0:00

This message comes from NPR sponsor

0:02

Spectrum Business, who understands that small

0:04

business owners do it all. That's

0:07

why Spectrum Business provides internet, phone,

0:09

TV, and mobile packages just for

0:11

small businesses. Find one

0:13

that works for you at

0:15

spectrum.com/business. Today

0:19

on State of the World, the town

0:21

that's the gateway for Ukrainian prisoners

0:23

returning from Russia. You're

0:27

listening to State of the World from NPR,

0:29

the day's most vital international stories up close

0:31

where they're happening. It's Friday, May 31st. I'm

0:34

Greg Dixon. In

0:37

Ukraine, the military has been given

0:39

long-awaited permission by the U.S. to

0:42

use some American weapons to strike

0:44

inside Russia. The

0:46

permission is limited to counter-fire purposes

0:48

in the Kharkiv region. That's

0:51

where Russia has made recent gains. Russia

0:54

launched its full-scale invasion over two years

0:56

ago. And while in some parts of

0:58

Ukraine, the war can feel far away,

1:01

in the towns bordering Russia, it's a

1:03

different story. NPR's Joanna

1:05

Kekisses visited such a town in northeastern

1:07

Ukraine. It's near the

1:09

only open checkpoint with Russia. So

1:11

when Ukrainians are freed from Russian captivity,

1:14

or more frequently when bodies of soldiers are

1:17

returned, they usually come through the town. Joanna

1:20

found they're always welcomed by villagers

1:22

and the small staff of the

1:24

town's local newspaper. In

1:27

the village of Krasnopilia, the main

1:29

road from the Russian border passes

1:32

right outside the weekly newspaper, Perimoga,

1:34

which means victory in Ukrainian. Only

1:37

four people work at the newspaper, so

1:39

the whole operation fits into a small

1:41

pink house. A dog

1:43

named Dron plays in the backyard. Perimoga's

1:50

editor is Oleksandr Motzny. Before

1:55

the war, he says his team covered

1:57

hyper-local issues, small businesses, and small businesses.

2:00

farmers' milestone birthdays. Our

2:06

newspaper's motto is, don't let

2:09

ordinary people be erased from history.

2:12

The national media don't come here,

2:14

so it's our responsibility to document

2:16

our own stories. In February

2:18

2022, Russia invaded Ukraine

2:21

the day before the newspaper was

2:23

set to celebrate its 90th year

2:25

of publication. I

2:29

still have the calendar with a list of

2:31

those invited to our celebration. I

2:33

crossed out the list and wrote

2:35

war in red marker over it.

2:37

Motsny and his two reporters are

2:39

now war correspondents. He points

2:42

to a chair where they keep body armor

2:44

and helmets. Because their village

2:46

is so close to the checkpoint, he says

2:48

the newspaper tries to document every

2:50

convoy bringing home Ukrainian soldiers.

2:53

This includes those killed in action, whose

2:55

remains had been held by Russians in

2:57

exchange for the bodies of their troops.

3:03

We do not want our fallen soldiers

3:05

to be statistics, Motsny says. The

3:09

newspaper also documents the release of the

3:11

living, the prisoners of war. Motsny

3:15

gets a list of their names from

3:17

the Ukrainian government. The

3:20

first thing I do is scour the list

3:22

to find the names of people from our

3:24

village. We have several people held

3:26

by the Russians. One is

3:28

Vova Kucherenko, a 25-year-old Marine who

3:31

has been in Russian captivity for

3:33

more than two years. His

3:38

mother lives alone in the village.

3:40

Motsny often drives past her house

3:42

when he's out delivering the newspaper.

3:48

He hands a copy to Nadia Neruzhna,

3:51

a retired town clerk, and she asks

3:53

him if any convoys are coming through

3:55

today. Our

4:00

soldiers are returned alive. We feel

4:02

great joy and happiness here. When

4:05

their bodies are returned, we all mourn.

4:08

But either way, we go to meet them.

4:10

Later that day, he receives a text

4:13

that a convoy is indeed on the way.

4:15

It's carrying the bodies of soldiers. We

4:18

arrive at the newspaper just as the

4:20

convoy approaches. Flashing lights from

4:23

the police and there are several

4:26

trucks. Local

4:28

line the road outside. They

4:31

bow their heads or kneel in silence

4:33

as the vehicles go by. But

4:35

when the soldiers come home alive, there's

4:38

a celebration. In

4:44

this video from earlier this year, villagers

4:46

weep with joy thanking God as they

4:48

run after the convoy, some carrying sweets.

4:55

Whenever these convoys of POWs pass,

4:57

Natalia Kucherenko always stands along the

4:59

road with a photo of a

5:02

dark-haired young man. I

5:05

will stand there for hours, even in the

5:08

rain or snow. I stand there because I'm

5:10

waiting for my son. She

5:12

is the mother of Vova Kucherenko,

5:14

the 25-year-old Marine held by Russia.

5:17

We meet her at her small, tidy

5:19

house. She shows us her son's

5:21

room. Now filled with the posters

5:23

and banners, she waits at convoys. At

5:27

the end of last year, I

5:29

found video that said my son

5:31

has been sentenced to life in

5:33

a Russian prison. I don't know

5:35

what state he's in. It

5:37

has destroyed me. It's like I'm in

5:39

captivity too. Russia and

5:42

Ukraine haven't exchanged prisoners for

5:44

months. But Russia is stepping

5:46

up attacks on the border

5:48

regions, including Tsasnopelia. Back

5:52

at the newspaper called Victory, editor

5:54

Oleksandr Motsny says he

5:56

and his team are covering those attacks.

6:00

Whenever some places hit, I go to the

6:02

scene immediately. I

6:06

help the wounded,

6:08

clear the rubble, and only after that

6:10

do I start reporting. So

6:13

what if it's not strictly journalism, he says. These

6:16

are our neighbors, and we cannot survive

6:18

without them. Joanna

6:20

Kekissis, NPR News, Cosnopelia,

6:23

Ukraine. That's

6:29

the state of the world from NPR. Thanks

6:32

for listening. When

6:36

voters talk during an election season, we

6:38

listen. We ask questions, we

6:40

follow up, and we bring you along

6:43

to hear what we learned. To get

6:45

closer to the issues, the people, and

6:47

your vote at the NPR Elections Hub,

6:49

visit npr.org slash election. Support

6:54

for NPR and the following message come

6:56

from Rosetta Stone, the perfect app to

6:59

achieve your language learning goals no matter

7:01

how busy your schedule gets. It's designed

7:03

to maximize study time with immersive 10-minute

7:06

lessons and audio practice for your commute.

7:09

Plus, tailor your learning plan for specific

7:11

objectives, like travel. Get Rosetta

7:13

Stone's Lifetime Membership for 50% off

7:15

and unlimited access to 25 language

7:17

courses. Learn more

7:20

at rosettastone.com/NPR. This

7:23

message comes from NPR sponsor,

7:25

Viore, a new perspective on

7:27

performance apparel. Clothing designed with

7:29

premium fabrics, built to move

7:31

in, styled for life. For

7:33

20% off your first purchase,

7:35

go to viore.com/ NPR.