When Russia launched an all-out attack on Ukraine on Thursday, the conflict was already into its eighth year. Thousands of Ukrainians have been killed since Russian forces seized Crimea in 2014 and backed a separatist movement in the east.
The following stories from the openDemocracy archive offer perspectives on what life has been like during the conflict, particularly in regions under Russian control. They give an insight into how people have organised to survive in dire circumstances and how journalists have worked in the region despite facing great risks.
There are also voices from Russia that paint a picture of how both ordinary citizens and the Kremlin see the invasion, and accounts from Ukrainian activists who have worked tirelessly in an attempt to de-escalate the conflict on the ground.
