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August 24 is always a significant date for Ukraine, as it marks official independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. This year, however, it also marked six months since Russia invaded the country. Russian officials initially predicted a short campaign but the fighting shows no sign of ending soon. The human cost has been immense – thousands of lives have been lost on both sides.

Three women share what it is like to have family members involved directly in the war. Two have partners fighting on the frontline but Anna’s husband is not a soldier: He is a surgeon. Along with other colleagues, he has been held in captivity by the Russians.

Host James Reynolds revisits two mothers who escaped with their children to Germany and Switzerland near the start of the war. They tell us how they are faring and keeping in touch with loved ones back home.

We also hear messages from a Ukrainian military sniper, a 20-year-old volunteer military interpreter and a former US marine who is now one of thousands of volunteer fighters in the country.

Meanwhile, a Russian woman in Riga describes the impact of the war on her family and a Russian man living in Moscow calling for truce.

(Photo: A local resident picks up food from the fridge near his house, destroyed by yesterday's Russian military strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Chaplyne, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine August 25, 2022. Credit: Dmytro Smolienko/Reuters)