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Kharkiv resident weighs in on war, hope, despair and moving forward, one year into Ukraine war

TOPSHOT - This aerial photograph shows a damaged church, which was used by Russian troops as a makeshift hospital, in the village of Mala Komyshuvakha, Kharkiv region, on Febr. 22, 2023, amid Russia's military invasion on Ukraine. (Ihor Tkachov/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - This aerial photograph shows a damaged church, which was used by Russian troops as a makeshift hospital, in the village of Mala Komyshuvakha, Kharkiv region, on Febr. 22, 2023, amid Russia's military invasion on Ukraine. (Ihor Tkachov/AFP via Getty Images)

It’s been nearly a year since the Russian assault on Ukraine began. Throughout the roller coaster of destruction, death, trauma, resilience and fear, Here & Now has been checking in with Ukrainian political analyst Maria Avdeeva.

The news analyst made the decision early on not to leave her home in Kharkiv — even as she watched entire neighborhoods, landmarks and public spaces decimated, acquaintances injured or killed, her community forced underground for safety.

From her perch in Kharkiv, Avdeeva has documented those horrors, as Kharkiv gained the sad distinction of being the city with the second-highest number of casualties in the country. Host Robin Young talks to Avdeeva about the year and the future.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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