DONETSK REGION, Ukraine — “There was a new joy that had never happened before.”
Inside a white-brick house near the front lines, a dozensoldiers were singing. The table in front of them gasped of Christmas: mushroom soup and fried hake; rounds of traditional bread — palyanytsya — the size of sheet pans; plates mounded with potato dumplings, some with silver coins hidden at their center for good luck.
What to know about Ukraine’s counteroffensive
The latest: The Ukrainian military has launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces, opening a crucial phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and preserving Western support in its fight against Moscow.
The fight: Ukrainian troops have intensified their attacks on the front line in the southeast region, according to multiple individuals in the country’s armed forces, in a significant push toward Russian-occupied territory.
How you can help: Here are ways those in the United States can support the Ukrainian people as well as what people around the world have been donating.