Ahead Of Independence Day, Ukrainians Mourn The 'Cost' Of Freedom
- By Borys Sachalko and
- Current Time
Few families remain in the village of Maksymivka, near Ukraine's Black Sea coast. The empty streets are surrounded by fields littered with mines. As the country prepares to observe Independence Day on August 24, some residents say the holiday evokes hopes for a Ukrainian victory, while others focus on the mounting human cost of the war.