All articles
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Japanese Scholarships Ukrainian Students and Researchers Can Use, and Universities’ Own Support
Right after the full-scale invasion, Japanese universities announced support for Ukrainian students one after another; as of a May 2026 list, 60 universities are named, and 42 of them have already closed their programs. The 2022 special government-sponsored scholarship has also ended. What remains available now is embassy-recommended government scholarships, JDS for civil servants, and the nationality-blind JSPS and JASSO programs. This article looks at who is eligible, where to apply, and how these programs relate to status of residence.
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Where Has the Japanese Red Cross’s ¥10.2 Billion in Ukraine Relief Donations Gone?
The Japanese Red Cross Society's “Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Relief Fund” had received more than ¥10.2 billion by the end of August 2026. About ¥5 billion was sent to the international Red Cross movement during 2022, and the rest has gone to programs run jointly with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, including rehabilitation, mobile clinics, and home care. The fund's collection period has been extended to the end of March 2027.
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What Martial Law in Ukraine Does, and Does Not, Stop
Martial law in Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022, has been extended 20 times as of September 2026. The presidential decree permits restricting rights under 12 articles of the constitution, and the law lists measures such as curfews and bans on assembly. At the same time, the constitution lists rights — such as the right to life and to a fair trial — that cannot be restricted even under martial law. This article also covers the basis for restrictions on men leaving the country, and a 2025 amendment.
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Ukraine, Divided into 24 Oblasts, 136 Raions, and 1,469 Hromadas
Ukraine's local government is organized in three tiers: oblast, raion, and hromada (community). The current shape was set in 2020. In June, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the territories of hromadas across 24 oblasts, and in July the Verkhovna Rada reorganized the raions from 490 down to 136. This article looks at the count by oblast, how Crimea's 10 raions are treated, and even the list of wartime military administrations and occupied territories.
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Four and a Half Years After Applying to Join the EU, How Far Has Ukraine’s Negotiation Gone?
Ukraine applied to join the European Union on 28 February 2022 and became a candidate country that June. Accession negotiations formally opened in June 2024, and on 15 June 2026 the first negotiating cluster, “Fundamentals,” was opened. This article explains the mechanics of a negotiation organized into 33 chapters grouped into six clusters, and the stages still remaining.
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Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Bodies, and the Nine Days in July 2025 When Their Independence Wavered
Ukraine divides anti-corruption work among several bodies: prevention by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), prosecution by the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), and trial by the High Anti-Corruption Court. A law of 22 July 2025 placed NABU and SAPO under the authority of the Prosecutor General; a law nine days later restored their independence. Drawing on the text of both laws and the European Commission's assessment, this article explains what changed and what challenges remain.
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The Blue-and-Yellow Flag, the Trident Coat of Arms, and an Anthem Whose Words Were Only Fixed in 2003
Article 20 of Ukraine's constitution establishes the flag, coat of arms, and anthem as state symbols. The blue-and-yellow flag and the trident coat of arms were fixed by decisions of the Verkhovna Rada in 1992, and while the anthem's music was approved in 1992, its lyrics were not fixed by law until 2003. This article explains the basis and origin of each, including how the trident traces back to coins minted in Kyivan Rus.
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In Ukraine, Addresses Run from Street to Oblast, and Postal Codes Have Five Digits
The elements of an address listed in Ukraine's postal regulations are the name, street and building number, city/raion/oblast, postal code, and country. The postal code has five digits. This article explains the order of lines when sending mail from Japan, the fact that Latin-alphabet spelling is not fixed to one form, and the difference between the state-designated Ukrposhta and the private carrier Nova Poshta, using the regulations and a Universal Postal Union sample.
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The Summer Odesa’s Port Was Shut Down by Attacks — Where Is Ukraine’s Grain Leaving From?
In July 2026, continued Russian attacks on ports and ships effectively stopped merchant vessels from entering Black Sea ports such as Odesa — ports that have carried about 90% of Ukraine's agricultural exports. Exports diverted in September to Danube ports, rail, and trucks reached only around 44% of normal, per the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food's own estimate. This article traces the shift in export routes since 2022, and the current figures.
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Ukraine’s Official Population Estimate Has Been Frozen at January 1, 2022
The State Statistics Service of Ukraine's population estimate remains, at its most recent, the 41.17 million figure for January 1, 2022, before the full-scale invasion. Population figures since then come from sources with different scopes and different ways of counting — UN estimates and projections, and institute estimates cited in government strategy documents. A July 2024 estimate cited in a government document gives 31.1 million; a UN projection gives 39.68 million. This article explains why the figures differ so much, starting from their definitions.