What to do while in Ukraine

The FIDE Rapid Rating as of October 1, 2026 has been published. The top hundred of the world list includes eight Ukrainian grandmasters. Ruslan Ponomariov is the highest among them. 🇺🇦 Ukrainians in the top 100: Ruslan Ponomariov - 2657 Volodymyr Onyshchuk - 2643 Martin Kravtsiv - 2636 Ilya Nyzhnyk - 2633 Volodymyr Baklan - 2624 Anton Korobov - 2622 Vasyl Ivanchuk - 2619 Olexandr Bortnyk - 2607 📈 Main changes for the month: Ruslan Ponomariov retained his rating of 2657 and rose from 36th to 34th place.  Volodymyr Onyshchuk remained with a rating of 2643 and moved up from 42nd to 41st place. Martyn Kravtsiv retained his rating of 2636 and 48th position. Ilya Nyzhnyk also remained in his place - 50th with a rating of 2633. Volodymyr Baklan retained his rating of 2624, but dropped from 59th to 61st place. Anton Korobov added 4 points, from 2618 to 2622, and moved up from 74th to 66th place. Vasyl Ivanchuk retained his rating of 2619 and moved up from 73rd to 74th place....

No one started to fight with Russia, moreover, when Russia seized Crimea, the West FORBIDDEN Ukraine to use weapons.  No one encouraged nationalism in Ukraine, and Zelensky went to the elections with pacifying rhetoric and the hope of reaching an agreement with Putin.  No one in NATO has mastered the territory of Ukraine, and the USA was against Ukraine joining NATO under Obama, under Biden, and under Trump.  No one pumped Ukraine with offensive weapons - all they gave it before the invasion were "Javelins" and helmets.  Western tanks were brought up only by 2023, and even then they were delayed until the very end.  No one in Ukraine fired rockets or shot planes at the residents of Donbass, the number of civilian deaths during the smoldering conflict gradually decreased and in 2021 reached a record low of 25 people (and, on BOTH sides of the front, this is official UN data).  Yes, 25 people is also very much.  Only now Russia kills 25 people for one mi...

According to the Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, on September 30, 2026 at 18:18 (Kyiv time), a Russian UAV struck the territory of the Institute for Nuclear Research, where the Kyiv Research Reactor (VVR-M) is located. The fire that arose as a result of the attack was quickly extinguished. There were no injuries. An investigation and assessment of the damage caused are ongoing. The reactor itself and systems important for safety were not damaged. No changes in the radiation background were recorded, its indicators are within the natural background (0.16-0.20 μSv/h) and have not changed.✅ In order to reduce radiation risks, the reactor has been in a stopped state with a complete discharge of the core since February 2022.  Its operation is limited to routine maintenance of systems important for safety. 📌The Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is a leading research institution in the fields of nu...

Today we thank everyone who stood up for Ukraine. Those who defend our cities every day. Among those who took up arms are many Ukrainian athletes. Footballers, boxers, track and field athletes and representatives of other sports left their professional careers and joined the ranks of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. We also remember all the military who died defending Ukraine. People who could have lived if it weren't for Russian aggression. 🕯

Oleksiy Boliukh, a stableman who became a true guardian angel to an entire herd of horses during the occupation of Staryi Saltiv in the Kharkiv region, has passed away after a hard-fought battle with cancer. This was reported by "Animals 911." When the owner of the equestrian center fled and abandoned the animals to their fate, Oleksiy never even considered leaving. Throughout the darkest times—amidst shelling, freezing cold, and a lack of basic necessities—he continued to live in a semi-ruined building alongside the horses in his care, cooking mash for them and sharing whatever little he had. Even when his own severe illness required serious medical attention, he never stopped caring for the horses until they were finally evacuated; he fought until his very last breath, leaving behind a legacy of saved lives and cherished memories. 🙏 STABLEMAN OLEKSIY BOLIUK, WHO SAVED AN ENTIRE HERD OF HORSES DURING THE OCCUPATION OF THE KHARKIV REGION BECAUSE HE "COULDN...