Category Archives: Ukraine

Articles & podcasts about Ukraine

DL Opinion columns, Ukraine

Ukraine requests holiday support: Light in the Dark – by Deborah Levine

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

I just got a message from Yuri Bova, mayor of the Ukrainian city, Trostyanets. He wanted to catch me up on their wartime situation and get my support. Trostyanets is just 20 miles from the Russian border and was high on Putin’s list when Russia invaded Ukraine. The city was devastated by Russian troops that Putin intended to lead parades celebrating the Russian takeover of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. That didn’t happen. What did happen was the wrecking of schools, hospitals, roads, and stores along multiple murders and thefts of everything of value. Horrifying! 

What to do? That’s what I asked myself when Mayor Yuri came to Chattanooga to visit Mayor Tim Kelly and Sister Cities. It was heartrending to hear about the destruction then, and still is. I was so moved that I wrote a column about Ukraine for the Times Free Press in March 2025. And I included stories about my friend Angelika Riano who had recently returned from Ukraine where she supported the International Ukrainian Crisis Fund. Her involvement in the Fund’s humanitarian aid was inspiring then, and remains so today.   

Continue reading Ukraine requests holiday support: Light in the Dark – by Deborah Levine →

Trends 2026, Ukraine

Send Best Wishes to Ukraine 2026

Your Support Counts!

It was a pleasure and an honor to have a  zoom call last week with Yuri Bova, the Mayor of Trostyanets, a Ukrainian city just 20 miles from the Russian border.  He and I met when he came to Chattanooga to talk with Mayor Kelly and attend a reception for him coordinated by Sister Cities.  We became friends and when he asked to chat and update me, I was thrilled.

Yuri explained how many Ukrainian children are orphans, they lost their parents when Russia invaded. They would deeply appreciate our support so that they wouldn’t feel alone.  What might school children in Chattanooga do to develop connections and inspire hope for the coming year? We discussed logistics and our focus turned to the creation of short videos. These videos would be in English and uploaded to YouTube. The links could be sent to me and I’d share them with Mayor Bova’s staff. Then, they could be accessed by television stations in Trostyanets and be given translated subtitles. This would allow the videos to be shared across Trostyanets, and perhaps across all of the Ukraine.

SAMPLE VIDEO:

Please use the contact form to paste your YouTube video links to me.

Also, you can help Ukrainians through this new website: https://www.chattanooga-ukraine.org 

International Podcasts, Ukraine

Ukrainian Podcast: Mayor Yuriy Bova

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Mayor Yuriy Bova Yuriy Bova is Mayor of Trostyanets, a Ukrainian city just 20 miles from the Russian border that endured occupation for a month. Badly damaged in fighting with Russian forces almost two years ago, Trostyanets is one of six settlements being rebuilt in a pilot program to develop the skills and experience needed for a far broader reconstruction drive.

Trostyanets is now in partnership with the City of Chattanooga whose Mayor Tim Kelly formalized a cooperative agreement with the war-torn Ukrainian city. I met Mayor Bova at  a  recent reception celebrating the collaboration with many city leaders and organizations like Sister Cities. 

Hear Mayor Bova discuss through his translator:

  • The history and significance of Trostyanets and the remaining historical monuments
  • Trostyanets’ response to Russia’s large-scale invasion in 2022 and what the Russians did in the city 
  • The process of rebuilding: how it began and its current status
  • The city’s development strategy including sports and tourism industries and attracting new investors to the community

Takeaways:

  • What are current threats from Russia?
  • What are the most important problems requiring solutions now?
  • What will be the benefits of this partnership with Chattanooga and how does your visit benefit your people?

CLICK for podcast interview