• Gas warrior. Former Prime Minister lawmaker Yulia Tymoshenko lashed out at President Petro Poroshenko on Oct. 20 for the government’s decision to raise gas prices for the population by 23.5 percent starting in November.
• Good start. Cyclist Denys Fishchuk has won a bronze medal in the cycling competition at the Invictus Games, bringing Ukraine’s national team its first medal on the first day of the event, the Ministry of Defense reported on Oct. 21.
• People finder. Kid Search, a service provided by Ukraine’s largest mobile operator Kyivstar, uses a technology that locates people within a particular area and contacts them to get evidence in case they turn out to be crucial witnesses.
• Home front. As the state was either unable or unwilling to provide the necessary support to the Ukrainian army and citizens in 2014–2015, businesses played a vital role in defending the country from Russia’s military invasion. They’re still providing vital support to the army today.
• Special relationship. Genk, the former heart of coal industry in the Belgian province of Limburg, has held an event to mark 70 years of the presence of its Ukrainian community. The event featured a special exhibition by Ukrainian artist Roman Minin, and posters dedicated to the history of the Ukrainian-Belgian relationship.
• Historic ties. This week’s “World in Ukraine: Poland” goes to the country with which Ukraine has had a long history of friendship and tensions. Catholic-dominated Poland anchored with the West, whereas Eastern Orthodox Ukraine has been more heavily influenced by Russia. The two countries have also been at war several times over the centuries.
• Friend indeed. While tensions in the Ukrainian-Polish relationship are real, Poland’s Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Pieklo thinks that both nations have so much in common — and so much at stake — that they will weather any rough times.
