Society & Culture

At least 45 Ukrainians, whom Russia has decided to deport, are being held in a basement without food or water at the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint on the border with Georgia. According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the ASTRA Telegram channel. "At least 45 Ukrainian citizens deported from Russia have been held in a basement at the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint on the border with Georgia for several days. Most of them are former prisoners taken from the occupied territories, but there are also civilians among them. The Volunteers Tbilisi project also reports on a woman who was allegedly taken away…

Serhiy Dobrovolsky, a soldier born in the town of Zdolbuniv in Rivne region, who was released from Russian captivity as part of an exchange that took place at the end of May, has died. According to Ukrinform, this was reported on Facebook by Zdolbuniv Mayor Vladyslav Sukhliak. Serhiy had been in captivity since 2023. A few days ago, he was welcomed back to his hometown. The defender died at the age of 43. “The war with the damned occupier is taking the lives and health of defenders... Bright memory and sincere condolences to Sergei's loved ones. Details of the funeral…

The Ukrainian women's national 3x3 basketball team will play in the 2025 World Championship next week. According to the press service of the Ukrainian Basketball Federation, the matches will take place on June 23-29 in Ulaganbagator (Mongolia), Ukrinform reports. Yuriy Protsiuk's team is in Group D, where they will play alongside Germany and Spain, who played in the 2024 Olympic final, as well as Mongolia and Brazil. On June 24, Ukraine will play Spain and Germany, and on June 26, they will face Brazil and Mongolia. According to the format, the winners of the four groups will advance directly to…

The Minefields Honey project has brought Ukraine its first Cannes Golden Lion. Developed by Saatchi & Saatchi Ukraine with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, agro-industrial giant Kernel, and Dronarium Ukraine, the project won gold at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025 — one of the most prestigious global advertising events. Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha shared the news on Facebook, as reported by Ukrinform. The award-winning project aims to spotlight the widespread danger of landmines in Ukraine and attract international support for demining efforts. “The Ukrainian context is always unique. Once again, our public…

A Ukrainian company has secured third place at the JATEC hackathon focused on countering FPV drones controlled via fiber optics. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said this in a statement seen by Ukrinform. "Two companies from the United States and one from Ukraine were the winners of the NATO Innovation Challenge 2025-II, an international innovation competition dedicated to countering fiber-optic-controlled FPV drones. They will now have the opportunity to further develop their solutions in cooperation with NATO's specialized structures," the ministry said. According to the ministry, the hackathon finals were held in Estonia's capital, Tallinn. Eleven teams participated, representing Ukraine, Denmark,…

Russia is trying to sow disbelief within Ukrainian society through terror. This includes intensified drone attacks against Ukrainian cities, fake and manipulative stories around the issue of POW exchange and repatriation of bodies. This was stated on national television by the chief of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Kovalenko. Russia's guidebook of destabilizing Ukrainian society is not changing. As he noted, compared to previous years, Russian terror has become more massive so it might seem at first glance that Russia has changed its approaches. "Russian tactics have been around since imperial times:…

The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, showed an exclusive video of the prisoner exchange that took place on June 20. According to Ukrinform, Budanov announced this on Facebook and published the video. [embedded content] Video: Kyrylo Budanov's Facebook page “The next stage of prisoner exchange within the framework of the Istanbul agreements. I welcome our infantrymen, paratroopers, marines, National Guard soldiers, border guards, territorial defense fighters, and Unmanned Systems Forces back home,” Budanov said. According to him, all those freed today have serious injuries and complex diagnoses. The freed defenders…

American artist Fred Grandy, who was killed during a Russian airstrike on Kyiv on June 17, had come to Ukraine as a volunteer to help clear debris from buildings destroyed by Russian attacks. The New York Times said this in an article dedicated to the U.S. citizen, according to Ukrinform. "He arrived in the Ukrainian capital in late May, close to his 62nd birthday, and volunteered to clean up the rubble left by Russian attacks, family members said," the article states. Sietska Reed, Grandy's sister who lives in Oregon, described him as someone who "wanted to make a difference so…

The Russian vessel Shtandart has been banned from entering ports in the French department of Ille-et-Vilaine, including the largest port, Saint-Malo, but some other regions are still ignoring the relevant EU sanctions. Bernard Grua, spokesperson for the No Shtandart In Europe group, told this to a Ukrinform correspondent. “We have been assured that the Shtandart is not welcome here and will not enter the port of Saint-Malo or any other port in the department. Just like last summer,” he said. According to Grua, the prefecture stated that it respects the sanctions imposed by the European Union and will comply with…

Experts in Kherson have published a comprehensive collection of practical advice for civilians on how to protect themselves from Russian drone attacks in urban areas. The materials are available for download in PDF format and in Google Docs format. This was reported by Yurii Antoshchuk, a new media trainer and expert in information and communication Internet technologies, according to Ukrinform. “On drone attacks in Kherson. I can finally share the completed document with recommendations on how civilians can protect themselves from Russian drone attacks!” Antoshchuk wrote. According to him, it is a collection of practical tips, recommendations, and approaches on…