One year after Russia began its war on Ukraine, the once crowded streets of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are now almost abandoned. The fighting and bombardment of Ukraine continues. More than 40,000 buildings have collapsed and according to the UN, over 7,000 civilians have been killed. A year of fear, food shortages, devastation and displacement is how the vast majority of Ukrainians describe the past year. A Rudaw team travelled throughout the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, speaking to people and hearing their stories of a year of war. After 2014, some 30 percent of the territory of the Luhansk region fell to forces loyal to Russia. In the past year, that number has risen to 96 percent. Ukrainian forces are now fighting to defend the remaining 4 percent of their territory and to stop Russian advances. With the exception of Crimea, 30% of southern Ukraine fell to the Russian army in 2022. Despite the enormous toll the conflict is taking, Ukraine is not willing to negotiate with the Russian side.
World03-06-2026Germany-based migrants in 2025 sent nearly $1.7B to regional countries, namely Turkey, Syria: Federal bank
