated from her family
This is an update on what we know about where people are and what they are doing just over three weeks into the invasion
Naliia gets some good news about her auntie, who lived in a house that was shelled
Kseniya is leaving Krakow, but is always looking over her shoulder at what’s happening in Ukraine
Naliia is concerned for her dad, who lives in a Russian-occupied part of Ukraine
Nina is woken up by explosions at the local airport. It no longer feels safe anywhere
Naliia reminds us that despite the optimism in her last message, the war is never far away
Naliia is currently living in Lutsk in north-western Ukraine. Over the weekend, she got back into teaching
Nina is appalled by the attack on a maternity hospital in Mariupol and worries about the fate of Ukraine’s cities
Oleksandr has spent some time with volunteers preparing for a Russian attack
Nina is appalled by the attack on a maternity hospital in Mariupol and worries about the fate of Ukraine’s cities
Naliia is wondering how she can return to work as a teacher whilst war rages in Ukraine
Almost two weeks into the war, Oleksandr doesn’t know what day it is anymore
Now a bit safer in north-western Ukraine, Naliia has started to have nightmares and feels powerless to help
Oleksandr worries burglaries and street crime may rise as people become more desperate
Kseniya is now settled in Poland, but the effects of the war are never far away
Naliia has made it to Lutsk in north west Ukraine, but she cannot avoid the brutality of the war
Naliia has left Kyiv and is heading west
On Sunday Max sent this voicemail from a shelter in Poltava
Every attack is personal for Nina as she worries about the people she knows in the towns and cities being bombarded
Oleksandr gets some good news about his family
Nina is frustrated at the spread of Russian propaganda
Serhii has an update from his shelter in Lviv
Oleksandr describes the final night he spent with his wife before she left the country
In her first voicemail Daria describes what the first week of the invasion has been like in Kyiv
Mariia reflects on how a week of war has changed her
Oleksandr explains how the war is affecting his family
Naliia is thinking about her friends in the city of Kharkiv, which is being bombarded by Russian forces
Nina reflects on how her life has changed
Max is near the market in Poltava, where he says some food is running low
Oleksandr explains how his teenage son’s friends are helping the war effort
Mariia is finding that the days are all blurring into one
After escaping to Poland, Kseniya feels a sense of guilt about leaving Ukraine
Naliia struggles to process seeing Russian attacks on civilian areas
This is Mykola’s first voicemail. He’s in his 30s and works in education in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv
In his first voicemail Oleksandr from Dnipro tries to find joy in the little things in life – caviar