Scientists of the NAS of Ukraine – about life and research during wartime

Mathematicians and zoologists, chemists and materials scientists, historians and astronomers – the lives of each of these Ukrainian scientists were forever changed on February 24, 2022. For five years now, they have continued their research under extremely difficult conditions. We publish excerpts from the recently published book at the Academy, "People of Science. Conversations with Ukrainian Scientists," in which scientists of the NAS of Ukraine talk about how they live and work since the full-scale Russian invasion began. * * * Yaroslav Shuba, academician of the NAS of Ukraine, head of the Department of Neuromuscular Physiology at the Bogomolets Institute of Physiology of the NAS of Ukraine: “Doing science in Ukraine has never been easy. However, after the full-scale invasion, it became even harder. Of course, the scientific centers located near the combat zones suffered the most. There, it is a matter of physical survival, direct material damage, and loss of lives. In the central and western regions, the biggest problems arose in the personnel potential. I will not generalize, but my personal observations indicate a significant outflow of young female scientists abroad, while young male scientists, instead of focusing on scientific research, began to worry more about side jobs and avoiding encounters with the Territorial Recruitment Centers. Constant air raid alerts also do not facilitate work. This, of course, has negatively affected the productivity of scientific research. Our department also suffered direct human losses. In the battles in the Kharkiv region, one of our most promising young scientists, Candidate of Biological Sciences Bizhan Sharopov, who volunteered for the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the very first days of the war, heroically died. We had to painstakingly collect his data to continue the research he was involved in. And I must say that this work was not in vain. Based on the results he obtained, which we supplemented, we managed to publish an article in one of the oldest and most prestigious physiological journals, The Journal of Physiology (London). This article became a worthy tribute to Bizhan's memory, as he was the first author, and it also contained his portrait in military gear and a short biographical note. Thanks to it, the entire global scientific community learned about Bizhan's civic feat, for which he was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine. Despite all the difficulties brought by the war, we try to maintain research at a level worthy of publication in the best international journals. We believe that after the war ends, Ukrainian science will overcome all former hardships and become a significant player in world science.” Olesya Havryliuk, PhD in Biology, research associate of the Department of Biology of Extremophilic Microorganisms at the D.K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology of the NAS of Ukraine, chair of the Young Scientists Council of this Institute: “The full-scale Russian invasion divided my life and work into ‘before’ and ‘after.’ In the first months, scientific activity was under direct pressure from the war: constant air raid alerts, emotional exhaustion, working under shelling sounds, prolonged power outages, internet disruptions, and limited access to laboratories. Experiments were interrupted due to blackouts, data had to be saved on multiple media, and manuscripts were prepared in shelters or by generator light. It was a period of chaos, uncertainty, and the feeling that professional life froze between shellings. Despite everything, in November 2022, I defended my dissertation – under sirens, with loss of communication and electricity. One of the opponents could only join by phone because there was shelling in Odesa that morning, and there was no power or internet. However, the defense was successful. This was evidence of how the Ukrainian scientific community tried to keep working even in darkness and instability. After the defense, I had to rebuild my work rhythm: planning was done between outages, and some tasks were transferred to remote format. About a year after the war began, forced adaptation occurred. Strange as it may sound, the ability to work in new conditions appeared: preparing backup schedules in advance, optimizing procedures, shifting work to hours when electricity was available. Scientific activity gradually resumed: I started applying for grants, attending short-term internships, and continued participating in scientific projects. International community support played a big role, including FEBS, FEMS programs, and other initiatives that helped Ukrainian researchers maintain access to equipment, attend scientific events, and stay connected to the global scientific environment. Special grants aimed specifically at supporting Ukrainian scientists appeared, and opportunities significantly increased, which additionally motivated active use of them. This is how I got my first contract abroad – as a visiting researcher within a university shelter program in Spain (an initiative of the Spanish Ministry of Universities together with CRUE, the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities, where universities provided temporary positions and support to Ukrainian scientists during the war). Later, I became part of a scientific group, which we have already talked about. However, the war still has its price. While carrying out a scientific project abroad, I cannot often see my loved ones: trips home are emotionally and physically exhausting, accompanied by anxiety and a constant feeling of instability. Balancing between two countries – the working and the native one – adds additional psychological stress. Despite this, my scientific trajectory has not been interrupted: participation in joint research, grant applications, trips to conferences and congresses with colleagues, development of international cooperation, and maintaining Ukrainian scientific presence have become responses to the challenges of war. The war remains a tragedy affecting every aspect of life. But at the same time, it has sharpened the understanding of the importance of science, its resilience, and ability to endure even in the most difficult conditions. We live and work as well as reality allows and gradually build a professional path leading to the restoration not only of our own careers but of the country as a whole.” Serhiy Kosterin, academician of the NAS of Ukraine, deputy director for scientific work at the Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of the NAS of Ukraine, head of the Department of Muscle Biochemistry of this Institute: “Of course, the war affected everyone… including scientists. It is indescribably sad for the people who died on the front and as a result of treacherous shelling of our peaceful cities and villages. Unfortunately, there are losses in the NAS of Ukraine as well. Eternal memory to students, postgraduates, teachers, scientists who are no longer with us… Together with Professor Yuriy Prilutsky of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, we dedicated a university textbook ‘Computer Modeling in Biology,’ published in 2024, to them. But we all try to work under such conditions, no matter what. Sometimes, during air raid alerts and missile and drone attacks, I write scientific articles or ponder experimental results obtained in our department. And you know, it seems to me that even in such an extreme situation, creative work protects against psychological overload, restores mental balance, and fuels optimism. At the Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of the NAS of Ukraine, as in other institutions of the Biochemistry, Physiology, and Molecular Biology Department of the NAS of Ukraine and the Academy in general, biomedical research is developing. Scientists create testers, vaccines, means to combat diseases. This is very important now. And there is progress in this direction, with prospects for implementation of developments. For example, hemostatic drugs being developed at our Institute. If it were not for Science and Art, and the dear people to my heart whom I love and respect – relatives, friends, colleagues – if not for my faith in a happy future for Ukraine – it would be hard… I believe in Ukraine’s future. Our day of celebration will come too!” Maksym Yurzhyenko, corresponding member of the NAS of Ukraine, head of the Department of Plastic Welding at the Paton Institute of Electric Welding of the NAS of Ukraine: “February 24, 2022, changed the life of the Department of Plastic Welding, as well as all other units and the institute as a whole. Already at seven in the morning, all employees were transferred to remote work with the likelihood of further evacuation. I came to work to receive emergency orders from the institute’s management, which arrived at their workplaces in full and made difficult decisions, as well as to check if all devices in the department’s premises were turned off and to shut down all scientific equipment. In the following weeks, events developed rapidly. Our department conducts extensive international activities, and I am grateful to our foreign partners, primarily the Polish Center for Polymer and Carbon Materials of the Polish Academy of Sciences, where our joint international Polish-Ukrainian laboratory ADPOLCOM is located; the Romanian Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Petru Poni of the Romanian Academy of Sciences; the French Institute INSA@Lyon1, which supported us, offering department employees relocation, housing, and work. To preserve the department’s personnel potential and ensure continuity of scientific research, I sent young candidates of sciences for internships to our partners in Poland and the USA. The first four specialists went abroad already at the beginning of March. By the way, this strategy fully justified itself. Those employees who remained in Ukraine worked remotely in the following months. In autumn 2022, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine pushed back the occupiers’ army and the situation in Kyiv, so to speak, stabilized, colleagues began coming to the institute, as all previously obtained research results had already been analyzed and described during remote work, and it was necessary to work with the equipment. I will separately mention power outages. It turned out that our department was almost ready for this. Why almost? Even before the full-scale war began, we purchased quite powerful uninterruptible power supplies. Yes, their capacity is insufficient for some equipment, but they can power most devices, so even when the power was cut off, experimental work in the department continued and continues, although, frankly, it is quite difficult because more powerful equipment is needed. We have to adapt to power outage schedules and work irregular hours, even at night. Near the institute, there were ‘hits.’ Many windows were broken, and there was other damage. But the consequences were quickly and almost completely eliminated thanks to the promptness of the institute’s services and the support of the Academy. Today, the department is working. And, in my opinion, successfully. We are implementing many projects, including those funded by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as international ones. Since we have many studies in various directions, there are accordingly many publications, primarily in high-ranking journals – first and second quartiles. A significant role was played by the strategy of decentralizing the department’s work through internships for young scientists. The war prompted us to somewhat reorient. We began and successfully conduct research on creating and using polymer materials, their welding, and additive manufacturing of products from them for medicine (for example, implants), energy, construction, and other tasks for the benefit of our state. Some of our work was written about in the journal Science. Moreover, the department is actively developing, primarily thanks to projects funded by the aforementioned grants from the National Research Foundation of Ukraine. In 2021, we created a modern laboratory of polymer materials science, equipped with modern instruments for studying material structure and mechanical properties. In 2024–2025, thanks to another NRFU project, the laboratory was strengthened with modern equipment for thermophysical studies. A new laboratory for additive manufacturing and bioprinting was also created, where a ‘clean’ room was built and eight various 3D printers were installed to perform urgent tasks. And a few words about our department’s volunteer activities. At the request of various units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and at their own expense, our employees manufacture medical immobilization splints for temporary fixation of injured limbs. We support the production of stove-burzhuykas at the institute. We transfer funds for the urgent needs of our defenders. In autumn 2025, thanks to an agreement with Swedish friends, it was possible to deliver to Ukraine – for the ‘Hospitallers’ battalion – a passenger bus fully loaded with various medical products. In short, the Department of Plastic Welding does everything necessary for the Ukrainian state and everything possible for its swift victory.” Maryna Kachayeva, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, research associate of the Department of Chemistry of Bioactive Nitrogen-Containing Heterocyclic Compounds at the V.P. Kukhar Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry and Petrochemistry of the NAS of Ukraine: “The war generally did not globally affect my work and the work of other scientists at our Institute, but it somewhat disrupted the usual rhythm of life due to shelling and power outages. Several scientists moved to European Union countries for temporary or permanent residence. The war prompted us to seek and deepen cooperation with international institutions. The foreign scientific community significantly supports Ukrainian scientists, including providing free access to paid web resources. In addition, some paid journals publish our articles for free.” Nataliya Shcherban, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, senior research associate of the Department of Porous Substances and Materials at the L.V. Pisarzhevsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the NAS of Ukraine: “The full-scale Russian invasion, of course, negatively affected all our lives and work. It was especially difficult, as for everyone, at the beginning in February 2022, when we did not know what to do, where to run, how to be… Then we got a little used to it, adapted to life in new realities. For the first month or two, we worked remotely. Then we returned to the laboratories because our research is primarily experimental work. Of course, it is hard to work under the sounds of alerts, missile and drone attacks, but not to despair and survive personally helped me from the very beginning to focus on a certain task, especially scientific work. In 2022, I resolutely refused to leave Ukraine, although I received many good offers from abroad. In 2023, I worked at Åbo Akademi University under a grant from the Academy of Finland. In 2024, I had two short (one-month) internships in Germany and also participated in two conferences (France and Japan). In 2025, I also spent a month in Germany (because we have a joint project with German colleagues) and participated in four conferences: as an invited lecturer in Turku (Finland), Atlanta (USA), Dalian (China), and Trondheim (Norway). Our work is significantly complicated, and often made impossible, by attacks on energy facilities, resulting in power supply problems. So we had to adjust energy-intensive experiments. We try to cope and solve these problems. For example, thanks to a German grant, I managed to purchase a battery and inverter to power the most critical equipment. Given the reduction in state funding for scientific research since the beginning of the war, it was necessary to seek alternative sources of funds, so I submitted projects to various announced competitions from foreign organizations (special thanks to foreign partners for support for Ukraine in various fields, including science!), including from the Max Planck Society (Germany), the US Department of Energy, and the Finnish Research Council. I managed to win these competitions and receive funding to conduct scientific research jointly with leading foreign scientists. The obtained grants significantly influenced my scientific progress, allowed me to financially support the performers of these projects and attract new people, pay for necessary chemical reagents, materials, equipment, and services, as well as participate in prestigious scientific forums. New scientific achievements allowed publishing new articles in leading scientific journals and submitting new scientific projects to competitions. For example, we recently started a trilateral project (USA – Ukraine – Estonia), funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF). In addition, another project submitted jointly with the University of Oslo was approved for a competition by the Norwegian Research Council. Several other projects I submitted are under review. In every foreign trip – for internships or conferences – I strive to show and prove that we are capable of working well and that our nation deserves support. I often have to explain to foreigners the reasons for the war, why Ukrainians and Russians are different, why the Ukrainian language is so important. All this must be told so that abroad they support our country. So we hold on and keep working!” Yulia Shlapa, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, research associate of the Department of Solid State Chemistry at the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the NAS of Ukraine: “The war undoubtedly affected scientific research, turning adaptation to unstable conditions into an integral part of daily work. Power outages, lack of Internet, air raid alerts, and the overall tension in the country significantly affect, among other things, experiment planning and scientific communication, while simultaneously stimulating the search for non-standard solutions to arising problems. Even during the 2022 blackouts, at the Institute, we learned to connect certain equipment without stationary power and perform necessary measurements in autonomous mode, which allowed us not to stop the research process. Overall, the war showed that if there is a desire and responsibility, it is possible to find opportunities to continue scientific activity even in critical conditions, while forming a new culture of resilience, flexibility, and professional endurance.” Olena Pariyska, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, research associate of the Department of Free Radicals at the L.V. Pisarzhevsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the NAS of Ukraine: “The war changed my life, as well as the lives of many young scientists in Ukraine. With the start of the full-scale invasion, scientific activity became much more difficult: access to laboratories, equipment, and resources was limited, and some colleagues left abroad. Constant air raid alerts and instability force working under stress, which affects concentration and productivity. However, these challenges taught me to adapt quickly, seek alternative solutions, and work remotely using international collaboration platforms. At the beginning, international forms of cooperation greatly helped (and continue to help) keep science afloat in Ukraine. And I mean specifically support for scientists who remain here, on their native land. Of course, Ukraine also independently tries to hold on as best it can – this includes academic competitive funding, competitions of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, and support from private research institutions (for example, the company ‘Enamin’). At the same time, the war changed my view of the role of science. I realized even more that scientific research has not only academic but also practical value for the country's recovery and support of its resilience. Several directions closely related to requests arising, unfortunately, due to the war are developing very rapidly now. Therefore, we need to focus precisely on this. In addition, there appeared motivation to develop projects that can help society in crisis conditions. Despite difficulties, I feel responsible for staying in science because knowledge and innovations will become the foundation for Ukraine’s future revival.” Liliya Popova, Candidate of Geological Sciences, senior research associate of the Department of Evolutionary Morphology at the I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the NAS of Ukraine: “My answer to this question will not be original in the sense that it will not differ from the answer of practically any Ukrainian natural scientist. For us, the war is primarily the loss of natural objects on which we conducted field research. But it is, of course, also the loss of part of the funding, which limits our capabilities. It is also blackouts and alerts that consume our working time, nerves, and eyesight. And there is additional workload – teaching… In short, we live in a frantic, tense period.” Oksana Shatkovska, Candidate of Biological Sciences, senior research associate of the Department of Evolutionary Morphology at the I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the NAS of Ukraine: “The war is an extraordinary challenge. Scientists’ work is largely creative, and working effectively under periodic shelling is difficult. Especially when you spend many nights in shelters, cannot sleep because of shelling, do not feel safe, and worry about loved ones. Although most Ukrainians live and work this way. But all these challenges are probably not so important. Because there are people whom the war touched directly, who lost relatives and homes. There are many such among scientists. It is psychologically hard to see destroyed houses, lives, and fates, to receive news about the death of acquaintances at the front or in peaceful cities. In the summer of 2025, we had a more stable energy situation. But previous periods with constant multi-hour power outages required clear planning to complete the planned work on time. In addition, some equipment required uninterrupted power supply, and the institute’s management solved this urgent problem. Colleagues whose scientific work is related to field research faced significant challenges. This concerns both the possibility of observations in territories close to the combat zone and maintaining research chronology. Funding for science has decreased. And although it is clear that during the war budget funds are mainly redirected to military needs, maintaining this situation reduces the possibilities for scientific research and international cooperation. Like all people in our country, I hope for the quickest end to the war and Ukraine’s victory. And I thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the opportunity to live and work.” Ihor Dzeverin, Doctor of Biological Sciences, head of the Department of Evolutionary Morphology at the I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the NAS of Ukraine: “The war changes a lot. For example, our perception of ourselves. Before this war, we probably did not fully realize who we are and what we are capable of. I primarily mean the extraordinary ability to self-organize and help each other in conditions of danger and great risks. This was the case on both Maidan protests and is the case during the war with the Russian Federation. This may not always be noticeable at the interpersonal level, but it becomes obvious when we consider large-scale and significant events. Such an advantage of self-organization and inclination to horizontal connections is an obvious consequence of our history: when the state was foreign and ineffective for centuries, one must rely on one’s own strength, and freedom becomes the highest value. At the current stage of Ukrainian history, it is probably time to think also about finally creating an effective state without losing the aspiration for freedom and building horizontal connections. In contrast, our enemies have a very strict hierarchy. Discussing the traits of Russian society that led to the revival of aggressive imperialism, we pay insufficient attention to the fact that it is an extremely aggressive society with deliberately destroyed horizontal connections, where criminal and even prison rules are widespread. This is very noticeable from the actions and reactions of Russians to any social stimuli, to everything that happens. Why is it important for us to understand this? Because we, having practically the same background, coming out of the same totalitarianism, began to overcome it. And we have made significant progress in this. The Russian-Ukrainian war is a war for preserving Ukrainian values, Ukrainian culture, and identity. But at the same time, it is a war of democracy against neo-totalitarianism and revived imperialism. If Russian society ever returns to democratic values, the revival will be very difficult and probably long. However, from the examples of Germany and Japan, we see that the path from totalitarianism to a normal democratic society is possible. Throughout history, humanity as a whole has moved toward mutual assistance and humanism. If we analyze the dynamics of the last 20–30 years, it seems that everything is really bad and the world is heading into an abyss. But if we look at the development of humanity from primitive societies and slave-owning systems to the present, it looks different. Russia’s path to civilization is possible, but it will be difficult and slow – through awareness of what has been done and through a lot of self-work. And the path to repentance will go through defeat. We must defeat Putin’s Russia as allies once defeated Nazi Germany; otherwise, humanity will face a very serious threat. The long-term indulgence of Western countries toward Russia has many reasons, the main one being nuclear weapons. And how to defeat a nuclear state? It is very difficult and may take years, but I see no alternatives because humanity cannot live under constant threat of nuclear blackmail. Moreover, new aspirants to obtain a nuclear club will undoubtedly appear when they see that Russia remains unpunished. We must fight and contain it until it loses the ability to wage war.” Svytozar Davydenko, PhD in Biology, research associate of the Department of Evolutionary Morphology at the I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the NAS of Ukraine: “The war primarily affected the possibility of field and, to some extent, museum research. I began studying fossil forms of cetaceans even before the full-scale Russian invasion, in 2017. Part of the fossils I worked with then came from the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, so even then it was impossible to study the collection sites due to the occupation of parts of these regions. With the start of the full-scale invasion, the combat zone expanded significantly, making field research impossible – for example, on the shore of the Kakhovka Reservoir: when it was filled, the waters of the Dnipro eroded the banks, allowing the collection of a large number of fossil remains of cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, and other representatives of the marine fauna of the ancient Paratethys Ocean. The situation with museum research also worsened – some institutions housing interesting samples are either under occupation (and a significant portion of museum collections may have been or already have been taken to Russia) or close to the front line, creating a constant threat both to valuable materials and to scientists who came to study them. Therefore, digitization of museum collections becomes especially relevant, including our recent publication about the skeleton of a unique extinct cetothere. Of course, power and heating outages caused by infrastructure shelling negatively affect the digitization process and work in the Institute/museums in general.” Oleksandr Tymoha, academician of the NAS of Ukraine, director of the Institute of Mathematics of the NAS of Ukraine, academic secretary of the Mathematics Department of the NAS of Ukraine: “Unfortunately, the predictions I shared in the pre-war 2021 were realized in practice. The war brought its negative corrections but did not become a decisive factor, as the disease was old. As for difficulties, losses, opportunities, and achievements in recent years, I would divide the situation into three conditional periods. The first period is the beginning of the war, 2022 and early 2023, when the war and hostilities defined the life and work of mathematicians at our institute. Promising female mathematicians went abroad (I fear most of them are lost to Ukraine). A missile attack made the institute’s old building ‘blind’: we lost over 100 windows, most with frames. We also suffered significant funding losses. Thanks to everyone who helped the institute during these times with over 500 thousand hryvnias in charitable contributions for repairs and restoration, especially the Simons Foundation at the most difficult moment. In 2022–2025, we received almost $1 million in support from the Simons Foundation, which allowed stabilizing the individual level of institute employees, albeit at a meager but not reduced level due to budget underfunding. During the second period (almost all of 2023), the institute’s work normalized. About 20% of the institute’s scientists worked abroad under academic mobility programs, but the situation stabilized, and that year traditionally high formal scientific indicators were restored. I was able to give lecture series in Italy and Norway and establish new contacts in other countries. It seemed that despite the war, mathematicians were useful and able to simultaneously help the military (usually with consultations) and actively develop international cooperation. However, at the end of 2023, a simulation of vigorous activity began from all possible state authorities, related and unrelated to the scientific and educational spheres. Since then, there has been no day or hour for rest, only endless fighting with windmills. Because they are destroying not just modern science but also mathematical education. But that is a topic for a separate conversation…” Oleksandr Kordyuk, academician of the NAS of Ukraine, director of Kyiv Academic University: “There is, of course, an impact, but so far we have been lucky, and infrastructure destruction has bypassed us, so we mostly feel the negative impact through people and power outages. I mean primarily the impact on the mental state of colleagues and especially students. Therefore, at first, our goal was to return to the usual work and teaching mode as soon as possible. But later, the danger of shelling and power outages was perceived more as challenges. A negative factor is the outflow of youth abroad. The number of entrants to Ukrainian universities has significantly decreased, and this is especially painfully felt by physical and engineering faculties. On the other hand, it is very good that postgraduate studies provide a deferral from mobilization. A certain influx of youth, especially in the same physical and engineering specialties, is very important for the development of Ukraine’s technical potential. The ban on free travel abroad, of course, affected specific international projects. For example, we failed to create a special superconducting qubit that we planned to use as a highly sensitive sensor under the NATO program project ‘Science for Peace.’ Or to complete the internship program under the UKRATOP project. On the other hand, this money allowed providing temporary support to a significant number of our scientists who left for Germany as refugees at the beginning of the big war but were able to continue scientific work and then mostly returned to Ukraine. The development of UKRATOP became a new project within the BMBF program (from 2025, BMFTR – Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space of Germany) ‘Cores of Excellence,’ GUQuMat, whose goal is to create a Ukrainian-German Laboratory for Quantum Materials Research in Kyiv, on the basis of which we plan to create a shared-use instrument center and a key state laboratory. Now this provides significant funding for our youth working in Ukraine and new equipment. At the end of 2024, we received a high-vacuum magnetron sputtering system from German colleagues and have already purchased a new innovative spectrometer, which we will transport to Kyiv in 2026. But the main thing is the development of international cooperation at a new level. And this is a condensation center for youth. In general, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, many of our scientist colleagues not only ask how to help but also offer concrete assistance. For example, colleagues from the Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) proposed building an East European synchrotron in Ukraine. This idea was supported by the League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources (LEAPS), which unites 19 of the largest European experimental infrastructures – synchrotrons and free-electron lasers. It remains to find 400 million euros. But we have this important support, and as a first step – the Ukrainian experimental line MAVKA project at the Polish synchrotron SOLARIS. PSI has already provided the main element for this project – an undulator – as well as other devices worth over 1 million Swiss francs, and the Swiss National Science Foundation provided another 1.5 million for its installation. And this, again, is very important for the development of Ukrainian science, international cooperation, and as a youth condensation center. The country’s leadership should realize the importance of technical education and natural sciences for defense capability and normal economic development. So far, I do not see real steps in this direction, but I am sure that it is indispensable. On the other hand, we have an obvious increase in national pride and, as a result, the unification of Ukrainians abroad, especially Ukrainian scientists. This is undoubtedly positive for the development of future cooperation, which will stimulate and support the development of science in Ukraine.” Anna Soyina, leading research engineer of the Department of Geocosmic Radio Physics at the Radio Astronomy Institute of the NAS of Ukraine: “Probably, there is no scientist in Ukraine whose life the war has not changed. I live and work in Kharkiv – a city heavily shelled by Russians from the first day of the full-scale phase of the war. On February 24, 2022, I woke up to explosions. Despite not leaving far from the city, the military actions significantly interfered with normal life and work. My native Radio Astronomy Institute of the NAS of Ukraine suffered greatly. One of our buildings in the city, where I worked since 2006, was especially ‘hit,’ and our largest decameter-wave radio telescope UTR-2 and the Low-Frequency Observatory, where winterers gathered during winter preparations (these are scientific objects that constitute the National heritage of Ukraine), were generally occupied. The radio telescope suffered the most because the Russians set up a firing position there, looted a lot, the building and part of the antennas were damaged by shelling, and the territory is still mined. There have been changes in the institute’s composition and, in particular, our department – some left the country and no longer engage in science, and some were mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Work in Antarctica has also changed. First, wintering is now emotionally harder. It is impossible to stay calm when your native city is shelled, when you constantly think about relatives and loved ones, whether they are all right. During each shelling, I did not part with my phone and constantly read Kharkiv public pages. I understand that nothing can be done from the South Pole, and this is even harder. Second, many experienced polar explorers, including scientists, are fighting, and these are people who could pass on experience to the young and do a lot for the development of science and the station. Third, during the massive missile strike by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian cities on October 10, 2022, the office of the National Antarctic Scientific Center in central Kyiv was damaged. None of the employees were injured, but a powerful blast wave broke all the building’s windows. Cracks appeared in the internal concrete partitions. Returning directly to Antarctic research: logistical complications for rotations should be noted. If earlier we flew to Antarctica from Boryspil, now we have to go to Warsaw to fly to Chile (it is from the city of Punta Arenas that the icebreaker Noosphere picks up expeditions to deliver them to the station).” Iryna Vavilova, corresponding member of the NAS of Ukraine, head of the Department of Extragalactic Astronomy and Astroinformatics at the Main Astronomical Observatory (MAO) of the NAS of Ukraine: “The occupation of Crimea in 2014 was the first milestone in the chain of Russian aggression and then the full-scale war against Ukraine. This already affected astronomical research then – with the cessation of joint projects with astronomers of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory and the closure of access to the observatory’s complexes (telescopes), which since the 1990s was subordinated to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. And the MAO NAS of Ukraine lost its branch – the observatory in Katsiveli. In particular, we used the Shain Mirror Telescope for spectrophotometric studies of galaxies with active nuclei and planned observations at the RT-22 radio telescope in Simeiz. A solution was found: later, we signed memoranda of cooperation with institutions of other countries to participate in optical observations on their telescopes – for example, with the Astrophysics Institute in the Canary Islands and institutions in Chile. Together with colleagues from the Radio Astronomy Institute of the NAS of Ukraine and the Production Association ‘Saturn,’ we began completing the RT-32 radio telescope in Zolochiv, Lviv region, so that it could work for scientific observations, and in September 2021, we already conducted test observations. February 24, 2022, forever changed our lives and Ukraine’s fate. The war also affected astronomical science: observation complexes at the peak of Terskol in Kabardino-Balkaria were lost; the world’s largest decameter radio telescope UTR-2 in Hrakove, Kharkiv region, which was under occupation for some time, was damaged; under martial law, the RT-32 telescopes and optical telescopes at the Mayaky observatory station in Odesa region do not operate. I note that the last celestial object observed on UTR-2 in January–February 2022 was the galaxy NGC 3521. It is considered a Milky Way analog galaxy. We studied it together with Kharkiv colleagues. Its observation archive is preserved, processed, and now, in 2026, our joint article is published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. International support, which has been coming from our colleagues abroad all these years, won research grants, and talented youth who remained working at the Observatory and conduct extraordinary research at the world level also inspire optimism.” Darya Dobrycheva, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, senior research associate of the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe Laboratory of the Department of Extragalactic Astronomy and Astroinformatics at the Main Astronomical Observatory (MAO) of the NAS of Ukraine: “The Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine radically changed not only my life but also the very structure of scientific work. The concept of a regulated working day completely disappeared. Like many of my colleagues, I do not go to shelters during alerts, continuing to work at my own risk. The war means constantly sleepless nights due to explosions, background tension, and chronic fatigue. During blackouts, our life turns into continuous balancing between searching for electricity, household chores, and the need to complete work tasks as quickly as possible – writing articles, processing data, answering emails, not knowing if there will be power in an hour… Under these conditions, I try to work primarily with myself – to accept reality as it is and adapt to instability because we never know what tomorrow will bring. At the same time, the war did not stop our scientific community. In 2024, the MAO Young Scientists Council initiated a scientific school, which I co-organize. For me, this is a special reason for pride: even during the war, we managed to involve small businesses in supporting science and held the school in 2024 and 2025, where astronomers from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk gave lectures, and the school’s students were future astronomers – participants from all over Ukraine, and some even from abroad. By the way, the school was not online: everyone was present in person. This live communication gives joy and strength. We are now organizing the scientific school for 2026. I believe that my colleagues and I continue to work at a high international level: we publish research results in leading international journals and simultaneously develop science inside the country, involving youth in these terrible times and passing the continuity of scientific traditions to the next generation. Yes, it is extremely difficult, but we do it. We make tremendous efforts to attract international grants that allow us to support our research despite the war, fatigue, and constant uncertainty.” Volodymyr Hrabovyi, Candidate of Biological Sciences, acting director of the National Dendrological Park “Sofiyivka” of the NAS of Ukraine: “It was difficult, as I have already told, but even during the war, we continued to work, completed all planned repair and restoration works without using budget funds, only with the help of the same patrons and extrabudgetary financing. We learned to work with many funds, including international ones. We expanded our participation in grant programs to have additional opportunities for research. I hope that ‘Sofiyivka’ will continue to be one of the key institutions of our Academy of Sciences. Because we do not stand still but develop and move forward. In addition, we became part of two cultural routes of the Council of Europe – the route of the Association ‘European Route of Historic Gardens’ and the European Route of Leonardo da Vinci. This popularizes ‘Sofiyivka’ among Europeans as a scientific, tourist, and historical object of Ukraine. After all, our park simultaneously demonstrates a high scientific level and preserves historical and cultural heritage. We have other plans for the future. We want to create a science park based on ‘Sofiyivka’ as a non-governmental organization. But for now, we work and help those who defend our state. I sincerely hope that despite the war and all hardships, ‘Sofiyivka’ will develop. And develop as best as possible!” Natalia Khamayko, junior research associate of the “Scientific Funds” Department at the Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine: “The Russian invasion that caught us on February 24, 2022, radically changed my scientific life. Literally from the first hours, I began receiving invitations from foreign colleagues worldwide. And although at first I did not even think about leaving, I eventually found myself in Germany and started working at GWZO (Institute of History and Culture of Central and Eastern Europe, part of the Leibniz Association). For me, this was simultaneously a challenge, a test, and an opportunity – primarily because the style of work and organization of the research process are different. For scientists who left Ukraine after the start of the full-scale invasion, this is mostly an opportunity to work thanks to scholarship support. Therefore, we try to organize our scientific life project by project. Moreover, my family remained in Ukraine: my husband is involved in military service, my mother lives and works at the northernmost edge of Chernihiv region, and my brother is in Chernihiv. To see them, I constantly travel from Germany to Ukraine, spending two days on the road one way, which is difficult not only because of the lost time but also physically. Therefore, I try to help as much as I can, collect humanitarian aid, and hope for the best. On the other hand, working in Germany is an opportunity to obtain funding not only for personal needs but also for research. In Ukraine, this was difficult even before the full-scale invasion, and now even more so. In Leipzig, I am not alone; several colleagues from Ukraine gathered there. And this somewhat helps morally, as it relieves the feeling of isolation. We try to use this time and the opportunities we have to perform valuable analyses of archaeological materials and bring our research to the world level. And this chance should also be fully used.” Oleksiy Yas, corresponding member of the NAS of Ukraine, leading research associate of the Department of Ukrainian Historiography at the Institute of History of Ukraine of the NAS of Ukraine: “Obviously, it is worth talking about several levels of perception of the war… First of all, for a person (scientists are no exception in this sense), the war is the moment when history dramatically breaks into every home, every life story. And in this sense, the war is a total, shocking, catastrophic time: personal feelings, experiences, observations, everyday reflections are greatly intensified. In a certain sense, the war entirely marks and divides life time – into pre-war and wartime, and in perspective – also post-war. As a historian, I understood that the war since 2014 continues and will continue, however it is labeled – as a hybrid, hidden, low-intensity war, etc. Therefore, the turn to the full-scale phase of the war was perceived as a fully possible scenario. However, one thing is to assume, and quite another is to psychologically and emotionally accept the new reality. This is a painful experience that I obviously share with most of my compatriots. However, I never believed that the war with the Russian aggressor would be limited to a relatively short duration – weeks, months, or even years. I thought such assumptions contradicted historical experience. For example, it is enough to recall the Russian military and political culture of the 19th–20th centuries, oriented toward long, exhausting, devastating wars with huge human losses… Regarding professional issues, it is quite obvious that military issues have entered in one way or another into the studies of almost every Ukrainian humanitarian, especially historians. Since 2022, the war has de facto acquired the status of one of the ‘eternal’ problems of Ukrainian social humanities. Until then, I mostly worked in the field of Ukrainian historiography, intellectual history of the 19th–20th centuries, and history methodology. From this perspective, I tried to look at the new military history, since it is always difficult to write about events in which the contemporary author is involuntarily involved. The key challenge for a scientist is how to compensate for this cognitive contradiction… Therefore, a difficult search for acceptable plots and contexts. One of my books, ‘Temporalities of War…,’ is devoted to the subjective reception of wartime in a comparative light. But this book only outlines possible contours of the problem for the future…” Extended commentary by leading research associate of the Department of Evolutionary Morphology at the I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Pavlo Goldin can be read in one of our previous materials. Interviewed by Snizhana Mazurenko P.S. Information about the book “People of Science. Conversations with Ukrainian Scientists” on the website of the Publishing House “Akademperiodyka” of the NAS of Ukraine. Full electronic version of the publication