Sebastian Junger, a war correspondent, recently spoke at an event in Kyiv, Ukraine, where he observed firsthand the national resilience of Ukrainians during their five-year-long conflict with Russia. 38 people were killed in a Russian attack on the suburbs of Kyiv just days after Ukraine's 35th anniversary of independence from Russia. Junger describes how Ukrainians have come together under extraordinary strain despite the war's brutality, and how they may hold a key to understanding national resilience in his own country, the United States. He shares stories of individuals who have made sacrifices for their country, including a soldier who joined the military despite having multiple children and a Kazakh volunteer whose arm was severely injured.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-31,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, on Thursday, targeting ports, warehouses, industrial sites, and retailers' distribution facilities. The attack included 258 drones and an unspecified number of ballistic missiles, but 7 were shot down by the Ukrainian military. The strike also hit other infrastructure in regions such as Poltava, Odesa, and Kryvyi Rih. Meanwhile, a separate attack in Kharkiv killed at least 10 people, while Ukraine continued to launch drone attacks on Moscow.
Written for “War in Ukraine” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning score +0.35 for article 3235 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-08-31
Now in its fifth year, the war in Ukraine may not dominate the headlines as it once did.
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it → dominate → headlines
But for Ukrainians living through it, the reality of life at war persists.
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reality → live → war
Over the weekend, Russia launched its deadliest attack of this year, killing at least 38 people in the suburbs of Kyiv.
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Russia → launch → Kyiv
The attack came just days after Ukraine celebrated its 35th anniversary of independence from Russia.
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Ukraine → come → Russia
Sebastian Junger has spent his career reporting from conflicts, including in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan.
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Junger → spend → Bosnia
He was in Ukraine for that anniversary, speaking to soldiers and civilians about what it takes to endure a war with no clear end.
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it → speak → end
This essay originally appeared on his Substack, TRIBE with Sebastian Junger, and we were struck by his description of both the brutality of this war and the way it has drawn Ukrainians together under extraordinary strain.
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it → appear → strain
It is a sober account of a war many have stopped paying attention to.
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many → stop → attention
Last week, I was invited by the government of Ukraine to give a talk about national resilience on the 35th anniversary of its independence from Russia.
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I → invite → Russia
That separation had been decided by a national referendum and finalized with an agreement between the two countries that lasted until Russia invaded Crimea and Eastern Ukraine in 2014.
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Russia → decide → 2014
Eight years later, in late February 2022, it launched a full-scale invasion which included an armored column barreling eastward from the Russia-allied country of Belarus.
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which → launch → Belarus
Not only was the backdrop spectacular, but the proximity to the famous cathedral may have been a hedge against getting rocketed by the Russians.
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proximity → rocket → Russians
I’ve had skeptics tell me that Russia had to invade Ukraine because NATO was trying to lure the country into their ranks.
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NATO → have → ranks
In truth, Russia invaded Chechnya (twice), Transnistria, Georgia, Crimea, and Eastern Ukraine without NATO moving a muscle.
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NATO → invade → muscle
The Baltic states understandably joined NATO to protect themselves from a repeat of Russia’s takeover of their territories in 1940, and Ukraine was obviously worried about the same thing.
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Ukraine → join → thing
After my talk and a chance to meet First Lady Olena Zelenska, I was asked by a local media network what I thought of Ukraine.
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I → meet → Ukraine
I said that my own country, the United States, might save itself from fracture and collapse by studying how the Ukrainian people have come together during the dark days of this terrible war.
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people → say → war
One man said he had joined the military to fight despite an exemption for anyone with over two children.
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he → say → children
He was scared of telling his wife, though, but when he did, she replied, “Good.
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she → tell → wife
If you hadn’t joined, I would have.”
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I → join → ?
A Kazakh who volunteered for the International Brigade had his elbow shot out by a large caliber round.
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elbow → volunteer → round
The elbow was completely replaced by metal, but his arm hung limply.
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arm → replace → metal
“It was interesting,” he said about fighting.
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he → say → fighting
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
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I → trade → anything
