"Thank God You Survived This Hell"

A year after the small town of Borodyanka, Ukraine was liberated from Russian occupation, host Laurel Chor returns to see how the town is recovering. Laurel brings us this story about how Borodyanka and the people she met there are doing after a year of war.RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts.For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

One year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, how has the war changed the daily lives of Ukraine's youngest generation?Brazen reporter Susie Armitage highlights how the war is impacting Ukrainian children. In this episode, kids share audio and video diaries that offer a glimpse into their daily routine: lessons interrupted by air raid alerts, jokes about nuclear war, and volunteer work to support the Ukrainian army.-RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts.For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

A Ukrainian refugee shares the story of his fraught escape from Russian-occupied Kherson.A strategically important port in the south of Ukraine near the Black Sea, Kherson was the first major city to fall into Russian hands in the early days of the war. But last week, after more than eight months of occupation, Russia withdrew its forces and Ukrainian soldiers entered the city, greeted by cheering locals. It’s a triumphant moment for Ukraine, but along with the celebrations, there’s a long road ahead to restoring normalcy.Around 300,000 people lived there before the invasion, but Ukrainian authorities estimate that more than half have now fled. As they share their stories, we’re beginning to get a fuller picture of what life looks like for the Ukrainians trapped behind Russian lines.In this interview, Alex, a Ukrainian refugee, speaks with producers Susie Armitage and Alex Gendler about his experience under occupation, and what it took to escape.-RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts.For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Reporter Susie Armitage speaks to Ukrainian journalist Bogdan Logvynenko, founder of Ukrainer.net, a multilingual publication covering the war and all things Ukraine. In this episode, Bogdan shares stories from his travels around the country interviewing Ukrainians in recently liberated areas, plus two music videos his team created with Ukrainian rappers Alyona Alyona and Palindrom celebrating the resilience of cities still occupied by Russia.Thanks for listening. You can find “Resistance: Stories From Ukraine” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow Bogdan on Instagram at @logvynenko and Ukrainer at @ukrainer_en.RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts.For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Nicholas Brennan, Executive Producer of RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine, sits down for an interview with Laurel Chor and Arman Dzidzovic, the host and producers of the series. Laurel and Arman talk about how the situation in Ukraine has changed since RESISTANCE first aired, and share an update on some of the stories featured in the podcast. They also reflect on the ongoing resistance of the population, and what they see for the future of the conflict.RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.For more news, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistanceRESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts.For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

A new film puts a face to the devastation and resilience of everyday Ukranians finding life in the midst of war.Announcing “RESISTANCE: Returning Home”, a documentary film that gives a visual connection to the gripping stories we’ve been hearing across this podcast series.In the film, Laurel Chor travels to the liberated towns outside Kyiv in the days following Russia's withdrawal. It was a raw, difficult time. We witness the heartrending images of Bucha, travel with a couple from Irpin as they return home to their neighborhood for the first time, and we see the absolute destruction caused by the aerial bombardment of Borodyanka.To see the full film, visit: www.projectbrazen.com/resistance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Tom Wright sits down with Laurel Chor to hear the backstory on the making of her podcast RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine. In this audio interview, Laurel shares the experiences she had on the ground as Russia invaded Ukraine and how the conflict continues. She also talks about the surprising similarities she sees in what’s happening in Ukraine today and in her home in Hong Kong, while giving advice to other journalists heading to conflict zones.This is the final episode of RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine. Stay tuned for more series from Project Brazen in the months to come. And, as always, you can follow our latest reporting in our newsletter, Whale Hunting. Thank you for listening.RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.For more news, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistanceRESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts.For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Escaping a city devastated by shelling – and the stories of those who choose to stay. In Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, a community fights to survive only 30 miles from the border with Russia.Laurel continues following the journey of Larisa, a disabled woman evacuated from her apartment in one of Kharkiv’s most dangerous neighborhoods, as volunteers race her to the station for her onward journey to Poland, in hope of refuge and a better future.In a hospital in Kharkiv, Laurel also meets civilians recovering from injuries inflicted by shelling. Sheltering in a metro station deep under the city, Violeta, a new mother, explains to Laurel why she wants to stay in the city.RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.For more news, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistanceRESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts.For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Under devastating Russian shelling in Ukraine's second largest city, a community fights to survive.Explosions from weapons that could range from Grad rockets and artillery shells to phosphorus and thermobaric bombs have destroyed much of Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine. It’s only 30 miles from the Russian border.Laurel meets with the locals surviving these attacks. In one apartment complex, a family clears broken glass after the windows are blown out by a recent blast. Downtown, a youth pastor shelters parishioners in the basement of his church. And in one of the worst-hit neighborhoods in the city, volunteers rush to evacuate a disabled woman who has been unable to leave her apartment even as the shelling collapses buildings around her.RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.For more news, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistanceRESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts.For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Underground creativity fuels Ukraine’s wartime production. Laurel meets seamstresses sewing bulletproof vests, artists welding anti-tank obstacles and even advertising executives using online targeted ads to break through Russian propaganda. Some work alone, in their kitchens or home studios. Others are more organized, building production lines in community halls and co-working spaces. All over the country, people are contributing whatever skills they have to offer.RESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a harrowing and inspirational journey across Ukraine in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. While the military wages war on the frontlines, everyday citizens are picking up whatever weapons they can, including their smartphones, computers, sewing needles, and guitars. Photojournalist Laurel Chor travels to cities across the country, finding extraordinary stories that go beyond the headlines.For more news, and a complete transcript of this episode, please visit: https://projectbrazen.com/resistanceRESISTANCE: Stories from Ukraine is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts.For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/