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Sarah D. Phillips examines the struggles of disabled persons in Ukraine and the other former Soviet states to secure their rights during the tumultuous political, economic, and social reforms of the last two decades. Through participant observation and interviews with disabled Ukrainians across the social spectrum -- rights activists, politicians, students, workers, entrepreneurs, athletes, and others -- Phillips documents the creative strategies used by people on the margins of postsocialist societies to assert claims to mobile citizenship. She draws on this rich ethnographic material to argue that public storytelling is a powerful means to expand notions of relatedness, kinship, and social responsibility, and which help shape a more tolerant and inclusive society.

Aim Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in elderly are a significant problem in Ukraine. It is expected that the ongoing war will augment this problem. The study aimed to analyze the trends of disability due to NCDs s in newly-diagnosed elderly patients between 2013 and 2023. Methods This retrospective study included data obtained from the official document “Report on the Causes of Disability and Indications for Medical, Professional, and Social Rehabilitation” commissioned by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The data on disability due to NCDs s were obtained from for 2013–2023. Results During the 2013–2021 the average number of disabled elderly patients due to NCDs per 10,000 elderly persons was significantly lower in compare with working-age. During the first year of full-scaled war the average number of disabled elderly patients due to NCDS s per 10,000 elderly persons dramatically increased by 2-fold, and in 2023 – by 2.8-fold against 2013 value ( p  < 0.05), while in working-age the disability rate increased significantly only in 2023 by 1.4-fold compared to the pre-war level. In 2013–2021 the main causes of disability among those related to NCDs in elderly were cardiovascular diseases, followed by cancer. In 2022 compared to the pre-war level, the indicators of disability of the elderly due to CVD increased by 1.5 times, due to cerebrovascular diseases - by 2.2 times, due to cancer - by 1.7 times, due to musculoskeletal diseases - by 2 times ( p  < 0.05). The most significant increase in the number of elderly people with disabilities during the full-scale war occurred due to coronary artery disease - by 55.1%, and osteoarthritis - by 83.4% from baseline in 2013. It estemated the differences in indicators of disability of elderly between regions of Ukraine, significantly higher indicators of disability of the elderly due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, cerebrovascular diseases, musculoskeletal diseases were noted in the frontline regions. Conclusions Data on primary disability among elderly Ukrainians indicates a significant increase in NCDs-related disability during the war in compare with working population, especially in frontline regions and regions with a high concentration of displaced persons. In this structure of NCDs-related increasing disability, CVD, oncology and musculoskeletal diseases system prevailed.

When helping others, experience becomes important, especially in circumstances that involve interacting with different cultures—such as providing services to refugees. When disability is added to refugee status, multiple types of experience become necessary, with cross-sector collaboration serving as a valuable asset. Thus, in our approach, we do not consider the status of being a migrant and the status of being a person with disabilities separately, as that would be contrary to the lived experience of simultaneously being a refugee and person with disabilities. This paper explores the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the capacity of the Polish and Romanian organizations providing services to Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw and Bucharest, with a particular focus on disabled refugees. Based on 41 interviews with service providers and grass-roots organizations, we find that this unfortunate event functioned as a natural laboratory for practicing, acquiring, and enhancing skills in multiple domains, leading to increased personal and institutional expertise. We examine the differences between Warsaw and Bucharest, with Warsaw having more experience in dealing with incoming flows of immigrants, while Bucharest is a relative newcomer in this respect. Additionally, we consider the distinction between public providers (public administration) and non-governmental organizations, observing the upscaling of the latter. Implications for policy are discussed within the framework of curtailing civic society under the illiberal wave.

Previous research has shown that people with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable to symptoms of psychological distress after exposure to armed conflict. Past work has also shown that individuals displaced by conflict are at heightened risk of post-traumatic stress. Using a national online sample of Ukrainians in the early weeks of the 2022 Russian invasion, we aim to examine associations between functional disability and symptoms of post-traumatic stress. We examined the association between levels of functional disability in the Ukrainian population and symptoms of post-traumatic stress during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. We analysed data from a national sample of 2000 participants from across this country, assessing disability using the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS-12)(six domains of disability) and the International Trauma Questionnaire assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology according to the Eleventh Edition of The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Moderated regression examined the impact of displacement status on the disability-post-traumatic stress relationship. Different domains of disability predicted post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) to varying extents, with overall disability score significantly associated with PTSSs. This relationship was not moderated by displacement status. Consistent with previous research, females reported higher levels of post-traumatic stress. In a study of a general population during a time of armed conflict, individuals with more severe disabilities were at greater risk of PTSSs. Psychiatrists and related professionals should consider pre-existing disability as a risk factor for conflict-related post-traumatic stress.

This study investigates the state of inclusivity in Ukrainian universities, focusing on the perceptions of university staff amid the country's ongoing sociopolitical transformations. Here we report on the perceptions of 820 staff members from various professional roles, including academic, management, and support positions, this research explored inclusivity through diverse lenses, encompassing work experience, interactions with students with disabilities, and self-identification with vulnerable groups. Most respondents assessed a moderate to high level of inclusivity, indicating a positive overall outlook on inclusive practices within these institutions. Notably, perceptions of inclusivity vary slightly across different professional roles, with academic staff expressing a marginally lower level of perceived inclusivity than their counterparts. However, these variations are not statistically significant, suggesting a uniform perception across staff categories. Furthermore, the study revealed that personal experience in working with students with disabilities does not substantially alter staff perceptions of inclusivity. Similarly, self-identification with vulnerable groups only marginally influences these perceptions. This suggests that while individual experiences and identities are factors in inclusivity perceptions, their impact is not profoundly different. This research contributes to understanding inclusivity in higher education, particularly within environments undergoing significant social and political changes.

The Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022 resulted in an influx of refugees fleeing from the war, many of whom fled to Poland and Romania. This flow brought a considerable number of people with disabilities, both adults and children, who needed various kinds of support: accommodation, medicine, material aid, rehabilitation, and psychological help. EU’s Directive 2001/55/EC, followed by national bills, provided a general framework in which all refugees, including Ukrainian War refugees with a disability (UWRwD) have formal access to social services, but did not automatically ensure substantive accessibility. This article analyses the barriers faced by UWRwD in accessing services in host countries, as well as the solutions implemented by service providers in Bucharest and Warsaw to reach these groups. The interplay of structural, situational, and individual factors influencing service provision and access is discussed, using two sets of qualitative data: 41 individual interviews conducted with service providers in Bucharest (20) and Warsaw (21) in 2023, and two group interviews conducted with UWRwD in Bucharest (8 participants) and Warsaw (7 participants) in December 2024. Findings suggest that accessibility is an omitted aspect in emergency response. While challenges are structural, reinforced by the arrival of a high number of refugees with disabilities, solutions are situational. Given the specificities of each refugee with disabilities, as well as a lack of clear regulations to govern intervention, service provision relied heavily on case‐by‐case responses, communication between actors, and the use of pre‐existing personal and professional networks. The results show that emergency response should be multilayered and intersectional, ensuring the needs of the most vulnerable groups are met.

In 2022 the UN CRPD Committee was informed about the disproportionate exposure of persons with disabilities to the risks engendered by military Russian aggression in Ukraine--risks such as poverty, violence, abandonment, injuries and death. This commentary provides an overview of the main issues identified. KEYWORDS Human rights; disability; Ukraine; war; conflict

This article uses an anthropological approach to critically examine the limitations and successes of the contemporary disability rights movement in post-Soviet Ukraine. Case studies of rights legislation and the work of disability advocacy NGOs are detailed to illustrate the paradoxes and problems that imbricate disability rights issues, and the strategies some activists have leveraged to successfully navigate these challenges. The article suggests specific tactics that rights groups in Ukraine might pursue to further enact change in their communities, including pursuing more international partnerships, fielding candidates for political office, and launching informational and image campaigns.

Satellite images show an eight-mile-long Russian militaryconvoy to the east of Kharkiv and Ukraine's defense intelligence chiefsaid Russian troops were regrouping across the border and plan toadvance in what could be a major assault. Over the next few weeks,officials expect Russian forces to resupply and reposition with theaim of launching a brutal new offensive in Donbas, which encompassesthe Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Pope Francis held the first PalmSunday service that members of the public had been able to attend inSt. Peter's Square since 2019, after two years of COVID-19restrictions. GUESTS: Malcolm Davis, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Lawrence Sheets