The war between Russia and Ukraine continues, and Ukraine is making progress. In early October, Ukraine reclaimed Lyman, a city in Donetsk, and is making progress on retrieving Luhansk. Although Russia still controls about half of the Ukrainian regions, they are making progress in reclaiming their country.

Along with their physical and political progress, Ukraine’s economy has been recovering quite well. Through the help of the UN, exports have begun again. Ukraine has been able to successfully export about 116,000 tons of corn and wheat to Spain, which is among the first of many to come. With luck and assistance from other countries, Ukraine’s economy will thrive once again.

Unfortunately, Russia’s president is still clutching on to the fight in any way that he can. Vladimir Putin is getting Ukrainian citizens to sign their land over to Russia. His soldiers are metaphorically and literally holding citizens at gunpoint and forcing them to give Putin their homes, farms, and businesses. The UN agreed that these votes should not be valid, but have not done anything to stop these votes from being registered.

Although things are tough for Ukraine, citizens from around the world find ways to show the kindness in their hearts and willingness to help. In the Czech Republic, a crowdfunding campaign has raised 1.2 million euros to buy Ukraine what they have dubbed, ‘A gift for Putin’. It is a modernized tank, an expensive and modern version of the tanks that Ukraine has used throughout the war. It was bought entirely by civilians, in the hopes that it will make an impact in the fight.