That was confirmed by the Chernihiv Regional Philharmonic Center for Festivals and Concert Programs “The artistic community has suffered an irreparable loss.. and hero warrior Viktor Voynikov has perished the artist’s creative life was tied with the Chernihiv Regional Philharmonic Center He was a ballet performer at the Siverski Kleinody Academic Song and Dance Ensemble a ballet dancer with the Academic Folk Choir,” the statement says Voynikov was also the artistic director at the Equator Dance Theater of the regional philharmonic center chief of the regional branch of the National Choreographic Union of Ukraine and unique artistry captivated his colleagues and the audience met his performances with genuine admiration His works remain in our repertoire," the center noted Voynikov was mobilized into the ranks of the Armed Forces in 2023 an actor with the Dnipropetrovsk Academic Regional Ukrainian Youth Theater While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 Ukraine is also grateful for your personal commitment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 2:23 am)Drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5 Far-right Euroskeptic candidate George Simion head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan placed second with 20.99% of the vote and the candidate from the ruling coalition "It requires the continuation of contacts between Moscow and Washington which have been launched and are now ongoing," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said set to operate within the Council of Europe will focus on Russia's political and military leaders up to 20 Russian soldiers were killed and their equipment destroyed The move represents an apparent violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions passed in the wake of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests "We are ready to deepen our contribution to the training of the Ukrainian military," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on May 5 by Tim ZadorozhnyyThe aftermath of Russia's ballistic missile attack on Chernihiv on Jan (Chernihiv Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Chaus / Telegram)Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on Chernihiv on Jan killing one person and injuring four others Chernihiv Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Chaus said The attack targeted a residential area on the outskirts of Chernihiv, causing significant damage to multiple apartment buildings, Chaus said Ukraine's Air Force had warned of the incoming ballistic attack earlier in the day. Search and rescue operations are ongoing Chernihiv Oblast, situated on Ukraine's northern border with Russia, was partially occupied during the early stages of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 Although Russian forces withdrew from the region in April 2022, Chernihiv remains under near-daily attack due to its proximity to the border Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent he is pursuing studies in International Relations Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor You don't have permissions to access this page Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker by Natalia YermakDamage from a missile strike that hit Chernihiv Regional Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater on Aug (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) charged Russian Colonel-General Yevgeny Nikiforov in absentia for ordering a missile strike on a Chernihiv theater that killed seven people and wounded 200 in August 2023 The SBU charged Nikiforov, the commander of the “West” grouping of troops in the Russian Armed Forces, with "violation of the laws and customs of war Nearly 143,000 war crimes allegedly committed by Russian forces since 2022, including strikes against civilian infrastructure and killing of civilians, are currently under investigation in Ukraine. While Ukrainian authorities are pushing for an international tribunal bringing alleged Russian war criminals to trial for these crimes remains almost impossible during the ongoing war Nikiforov ordered the missile strike on the Taras Shevchenko Chernihiv Regional Academic Music and Drama Theater that took place on Aug. 19, 2023, according to the SBU Russian forces launched an Iskander-M cruise missile from Kursk Oblast in Russia Seven people were killed The large number of casualties is due to the theater's location in the city center and the timing of the attack which occurred in the daytime on a weekend The explosion from the strike also damaged apartment buildings As of November 2024, Ukraine had charged 730 people and convicted 137 for committing war crimes in Ukraine according to the Prosecutor General's Office Natalia Yermak is a staff writer for the Kyiv Independent She previously worked as a fixer-producer and contributing reporter for the New York Times since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion she worked in film production and documentary Viacheslav Chaus, head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, announced this on Telegram Russian drones targeted a house in a village within the Semenivka community "A 38-year-old local man rushed to help He survived by a miracle and was evacuated," Chaus added He stressed that the target of the attack was the home of an ordinary civilian and pensioner Russian forces attacked a logging company in the Semenivka community of the Novhorod-Siverskyi district by Dinara Khalilova, The Kyiv Independent news deskScreenshot from a video purportedly showing Russian soldiers planting a flag on the bridge over the Sudost River near Hremiach The geolocation in the video was confirmed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Editor's note: This story is being updated as more details emerge State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that a Russian sabotage group planted a Russian flag near the border in Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast but said that the event occurred in the grey zone and Russian troops did not launch a major offensive in the region Demchenko's statement comes on Nov. 15 after Russian military bloggers posted videos purportedly showing Russian troops planting a flag on the bridge over the Sudost River near the border settlement of Hremiach and claimed they entered Hremiach and Muravi Demchenko denied that Russian forces entered the settlements and said that they did not cross the bridge "The territory where the (Russian) sabotage group operated from the border is actually cut off by rivers and no one lives in the settlements located between the rivers and the border due to the constant flooding of that territory it is not possible to build proper fortifications there," Demchenko said in a comment "Ukraine's defense forces fully control this axis and are in the most advantageous positions to hold the defense." Demchenko added that Ukraine has deployed additional forces in the area to fend off acts of sabotage from Russia "The threat from Russian sabotage and intelligence groups has not disappeared anywhere, in particular in Chernihiv Oblast Although the activity of saboteurs has decreased significantly recently the terrorist country has not given up on the use of sabotage groups including for psychological influence." The Russian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) wrote on Nov 15 that it had confirmed the geolocation of two Russian soldiers seen in footage shared by Russian military bloggers planting a flag on the bridge over the Sudost River RFE/RL suggested the two soldiers were part of a larger group Chernihiv Oblast is located on Ukraine’s northern border with Russia and Belarus. It was partially occupied during Russia's initial offensive in February 2022 but the invading force retreated in April after the Kremlin failed to take Kyiv Russian forces have been regularly shelling regional settlements near the border and launching cross-border raids into the region That is according to Head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration Viacheslav Chaus Russians used strike drones to attack a passenger train in Semenivka as the train was set to depart in half an hour there were no casualties,” Chaus wrote on Telegram an FPV drone struck a business facility in Novhorod-Siverskyi Russian forces launched drone strikes on a hospital in the same town of Semenivka by Sonya BandouilOleksii Halonka in his temporary housing after the first missile attack he experienced in 2022 (Vasyl Chepurnyi / Facebook)Oleksii Halionka a 72-year-old Ukrainian educator and philologist was killed on 3 January 2025 when a Russian missile hit his home in Chernihiv The attack Halionka had already suffered significant losses in 2022 when Russian forces destroyed his family home along with a personal library of 4,000 books and other belongings he had been living in a small building on the same property “He had big plans for life this year, including building a new house,” his niece Liudmyla Halionka said in an interview with local media outlet Cheline Halionka authored over 100 publications and was an associate professor at the Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education Local authorities confirmed the missiles targeted civilian infrastructure leaving parts of the neighborhood heavily damaged Although Russian forces withdrew from the region in April 2022, Chernihiv Oblast remained under near-daily attack due to its proximity to the border in the following two years As reported by Ukrinform, the National Police confirmed the incident The attack caused damage to both the building and the surrounding area of the enterprise Firefighters extinguished the fire that broke out on the roof of the building and among stored timber products Police units from the town of Semenivka promptly arrived at the scene and documented the aftermath of the attack The incident has been recorded in the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (War Crimes) Russian forces attacked a hospital in Semenivka with strike drones drones targeted a passenger train in the same town According to Ukrinform, the SSU reported this The detained woman is a 29-year-old unemployed local resident She was recruited by Russia’s military intelligence service after seeking “easy money” through Telegram channels Investigators found that the detainee had been correcting Russian airstrikes on Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) infrastructure Targets included key railway junctions with transit trains and military convoys that were transporting military equipment and ammunition to the front lines the agent was instructed to install a camouflaged video camera with a power bank and live stream capabilities near a local railway section Using this “video trap,” Russian forces intended to track the arrival of a freight train at a logistical base and launch an airstrike against it To ensure the attack bypassed Ukraine’s air defense systems the agent was also tasked with identifying local radar outposts and air surveillance points The SSU counterintelligence officers documented every step of the woman’s activities and caught her red-handed while she was setting up the camera near a Ukrzaliznytsia site used to communicate with Russian intelligence She has been charged under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — high treason committed under martial law The suspect is currently in custody without the right to bail and faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property the SSU also exposed a former court official who provided Russian intelligence with geolocations of fortified positions and fire support points of Ukraine’s Defense Forces in Donetsk region This was reported on Telegram by the head of the Chernihiv municipal military administration A blaze was recorded at the explosion site," he wrote All rescue services scrambled to the scene to tackle the consequences of the attack Bryzhynskyi clarified that Shahed hits were recorded in two districts one kamikaze drone hit a five-storey apartment block and another one damaged several private households the Air Force warned Chernihiv residents of a Russian drone threat a Russian one-way attack drone hit an apartment block in Chernihiv also leaving several cars damaged at a parking lot nearby Russia is suspected of deliberately leaking chemical waste into a river Serhiy Kraskov picked up a twig and poked at a small fish floating in the Desna River You can tell because its eyes are clear and not blurry,” he said Hundreds of other fish had washed up nearby on the river’s green willow-fringed banks starting from the tiniest minnow to the biggest catfish,” Kraskov added mournfully Kraskov is the mayor of the village of Slabyn, in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region. The rustic settlement – population 520 – escaped the worst of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion But the war arrived last week in a new and horrible form Ukrainian officials say the Russians deliberately poisoned the Seym River The Desna connects with a reservoir in the Kyiv region and a water supply used by millions The pollution crossed the international border just over a mile away and made its way into Ukraine’s Sumy region molluscs and crayfish were asphyxiated as oxygen levels fell to near zero Settlements along the river reported mass die-offs Kraskov got a call from the authorities warning him a disaster was coming his way He spotted the first dead fish on 11 September “There were a few of them in the middle of the river,” he said Ukrainian officials in Chernihiv have told residents not to swim in the Desna after the spill It is also forbidden to water gardens and to fish Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The GuardianHe returned the following weekend to find the Desna’s banks clogged with rotting fish stretching out from the shore for three metres into the water masks and protective gloves shovelled the fish into sacks Nothing moved apart from a few frogs,” Kraskov said A tractor took the sacks to an abattoir that used to belong to the village’s Soviet-era collective farm the head of Chernihiv’s ecology inspectorate described what had happened as an act of Russian ecocide Zhuk traced the slick’s route on a map pinned to his office wall: a looping multi-week journey along the Seym and Desna It’s Europe’s first completely dead river,” he said Serhiy Zhuk Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The GuardianIn his view the Kremlin was waging total war of a kind not seen since the last century Vladimir Putin’s desire to eradicate Ukraine extended to the natural world burning our forests and threatening to blow us up with nuclear bombs and on using the river to water cattle or gardens testing every 15-20km and bringing glass vials back to a laboratory oxygen content dipped to zero on 29 August At least 4 mg/dm³ is needed for fish to breathe Zhuk said it would take years for the river to recover. There was little prospect of this happening while fighting in Russia’s Kursk oblast continued, he said. Ukraine’s armed forces have blown up bridges over the Seym adding fuel and debris to an already noxious mix local helpers – some in boats – collected about 44 tonnes of dead fish There’s a lot more inside the river and on the bottom,” Zhuk said 0:44Mass fish die-off after Russia poisons Desna River Ukraine says – videoEmergency teams have used compressors to pump oxygen into the Desna to give the remaining fish a better chance of survival Zhuk was optimistic these measures would be enough to save Kyiv from the worst of the pollution “There is a difference between a natural and man-made disaster Russia’s ecological genocide won’t stop until the war stops,” he said At the central beach, Olha Rudenko and her boyfriend Roman Svichkar strolled along the golden sands. A sign in red letters warned “Do not bathe”. “This is a huge eco-tragedy. The river smells weird,” Olha remarked. She noted that last year Russian troops blew up the Khakovka reservoir in Ukraine’s southern Kherson province flooding villages and killing people and fish “We used to drink water from the tap and buy fish from the market Olha Rudenko and her boyfriend Roman Svichkar at the central beach. Volunteers have removed dead fish from the Desna river. The city’s water is no longer safe to drink. Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The GuardianSvitlana Hrynchuk Ukraine’s minister for environmental protection said water consumption in Kyiv remained safe Various special measures had been taken to get rid of the nitrates with 120 tonnes of cleaning agents imported and nets strung across the Desna to catch dead fish water was routinely purified before it was extracted for household use Hrynchuk said this latest episode was part of a dismal pattern Russian troops had destroyed national parks in occupied areas killed animals and mined thousands of hectares of forest a problem exacerbated by recent hot weather Svitlana Hrynchuk the minister of environmental protection and natural resources said Kyiv’s water supply remained safe to drink Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The GuardianShe said the river was a part of Ukrainian culture the Soviet film-maker Oleksandr Dovzhenko published a novel called The Enchanted Desna he wrote: “It would be long past sunset and the large catfish would leap in the Desna under the stars as we listened agog till we dozed off in the fragrant hay under the oaks Grandpa regarded the tench as the best fish of all He scooped them right out of the water with his bare hands like a Chinese magician.” Serhiy Kraskov Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The GuardianBack at Slabyn Kraskov said that before he became village mayor he worked at Chornobyl nuclear power station He was involved in the construction of a concrete sarcophagus designed to contain radiation from the reactor “I know how to bury dangerous substances,” he said wryly That’s why we acted quickly with the dead fish.” He continued: “If something goes wrong Zelensky shared details of his visit on Facebook "I came to support the people in Yahidne.. I visited the school where the Russians held all the residents for almost a month It was one of the most cynical Russian crimes of this war—a crime against people and everything human and humane,” Zelensky wrote He noted that significant rebuilding and restoration efforts have taken place in Yahidne "We are also working on memorializing the experiences that people None of us will ever forget or forgive Russia for what it has done," the President emphasized he inspected a hospital where defenders are recovering from injuries met with veterans united by the Titans.UA initiative and held discussions with local entrepreneurs That’s according to the National Police The police recalled that overnight Saturday as a result of an explosion of a Russian kamikaze drone in one of the neighborhoods of Chernihiv Chernihiv police inspected 65 damaged apartments More than 90 citizens filed reports on property damage caused by the enemy attack on the residential quarter A pre-trial investigation has been initiated into the Russian war crime a Russian one-way attack UAV inflicted damage on a high-rise apartment block and several cars parked in the backyard The Military Counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has thwarted another attempt by Russian military intelligence known as the "GRU," to disrupt the rail logistics of Ukraine's Defense Forces in the northern part of the country As a result of a special operation in Chernihiv region an agent of the Russian Federation was detained for adjusting airstrikes by the aggressor on Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railway) facilities The Russian forces targeted key stations with transit trains and convoys were transporting military equipment and ammunition for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to the front lines the agent was tasked with installing a camouflaged video camera with a power bank and live-streaming it for the Russian GRU near a local railway section Using this "video trap," the agent planned to track the arrival of a cargo train at the Ukrzaliznytsia logistics base to strike it from the air In order to ensure the strike's success and avoid Ukrainian air defense the oRussian forces also instructed their accomplice to identify the positions of the radar stations' combat shifts The SSU military counterintelligence disrupted the Russia's plans After documenting the agent's crimes step by step she was caught in the act while setting up the video camera near an Ukrzaliznytsia object which the detainee used for communication with the Russian GRU the detained individual is a 29-year-old unemployed local who sought "easy money" on Telegram channels where she was eventually recruited by the Russian military intelligence The SSU investigators have informed her of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (treason in wartime conditions) The offender is being held in custody without the right to bail and she faces a life sentence with confiscation of property by The Kyiv Independent news deskScreenshot from a video purportedly showing Russian soldiers planting a flag on the bridge over the Sudost River near Hremiach The geolocation in the video was confirmed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. A day after videos showed Russian troops planting a Russian flag in a grey zone near the border in Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast Ukraine's State Border Guard Service released a video showing a drone destroying the flag on Nov "Intelligence indicated that the Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group left the area even before the elimination of the established flags, not daring to take further action," the service wrote in a statement accompanying the video "This is another unsuccessful attempt by the enemy to impose its 'victories,' and nothing more than a psychological trick that has no military meaning," the statement continued Russian military bloggers a day earlier posted videos appearing to show Russian troops planting a flag on the bridge over the Sudost River near the border settlement of Hremiach and claimed they entered Hremiach and Muravi A spokesperson for the Border Service denied that Russian forces entered the settlements and said that they did not cross the bridge The spokesperson, Andrii Demchenko, added that no major defensive was detected and Ukraine has deployed additional forces in the area to fend off acts of sabotage from Russia We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent We are here to make sure our readers get quick essential updates about the events in Ukraine Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts That’s according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine The State Emergency Service said two floors in a five-story apartment block were partially destroyed as a result of the drone strike and sappers are surveilling the area for explosives An Invincibility Point has been deployed at the site enemy drones hit a five-storey apartment block and several private houses in Chernihiv This was reported by the State Emergency Service on Facebook It is noted that the injured woman received medical assistance According to the State Emergency Service (SES) the attack destroyed the 4th and 5th floors of the building and shattered windows in three neighboring buildings Rescuers dismantled the damaged structures using specialized high-altitude equipment They also helped residents evacuate 20 cats from the damaged building the affected individuals received necessary assistance A total of 48 people received psychological support and public organizations were involved in the aftermath of the attack Russian invaders attacked Chernihiv with drones One of the enemy drones struck a five-story apartment building This was reported on Telegram by the head of the regional military administration the Russians fired drones at a village in the Novgorod-Siverskyi district One drone attacked an agricultural enterprise Another drone hit a playground directly,” Chaus wrote a Russian drone released an explosive payload targeting a truck of a farming company employee in the Novgorod-Siverskyi district In western Russia, the Northern District Military Court of Rostov-on-Don is about to conclude the trial of 22 Ukrainian prisoners of war, alleged members of the “Azov” regiment some of whom have been exchanged apparently without the court’s knowledge They are accused of being members of a terrorist organization and of “forcible seizure of power” “Azov” is from November 2014 an official military formation of the National Guard of Ukraine the Supreme Court of Russia declared “Azov” a terrorist organization in August 2022 Two of our Chernihiv region residents are among the accused – 45-year-old Oleksandr Irkha from Novgorod-Siverskyi and 44-year-old Oleg Myzhgorodskyi from Horodnia The prosecutor requested 21 years in prison for Irkha and 22 years for Myzhgorodskyi Irkha served as a mechanic and driver in “Azov” from 2015 to 2020 Oleksandr was taken by the Russian military for filtration [Russians set up “filtration camps” where captured Ukrainians go through a “verification” process - tattoos delivering different merchandise,” his 36-year-old sister Iryna Kyrychanska explains to Visnyk Ch he fought during the ATO [Anti-Terrorist Operation to regain the occupied Ukrainian territory of Donetsk and Luhansk] he signed a contract and served as a driver in the ‘Azov’ regiment He met his second wife in the Donetsk region it turned out that she had a five-year-old brother They decided not to separate the children and adopted them both my brother’s contract ended,” she recounts 2022 [when the Russian full-scale invasion started] He said: “I spoke to my military friends; they assured me that it would all be over in ten days and everything will be alright.” Then I spoke to Oleg again on March 14  “We are being shelled from everywhere finishing carrots and beetroots.” Then she told him he had a new niece “He was crying tears of joy,” Iryna recalls I received a message on my phone: ‘Hello your brother Oleg Dmytrovych Myzhgorodskyi is in detention […] no one would answer,” continues his sister I learned from my brother’s wife that they had relocated with their children from the basement to their friends’ house The ‘DNR’ people [from Donetsk] came into the yard They put a bag over Oleg’s head in front of the children and took him away Locals had seen Oleg in a military uniform in the past No one was interested in the fact that he had left the army seven months prior.”  My mother kept calling the hotline of the National Information Bureau for Prisoners of War and Missing Persons We contacted the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War all organizations that could provide us with some kind of help But we would get the same answer: ‘There is no evidence “We searched for Oleg among the living and among the dead the retired mother learned how to use the Internet and search for information on social media Oleg’s daughter from his first marriage also joined the search He told her he was in the Donetsk detention centre Daily interrogations with torture - it’s horrible He wasn’t feeling well,” Iryna Kyrychanska confides “Last year, on June 14, the so-called trial of the ‘Azov’ fighters began I came across a video from the courtroom on the Internet The prisoners behind bars looked exhausted as if they had been brought from a concentration camp I realised it was him when he introduced himself We managed to contact Oleg’s lawyer in Russia He said that my brother had developed gangrene He was walking on crutches because his leg was in a very bad condition He was taken away from the courtroom with a high fever “We began reapplying to all the authorities The Coordination Headquarters said: ‘The aggressor side does not provide confirmation’ Until there is a list from the other side with a stamp he will not be granted the status of a prisoner of war The Red Cross responded: ‘We have no influence on the exchanges We cannot help with anything’,” adds Kyrychanska Oleg transmitted a tiny piece of paper where he wrote that he was holding on for the children The lawyer took a picture of the note and sent it to his wife “My brother was reciting all the prayers our mother had taught him It is not easy for our mother either – she can feel his suffering from afar Sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night because both her body and soul are in pain.” Oleg’s status was changed from ‘missing’ to ‘captured’ They wrote: ‘civilian’ with a remark ‘former military’ The Coordination Headquarters said that my brother was now included in the exchange list.”    “His wife and children are still in Mariupol Oleg’s condition has slightly improved compared to a year ago The situation is no longer as horrible as in the Donetsk detention centre where there were inhuman conditions and beatings My brother was transferred to Rostov-on-Don Initially to the 1st pre-trial detention centre only the guards can hit him if he keeps lagging behind And it is indeed hard for him to walk,” his sister says sadly Perhaps something will change during the debates We live with this hope and pray for Oleg’s rescue,” she says “Considering the conditions they are held in people confess even to things they did not do,” says Olena Belyachkova coordinator of the groups of families of prisoners of war and missing persons at the Media Initiative for Human Rights “This is how the Russians fabricate cases and organize show trials Russia needs to hold someone accountable for its crimes and the killing of civilians in Mariupol That is why the return of such prisoners is the most difficult process.” at the beginning of the ‘anti-terrorist operation’ everything transitioned to the state level Russia has declared the Azov regiment a terrorist organization That’s why the exchange of Azov fighters is the most difficult and it is clear that the verdicts are unlikely to be acquittals you will be sentenced quicker and then exchanged’ only two prisoners who had been sentenced were exchanged The others are being transferred to colonies to serve their sentences,” she adds “During the exchange on September 13 it was possible to bring back 13 women and 5 men who were under investigation or trial or who had received sentences in fake cases fabricated against them,” the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War stated “The exchange process is complicated In particular for the defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal We are doing everything we can to ensure that every man and woman returns home.” The Coordination Headquarters reports that the exchanges take place with the assistance of third countries - the United Arab Emirates or Turkey the involvement of third countries and international partners makes it possible to carry out exchanges,” Belyachkova says This report is part of our coverage of war crimes justice produced in partnership with Ukrainian journalists. A first version of this article was published on the "Visnyk Ch" website Viacheslav Chaus, the head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, said this in a post on Facebook the Russians attacked a border village in the Semenivka community They attacked with unguided aerial missiles A 78-year-old local resident was wounded as a result of the shelling,” Chaus said A 78-year-old local resident sustained a shrapnel wound to the leg and was subsequently hospitalized for treatment Medics are providing him with the necessary medical care the regional governor reported damage to a residential building as a result of the attack the air raid alert was announced throughout Ukraine due to the launch of cruise missiles by Russia This was announced by the National Police of Ukraine the attack resulted in significant damage to an administrative building on the territory of the agricultural company as well as substantial damage to a hangar containing agricultural machinery and a facility storing more than 2,000 tonnes of grain No injuries were reported among the company's employees The incident was formally documented in the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations under Article 438 “War Crimes” of the Criminal Code of Ukraine Russian troops launched attack drones from several directions and the air alert was declared in several regions the conservation of the oldest mosaic in the city located on the building of the City Palace of Culture It is being carried out as part of the thermal insulation of the building.  About this write "Public" The mosaic has now been covered with special panels under which it will remain until restoration restoration will not be carried out due to the high cost of the work the Department of Culture received permission to preserve and close this mosaic they took the mosaic into a separate frame To put it under tempered glass and make a backlight The Housing and Utilities Department said that it would cost several million it is not logical to invest money and open this mosaic,” noted the director of the Palace of Culture Iryna Dolzhikova Before starting the conservation of the mosaic specialists from Kyiv came to the Palace of Culture so this process takes place in compliance with all requirements says the director of the Palace of Culture and founder of the Chernihiv Monumental community told Suspilny that she is against the mosaic being closed because it is part of history “The main thing is that this mosaic remains in the city one of the famous writers is involved in it - it is Hryhir Dovzhenko it is interesting for every city to tell history visually Especially since the mosaic is located in the Palace of Culture and it is very important to show and tell about our history the public is planning to write requests to the administration and the Department of Culture regarding the state of preservation of the mosaic In Lviv region, restoration of the ancient Palace of Mars begins Benches with advertising screens on the backs have been installed in Kyiv Murals made of 35 candies and mosaics: Disneyland Paris has renovated the Boardwalk Candy Palace +380 (44) 465 53 41 +380 (67) 638 76 00 hello@pragmatika.media https://pragmatika.media On February 28, 2022, Russian shelling set the Epicentre hypermarket in the outskirts of Chernihiv A column of black smoke was visible from different parts of the city and more than 22,000 square meters burnt down A month after the end of the siege of Chernihiv the site was examined by experts from the State Environmental Inspectorate to evaluate the ecological damage 17 chemicals hazardous to humans were released into the atmosphere The total amount of damage for the Epicentre shelling is estimated at over UAH 8 million hryvnias (about 200,000 dollars) but all together the damage caused by Russian shelling to the environment in the Chernihiv region currently reaches almost UAH 26 billion ($630 million) the head of the State Environmental Inspectorate The Ukrainian ministry of environmental protection started developing methods to calculate the cost of damages after the full-scale invasion began We have average pollution calculation coefficients the bigger the contamination area,” said Zhuk The ecological damage from the war is divided into that done to air “There are also coefficients for the surface and time of burning “A different methodology is used if there is fuel at the facility but the specific substance’s tonnage We would multiply all these numbers and reach an amount of money.” the damages were calculated for excessive emissions of pollutants into the air head of the Department of state environmental supervision they were unable to access Epicentre immediately after the shelling and the company’s management was not present in Chernihiv at the time “It required a lot of effort to get in touch with the company’s management in Kyiv It was only in May 2022 that we started our work on the facility the methodology was to calculate the damages in three categories of combustion: oil products We determined the specific emissions of pollutants into the air." The 17 hazardous substances released into the atmosphere were determined according to a standard methodology previously developed by European experts “A consistent list of chemical elements is already established We know what kind of substances and quantities are emitted into the atmosphere when a certain surface and it affects the coefficients we use to calculate The environmental pollution coefficient is the highest in the second case.” the calculation of damages from the Epicentre fire in Chernihiv is the first of its kind in Ukraine All the data and calculations we made were promptly submitted to the Chernihiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office so that they could process them and attach them to criminal cases against Russia." The Epicentre fire has affected the health ofChernihiv residents in several ways “The gases released during the fire exceeded the maximum tolerable level and had an impact on people’s psycho-emotional state it has a carcinogenic effect and a toxic impact on the respiratory system,” said Yurii Karpenko “The residents of Bobrovytsia breathed that smoke It is difficult to measure this because you can only quantify the measurements at the starting point and there was no way to do so at the beginning of the full-scale war,” Zhuk explained if the Russian Federation compensates them the funds could be used to improve the environmental situation in Chernihiv region It is about 15 million hryvnias ($360,000) a year if we could get at least a tenth of the total amount of ecological damages it would still be several times more than the ecological fund of the entire region,” he says “We could use these funds to build a solar or wind power plant We could distribute these funds to the communities so that they could upgrade water utilities heating systems and purchase other modern equipment used in Europe and America.” All studies and calculations regarding ecological damage during the war are carried out on-site in Chernihiv “Our laboratory is fully certified for all the substances There are several ways to work when we need to examine a site after it has been hit by a shell or a missile One of them is to involve the environmental inspection as part of criminal proceedings the environmental inspection is assigned to evaluate The eco-app allows anyone to enter information into a special electronic database and report any ecological crime It works everywhere in Ukraine and is then dispatched across the regions authorities have the right to go on-site and take samples “The only condition is that we are allowed there by the military or the State Emergency Service of Ukraine calculate and send the results to the prosecutor’s office to be included in the case file,” he added Environmental inspectors must have special security clearance for such visits the number of specialists depends on the complexity of the site head of the Instrumentation and laboratory control department of the State Environmental Inspectorate The analysis is carried out in the laboratory She further points out that before the full-scale invasion they had never dealt with this type of pollution so it was difficult to run the tests during the first few months “We searched for information in open sources It’s really hard to determine what you can and cannot do many pyrotechnic compounds contain nitrophenol That’s why we studied the nitrogen group it means that technical liquids get dispersed when military or armoured vehicles are destroyed there is a risk of acid leakage from the batteries,” she explained The Register of Damages for Ukraine was established in The Hague and became operational on April 2 the Register opened its office in Kyiv and started accepting claims for damage or destruction of residential property and several other categories it will be possible to submit applications under other types of damage including damage to the environment and natural resources demining and removal of unexploded ammunition,” the Register’s official website says “As the armed conflict in Ukraine is of international concern the assessment of the damage caused to the environment and the proof of guilt of those responsible will be established by international judicial institutions based on the gathered evidence According to the results of the assessment and confirmation of such damage a decision will be made on possible compensation and restoration of the affected territories and the environment,” the Prosecutor General’s office stated According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine there is an international legal basis for reparations regarding the war in Ukraine and Russia’s international responsibility for conducting an aggressive war How best to achieve this depends on the stakeholders and the degree of support for Ukraine and the victims of the war from the international community which establishes the rules of warfare and specifies which actions constitute severe violations of these rules war crimes against the environment,” he added “The characteristics of such war crimes against the environment under international humanitarian law provide legal grounds to prosecute for committing ’ecocide’ on the territory of Ukraine.” investigators do not consider the damage caused to the environment during the war to be ecocide This report is part of our coverage of war crimes justice produced in partnership with Ukrainian journalists. A first version of this article was published on the "Suspilne" website The Security Service of Ukraine  has detained another agent of Russia’s military intelligence (commonly known as the GRU) in Chernihiv The perpetrator turned out to be a 16-year-old local resident who was recruited by Russia to assist in preparing a new airstrike on the region The agent was tasked with identifying and providing the aggressor with the coordinates of Ukrainian air defense systems and radar stations protecting the border area in an attempt to "bypass" Ukrainian air defenses the teenager used taxis to travel around the area while covertly documenting the targeted locations she returned home to compile reports for her Russian handler including media files with precise geolocations The SSU’s military counterintelligence unit uncovered her activities and detained her red-handed while she was photographing a defense facility It was established that the suspect maintained direct contact with a Russian GRU officer communicating via an anonymous messenger chat the SSU seized a mobile phone containing evidence of her espionage activities in favor of Russia investigators charged the suspect under Part 2 of Article 111 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (high treason committed under martial law) The perpetrator is currently in custody and faces a potential life sentence with confiscation of property This was reported on Telegram by the head of the regional military administration the enemy again attacked civilian facilities in Chernihiv region An enterprise in the Koriukivka district was affected as several buildings and agricultural equipment were damaged," Chaus wrote He added that no casualty reports have been filed the Russian army attacked a community in Chernihiv region releasing KAB glide bombs that left several residential buildings damaged Ukrainian mine countermeasure ships 'Cherkasy' and 'Chernihiv' have been assessed for interoperability with NATO procedures and standards becoming the first to receive such an evaluation since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion This was reported by the Ukrainian Navy the 'Cherkasy' and 'Chernihiv' minehunters—previously provided to Ukraine by the United Kingdom—have successfully completed the NATO Level 1 Evaluation (NEL1) "The crews will now undergo NATO Level 2 Evaluation (NEL2) after which they will be eligible to participate in multinational NATO operations and missions," the Ukrainian Navy stated The command emphasized that in today's security environment this process is crucial for integrating Ukrainian units into NATO standards ensuring a high level of readiness and effectiveness "One of the key mechanisms of such a partnership is NATO's Operational Capabilities Concept Evaluation and Feedback Programme," the Navy explained This program's primary goal is to practically assess the readiness of partner nations' armed forces for joint participation in NATO operations "Participation in this programme enhances the combat capability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and their integration into NATO's collective security system," the statement added formerly known as HMS Grimsby and HMS Shoreham were decommissioned from the Royal Navy and transferred to the Ukrainian military in 2024 where they were renamed 'Cherkasy' and 'Chernihiv' having served in the Royal Navy for over 20 years previously arrived at the Portsmouth Naval Base after sailing from Scotland which restricts the passage of military vessels through the Bosphorus Strait during wartime these ships currently cannot enter the Black Sea Your web browser is out of date. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience You can continue to the site using your current browser As Ukraine marks the third anniversary of war with Russia the ongoing conflict continues to have a huge impact on the people living there When war broke out on 24 February 2022 few could have foreseen the drawn out bloody conflict that would follow with thousands of citizens in both countries losing their lives The people of Kent have a special relationship with Ukraine and people across the county have shown incredible support from welcoming refugees into their homes as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme to collecting and delivering desperately needed aid and supplies to war torn areas of the country Kent County Council (KCC) also has a very special relationship with the people of one regional state after a Memorandum of Understanding was agreed last year to develop and deepen co-operation between the county of Kent and the region in the north of the country laying the foundation for robust cooperation and deep-rooted relationships between the two communities Roger Gough visited the Chernihiv region of Ukraine in November 2024 KCC Leader Roger Gough held a virtual meeting with the Head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration during which he reconfirmed Kent’s commitment and support to the region and reinforced that spirit of friendship and solidarity on such a poignant day for the people of Ukraine Roger Gough said “There is an ongoing dialogue being played out in the media and across the world concerning the urgent need to find a way to resolve this conflict and secure peace on terms that protect the security of Ukraine and of Europe “As Ukraine enters a fourth year of conflict it is important that we pause to remember the human suffering behind the headlines “The enormity of the impact on Ukrainian citizens is something that we can only begin to imagine to contact Vyacheslav Chaus simply to tell him that these people are in our thoughts particularly on this the third anniversary of the conflict It was also an opportunity to update him on the links that are being built and developed as part of our Memorandum of Understanding with the Chernihiv Region.” Mr Chaus said "It is significant that on the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion I had a conversation with the Leader of Kent County Council the British have been our reliable friends Cooperation between communities and educational institutions of our two countries continues We will strengthen joint work on veterans' policy and cooperation between our chambers of commerce and industry "Thank you for the unwavering support of the Chernihiv region," It is important that we pause to remember the human suffering behind the headlines Since the onset of the full invasion of Ukraine nearly four and a half thousand Ukrainians have been welcomed into the homes of more than two thousand families across Kent Many have now moved on to live independently but there are still more than three hundred households in the county offering a home and friendship to people who have fled the conflict Roger Gough and KCC's Lead Member for Ukraine Cooperation to underscore Kent’s commitment to the region During their visit a series of initiatives were discussed and planned including supporting parishes in Kent to enter into twinning arrangements with their counterparts in Chernihiv and for schools across the county to establish friendship agreements with schools in Chernihiv so that students can practice language development and strike up friendships through a pen pal scheme Jordan Meade said today "Three years since the invasion the people of Chernihiv and Ukraine have to live under the daily fear of aerial attack terrorist activity and bombardment from the Russian state “In a spirit of enduring friendship and support we today mark the anniversary of the full-scale invasion by renewing our pledge and commitment to stand by the people of Chernihiv and Ukraine—a commitment demonstrated time and time again through Kent’s active engagement the welcoming of over 4000 displaced Ukrainians to the county and the enormous humanitarian efforts made by the people and businesses of Kent “Over the next few weeks schools and parish councils across the county will begin twinning with their counterparts in Chernihiv reaffirming that the people of Kent stand firmly behind Ukraine at this important juncture of the war Our commitment and support for Chernihiv has only been strengthened by recent events and our determination to make a difference will be enduring.’ Roger Gough and Jordan Meade on a call with Vyacheslav Chaus earlier today Last week Roger Gough and Jordan Meade welcomed Sviatoslav Yurash MP the youngest member of the Ukrainian Parliament Mr Yurash was taken to meet aid volunteers in Gravesend who are busy preparing for their next mercy mission to Chernihiv and also visited Cobham Hall School where he met with displaced Ukrainian students and learned about the comprehensive support that the school has been providing for Ukrainian students since 2022 said “At Cobham Hall we are dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all our students Our Ukrainian students have become a valued part of our school community We are proud to support them in their education and personal growth ensuring they feel welcomed and empowered to thrive.” To mark this poignant three year anniversary of the war County Hall will be lit up tonight in blue and yellow and the Ukrainian flag will be flying all week Chairman of KCC Bryan Sweetland said "Today we mark the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine I want to reaffirm that Kent continues to stand united with Ukraine until justice is served and peace is restored." updates and information from us direct to your inbox the three most trusted institutions in Chernihiv oblast are the Ukrainian army while the least trusted institutions are the Parliament The President remains the fourth most trusted institution but it has experienced a pronounced decline of 16 percentage points compared to 2023 trust towards the Cabinet of Ministers and the Parliament at the oblast level have also decreased – by 10 and nine percentage points Chernihiv oblast demonstrates relatively high levels of community cooperation and moderately high results on sense of civic duty both in line with the nationwide values from 2024 and oblast-level figures from 2023 On the night of March 12, 2022, during the siege of Chernihiv, in Northern Ukraine, Russian troops fired an Iskander missile at the Hotel Ukraine Russian propaganda media aired several reports about this They would not deny that the hotel was the target stating that the purpose of the attack was to “neutralise foreign mercenaries” Mykola Tarasovets, who represents the hotel’s owner, says he wants compensation from the one who caused the damage – Russia. The businessman is in no hurry to rebuild, as the management company estimates that the cost of the reconstruction is more than 12 million dollars and he is unaware of any mechanism for compensation from the state or who to reach out to in this regard what is the possibility of compensation for the losses of businesses that sustained damage as a result of the Russian invasion at the expense of frozen Russian assets from around the world What course of actions has been developed by Ukraine and whether businesses are likely to obtain real money The Office of the President of Ukraine responded to Suspilne that as of May 2024 more than 270 billion US dollars worth of Russian assets remain frozen in various countries worldwide Russia stopped releasing its official data Most of Russia's assets are frozen in European countries it is not banks but central securities depositories an analyst at the Kyiv School of Economics we want Russia to reimburse us for everything it has destroyed our business,” Tarasovets says “But I don't know about any ‘algorithm’ of action Nor is it clear what the damaged business should do next.” In the view of Andrii Klymosiuk PhD in Law and project manager at the Institute of Legislative Ideas “this is the basis of tort law that the one who caused the damage must compensate for it This axiom also applies to the consequences of the most serious violations of international law and war damage.” Tarasovets does not file lawsuits in Ukrainian courts The question is how our court files will look in international courts in the future We have consulted with experts in international law and they are not particularly keen on this course of action we can only wait for the state to come up with a plan for the businesses damaged by the war.” “The Russian frozen assets are not in Ukraine It makes no sense to sue Russia in a Ukrainian court but then it must be enforced in an international court.” Vlasiuk says that confiscating the assets of other countries is a normal practice in relation to a country with which a state of armed conflict has been declared there was an opinion among all G7 countries that this was not even worth discussing Now we observe options being discussed for using the income Euroclear receives on frozen assets.” On June 13, the leaders of the G7 countries finally approved a decision to grant Ukraine 50 billion dollars from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets Ukraine will be able to receive the money by the end of the year the G7 committed to keeping the assets frozen until Russia compensated Ukraine for the damage Japan and Canada insisted on confiscating the assets in favour of Ukraine other G7 countries were against this decision According to a joint communiqué issued after the G7 summit in Italy, the World Bank has currently estimated the damage at 486 billion dollars And “this amount is increasing daily,” the document states including Ukrainian defence industry businesses But the potential 50 billion are unlikely to be spent on compensation for destroyed or damaged businesses The approved mechanism stipulates that those central securities depositories in the EU countries that retain more than 1 million euros worth of Russian sovereign assets and reserves will allocate for the above purposes a portion of the net profit from the use of such assets accumulated since February 15 These funds will be disbursed by the EU's central depository banks every two years and will be used for further military support for Ukraine through the European Peace Facility as well as to support the Ukrainian defence industry and its reconstruction needs under EU programmes The funds will be distributed as follows: 90% to the European Peace Facility; 10% to EU budget-funded programmes On June 21, at the ECOFIN press conference European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis also said that “the primary use of this revenue will be focused on military support for Ukraine.” “Ukraine is likely to receive the first instalment from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets by the end of summer 2024 up to 3 billion euros will be available this year as a result of our initiatives and the first payment expected to be made is 1.5 billion euros,” Dombrovskis said Another option is a compensation mechanism which is currently being developed for this very purpose More political than legal,” Klymosiuk said the possibility of compensation at the expense of certain frozen assets and the confiscation of these funds are distinct issues that require separate discussion effective tools to compensate for the damage caused at this point There are only certain government programmes providing partial compensation and financial assistance to the victims of the war.” to compensate for the damage caused by Russian aggression the compensation mechanism includes the following elements: The Register of Damage will receive claims for damage loss or harm; the Claims Commission will review claims and grant compensation based on information from the register; the Compensation Fund will be the source of payments based on the commission's decisions and is expected to be funded with the sovereign Russian assets confiscated abroad So can businesses expect compensation for damage at the expense of frozen Russian assets and what is the course of action for business owners? Iryna Mudra, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, said that “the first thing to do is to submit a claim to the Register of Damage” which on March 26 approved more than 40 categories of claims that can be submitted “It is currently possible to submit claims for the first category” – damage or destruction of residential property “Other categories are expected to be introduced in the course of this year one of the approved categories of claims is category C3,” she says : “damage to business and other economic losses.” It is expected that between 300,000 and 600,000 claims will be submitted in this category,” the Register of Damage reports When the Register becomes fully operational Ten of them will work in the Kyiv office of the Register Klymosiuk says that the concept of the future compensation mechanism and the launch of its first component was implemented in a “world history record-breaking time” “It was created and launched less than a year after the full-scale invasion began and we hope that the other components of the compensation mechanism which will review each claim and grant the actual payments to the victims which is the main source through which these payments will be made will be established quickly as well.” “It will take years,” Vlasiuk warns Owners of the destroyed Hotel Ukraine in Chernihiv cannot yet submit claims to the Register of Damage “It should be understood that at this stage we are only talking about registering damage actual payments will be made only after the relevant Commission is launched and the fund is filled up there is no doubt that such compensation will be provided sooner or later,” says Klymosiuk regardless of whether it is a legal entity or an individual should collect as much evidence as possible because we do not know what the standard of proof will be [whether] written evidence and documents [will be enough] or whether witness testimony will be enough the standard of proof is lowered to take into account the objective circumstances of the war it is important to collect as much evidence as possible to prove that the damage was caused by Russian aggression as well as confirmation of the scale of the damage This will increase the chances of receiving proper compensation at the expense of Russian assets in the future.” Tarasovets explained that law enforcement officials opened criminal proceedings and conducted expert examinations at Hotel Ukraine "The SBU [Ukraine’s security services] was in charge of this Then there was a follow-up study of what kind of missile and from where the hotel was hit There is also an expert's report on the building’s unusable condition the Hotel Ukraine is surrounded by a fence Dismantling work is in progress to ensure that this unsafe building in the heart of Chernihiv does not endanger the citizens Dismantling is being carried out at the expense of the owners of the hotel we will evaluate whether something can be preserved or whether we will have to dismantle the building completely This is the first time for us dealing with such an experience This report is part of our coverage of war crimes justice produced in partnership with Ukrainian journalists. A first version of this article was published on the "Suspilne" website The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in Ukraine thanks to the USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) support aims to address the most critical livelihood needs across seven oblasts: Mykolaiv and Kherson (southern Ukraine) Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk (southeastern Ukraine) Kharkiv (eastern Ukraine) and Chernihiv and Sumy (northern Ukraine) DRC aims to enhance the self-reliance and resilience of individuals affected by war and displacement including: providing sectoral cash assistance to conflict-affected subsistence and small-scale farmers to support their selfconsumption needs and generate income; offering vocational training to equip vulnerable populations with new skills or update existing ones while connecting them to available employment opportunities; supporting Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through grants to activate or sustain their businesses all aimed at assisting conflict-affected individuals The overarching goal of the intervention is to enhance access to dignified livelihoods and reduce dependency on external assistance by empowering local businesses through evidence-based approaches tailored to assessed needs and local market realities This support adopts a more systemic perspective extending beyond individual business owners to benefit the broader community while complementing other services to improve overall living conditions This baseline report enables the design of a programme that is more aligned with the realities on the ground ensuring that interventions are based on a thorough analysis of each oblast's context It addresses the specific needs of conflict-affected populations in the targeted areas identifies livelihood opportunities aligned with market demands This approach not only enhances the independence and self-reliance of those affected by the conflict but also contributes to the systemic reactivation of the local economy This baseline report maps out findings from the baseline data collection conducted between August 2024 and September 2024 The data collected by trained DRC staff applied a mixedmethod approach combining qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques using a snowball sampling approach to identify qualified and context-relevant respondents based on the oblast and the sub-sector of implementation This was complemented by secondary data analysis to validate and compare the findings ensuring a comprehensive and reliable evidence base The results of this baseline evaluation are organised according to the programme design disaggregated into the three primary sub-sectors of proposed implementation: (1) improving agricultural inputs; (2) new livelihood development; and (3) livelihood development This mirrors the three sub-sectors of implementation for the previous grant (October 2023 – September 2024) meaning that DRC could draw on lessons learned and the first baseline evaluation of the prior grant to design a more tailored and impactful new project phase The findings from this baseline evaluation combined with DRC’s expertise and experience in implementing livelihoods activities in the previous BHA grant in Mykolaiv will guide decision-making in finalising the selection of target locations and assistance modalities and operational capacities in the seven targeted areas will play a crucial role in contextualising and applying the results of this baseline DRC will leverage its expertise across various sectors to ensure that the needs of conflict-affected populations are effectively addressed This will be achieved in close collaboration with local authorities maximising the overall impact of the intervention According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the head of the Chernihiv City Military Administration, Dmytro Bryzhynsky, on Facebook “The enemy is once again attacking with Shaheds. A Shahed explosion was recorded on the outskirts of the city Information about the damage and casualties is being clarified,” Bryzhynsky said Later he added on Facebook that the explosion of a Russian Shahed drone caused a fire in two non-residential buildings Units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine are working at the scene As reported by Ukrinform, on January 28, two private residential buildings in Chernihiv were partially destroyed as a result of the fall of the wreckage of an enemy drone