Ukrainians face uncertain future as Russian invasion grinds on

The US and other western allies have donated billions in military aid to Kyiv

A young girl displays some patriotism during an event in central Brussels for Ukrainian Independence Day, which arrive six months to the day since Russia's invasion. AP

A giant sculpture of a defiant hand with fingernails painted in the colours of Ukraine stands outside the Russian embassy in Prague, Czech Republic. AFP

A woman visits the tomb of her relative, a Ukrainian serviceman who was killed in a fight against Russian troops, in Lviv. Reuters

A vast Ukrainian flag is unfurled on Independence Day in the historical Grand Place of Brussels. AP

Russian tanks that were captured by the Ukrainian army are displayed on Khreshchatyk on Independence Day in central Kyiv. EPA

A march on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, south-eastern France. AFP

Ukrainians young and old gather at Circular Quay in Sydney. Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena attend a commemoration ceremony in Kyiv. AFP

Ukrainians and supporters in Sydney marks the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of 1991, which ended Soviet rule. Getty Images

The main square in Kyiv has been turned into an open-air military museum for Ukrainian Independence Day. AFP

Destroyed Russian military vehicles installed in central Kyiv, where authorities have banned mass gatherings in the capital for fear of Russian missile attacks. AP

Larry the cat stands under a floral display to mark Ukraine's Independence Day outside No 10 Downing Street, central London. Reuters

Ukrainians take part in a demonstration in the lead-up to Independence Day and six months since the Russian invasion began, in Valletta, Malta. Reuters

The Academy Symphony Orchestra of the Luhansk Regional Philharmonic performs during a charity concert in support of the armed forces of Ukraine, in Lviv. Getty Images

Central Kyiv is full of reminders of the continuing war on Independence Day. AFP

Ukrainian and American flags raised on a street in New York to mark the occasion. AFP

Dynamo Kyiv players wrapped in Ukrainian national flags before their second-leg Champions League play-off match against Benfica in Lisbon. EPA

The Triton Fountain in Valletta is lit in Ukrainian colours. Reuters

Ukrainians show support in the Maltese capital. Reuters

'The Train to Victory', sitting at Kyiv railway station, consists of seven carriages painted by Ukrainian artists, each dedicated to the occupied territories of Ukraine. The train was to arrive in the western city of Uzhgorod on Independence Day. EPA

Support for Ukraine in Zagreb, Croatia. AFP

People arriving on Khreschatyk Street in Kyiv, where events to mark Ukraine's Independence Day are being held. Getty Images

In the six months since Russia invaded, Ukrainian Nadia Pahava has existed in a strange reality — one in which the future does not exist.

It is one of many ways the 26-year-old from Kyiv has attempted to endure the brutal conflict that has engulfed her beloved country.

“My planning at the moment is paused until further notice,” said Ms Pahava, a communications and public relations expert. “Because if we make any decision, we have to take into consideration that even if the conflict is frozen, it can break out at any minute.”

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has robbed her and millions of others of the luxury of a planned future. Starting a career, finding a home, having children — all have been postponed as the war grinds on.

“We've postponed planning anything that huge for at least some time,” she told The National.

The conflict began on February 24, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attempting a blitz to the capital to allegedly install a puppet government.

But a mix of poor planning and incompetence on the Russian side — and an unexpected pluckiness and billions in military aid from the West on Ukraine's — has transformed the war into one that was expected to last a week into one that has lasted months.

Ukraine crisis — in pictures

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres shake hands after their meeting in Lviv, Ukraine. AP

Russian missiles headed for Ukraine are launched from Russia's Belgorod region. AP

Street artists paint a mural on to a wall near a building in a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine. EPA

Firefighters put out flames and search through the rubble of the Culture Palace, which was destroyed by a Russian missile, in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv. Getty

Seamstresses sew soft toys at the Kopytsia toy factory in Nizhyn, Ukraine. The factory makes toys that have became patriotic symbols for Ukrainians during Russia's invasion. EPA

The logo of a new cafe called 'Stars Coffee', which opened in Moscow after Starbucks pulled out of Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine. Reuters

Rescue officials gather in front of the bodies of victims killed in a Russian missile strike on Kharkiv. AFP

Women hug near the debris of a building that was destroyed after a rocket hit the Saltivka area in Kharkiv. EPA

The letter 'Z', a symbol of support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is projected on to a building in Moscow. AFP

A woman recovers an item from the damaged home of her elderly neighbour after a Russian missile strike yesterday in Druzhkivka, in Ukraine's Donetsk enclave. AP

Bronze medalist Andriy Protsenko of Ukraine celebrates after the men's high jump final on day eight of the European Championships in Munich, Germany. Getty

In recent months, the war has slowed to a stalemate, with heavy fighting pushed to the eastern and southern parts of the country.

The war can be felt everywhere, however, and continues to dictate life in the capital and elsewhere.

Ms Pahava has tried to balance her job and personal life with the war, choosing to consume only limited information about what is happening on the front line.

“Internally, this has been so complicated,” she said. “I do want to know, so I sometimes, for example, ask my boyfriend to just give me a short overview of what happened over the day, or I do a scroll of the news myself.”

On the other side of the world, Yurii Barybin has spent much of the past six months glued to his phone, waiting for updates from his father back in his native Kherson and scanning for updates on the conflict.

As he now lives in Los Angeles, California, Mr Barybin is typically only able to speak with his father once a week, as Kherson has been under Russian occupation for months.

“They don't have Ukrainian cell phone reception there,” he explained.

His elderly father must therefore brave the dangerous streets of Kherson searching for a Wi-Fi connection to get messages to his family members, many of whom are now abroad.

Sixty people die in Ukraine school bombing

Mr Barybin's fears for his father's safety are not unfounded. The UN reported that the war in Ukraine has killed 5,800 civilians so far, including 972 children.

About 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers have also been killed, the country's armed forces chief said. That number, while high, pales in comparison to the believed number of Russian soldiers killed so far.

Russia does not disclose its number of dead, but US President Joe Biden's administration estimated in July that at least 75,000 Russians had been wounded or killed.

“It is a big problem that we don't have this communication that we had before,” Mr Barybin, 39, told The National.

To stay informed about the conflict, he relies on a variety of Telegram channels.

Parsing through “fake news” has been a challenge, especially for Ukrainians living abroad, but a series of “trusted” sources has allowed him to stay on top of events.

“We try to use these channels as a source and certainly talking to people who we know who live in Kyiv and Lviv,” he said.

Telegram is a popular news source for many on both sides of the conflict, though both Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of using the platform to push propaganda.

Ukrainian refugees in Mexico en route to US — in pictures

The US border fence in Tijuana, Mexico. All photos: Willy Lowry / The National

The entrance to Unidad Deportiva Benito Juarez, where hundreds of Ukrainian refugees are staying.

Georg Bondarenko with his uncle in Tijuana, having fled Ukraine.

Ukrainians are sleeping beside luggage in Tijuana.

Children pick out toys from a donation box at the sports complex where Ukrainian refugees are staying in Tijuana.

A young girl plays with a toy.

Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees are sleeping in the gymnasium in Tijuana.

Victoria and her partner fled Kyiv for the US. Here they pose inside a refugee camp in Tijuana, Mexico.

Sandra, a 21-year-old university student, waits to enter the US.

Karina Konotopets fled Chernihiv at the start of the war.

Ukrainians huddle around a makeshift charging station in Tijuana.

Anastasiya Polo is one of the lead volunteers helping to organise the makeshift refugee camp in Tijuana.

A woman carries a child on to a bus in Tijuana.

A bus carrying refugees is parked in front of the sports complex where Ukrainians are staying in Tijuana.

A young girl sits on a bus in Tijuana, waiting to enter the US.

Ukrainian refugees walk up the pedestrian ramp to the PedWest point of entry into the United States.

Ukrainian refugees wait to enter the US.

The San Ysidro Port of Entry from Tijuana.

A man wearing a sombrero and draped in Ukrainian flag welcomes refugees on the US side of the border.

Victoria and her partner pose with a young child on the US side of the border.

The controversial US border fence stretches for kilometres near Tijuana.

The US border fence stretches towards the Pacific Ocean.

As he anxiously waits for the war to end, the music and events producer is doing his part to help his country: he has enlisted his many connections in the entertainment to put on a number of benefit concerts for Ukraine.

While Russia is relying primarily on its own military hardware during the conflict, Ukraine has been backed by a steady stream of aid from its western allies, including the US, which has sent about $10.6 billion in military assistance.

The weapons and equipment from the US and other allies have been instrumental in ensuring Ukraine is able to hold its own against one of the most powerful militaries in the world.

“President Biden has been clear that we will continue to support the people of Ukraine in defending their country from Russia’s aggression for as long as it takes,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement announcing the latest round of aid, which included 15 ScanEagle surveillance drones.

Six months of conflict has left Ukrainians at home and abroad shaken, but their determination and resolve remains.

Ms Pahava is determined to carry on with her life, while continuing to support the war effort.

“We know things are not fine,” she said, expressing her longing for the days when Kyiv was alive at every hour of the night.

“But at the same time, we do want our economy not to be dead so this is why if you come to Kyiv or any of the other cities in Ukraine, you would see that life is working.”

A Russian multiple-launch 'Hurricane' rocket system in action during battles in an undisclosed area in Ukraine. EPA

The Turkish bulk carrier 'Osprey S' is anchored off the shore near Istanbul. The vessel was expected to arrive in Ukraine's Chornomorsk port carrying grain, becoming the first ship to arrive at a Ukrainian port during the war. Reuters

Young volunteers from the 'Repair Together' initiative, together with the local residents, clear rubble from a house that was destroyed during fighting, in Ivanivka, Chernihiv region. EPA

A member of the Ukrainian National Guard jumps into a trench at a position near a front line, in the Kharkiv region. Reuters

A Ukrainian soldier after a rocket fragment hit his car, in Bakhmut. AFP

Combine harvesters of the Continental Farmers Group agricultural company harvest wheat in the Ternopil region of Ukraine. Getty Images

A cemetery worker places a cross on the grave of Ukrainian soldier Serhiy Marchenko, who died aged 26, after his burial in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. AP

Women attend a rally of relatives and friends of defenders of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol. Reuters

Ukrainian troops fire with a BM27 Uragan multiple-launch rocket system, in the Kharkiv region. Reuters

A couple carry water bottles after filling them up at a store in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. AP

A girl holds a doll as people wait in Pokrovsk, to board a train to Dnipro and Lviv, during an evacuation effort from war-affected areas of eastern Ukraine. Reuters

People make their way through the partially-closed Market of Kramatorsk. Reuters