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As of the summer of 2026, more than 116,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory were under Russian occupation: some regions have effectively been in this state for more than 10 years, such as the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, while others, such as parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, were seized by Russian troops during the full-scale invasion. More than three million people live in these territories—and almost all of them are voiceless: Russian state propaganda is indifferent to real human beings with their real problems caused by war and occupation; independent reporters are simply not allowed access to them. The situation in Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson Oblast is a blind spot for the media and writers: there is no one to speak up for or stand up for those who live there. This book changes the situation.
Its author, an independent Russian journalist with extensive field experience, has been traveling regularly to the occupied territories over the past few years alongside volunteers who assist the most vulnerable residents of the so-called “new regions”: the elderly, the disabled, those who are lonely or sick. As they change people’s lives, the volunteers undergo a transformation: they escape their own personal grief by helping others, test their limits in the face of war and despair, come to terms with what is happening, and try to escape it. The author witnesses firsthand the reality of the occupation and speaks at length with a wide variety of people: from officials, soldiers, and doctors to the volunteers themselves.
Over the course of his several trips, he has gathered unique material on the reality of shattered lives in devastated cities. His book, structured as a travelogue that recounts one reporter’s voyage through the occupied territories, offers an immersive experience of the occupation. Together with the author, the reader will journey through several circles of hell, encountering both those who are barely surviving and those who are exploiting the current conditions for their own gain. Mariupol, Donetsk, Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Avdiivka, Rubizhne: the whole world has come to know these names in recent years—but this book is the first to provide a reliable account of those who were forced to remain in these cities and face a new reality.
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O. A. is an independent journalist who continues to work in Russia and in the occupied territories of Ukraine, despite constant safety threats. His work has been published by the leading Russian-language independent media, as well as by respected international outlets. Because StraightForward was designated “an undesirable organization” by the Russian state, for security reasons, we don’t divulge other biographical details. StraightForward has performed all the necessary checks and made sure that the author has the competences and qualifications that allow them to write the book. By publisher’s request, we are ready to provide a full bio.