It is day 19 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine.

Day 19 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Capital Kyiv braces for Russian assault

It is day 18 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine.

Military base in Lviv attacked: 35 people killed and 134 injured

Day 18 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Russian forces inch closer to heart Kyiv

As the world pushed for new economic sanctions against Russia and President Putin amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's economy faces hardships. Russia scrambles to deal with sanctions.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Impact of sanctions on ordinary Russians

Russian troops continue to advance towards Kyiv on day 18 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Military base in Lviv attacked

It is day 18 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine. Russian forces are advancing from North, West & Northeast.

Russian artillery targets ammunition depot in Vasylkiv as Russian invasion of Ukraine enters day 18

In the last two weeks, Europe has welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open arms. But this is in stark contrast to its treatment of Syrian refugees in 2015. On The West Asia Post, Ghadi Francis decodes the racist nature of Europe's response to this refugee crisis.

The West Asia Post | Europe welcomes Ukrainians, shuns others

It is day 18 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine. Meanwhile, WION visited the community centre in Irpin to bring a report from the ground.

WION visits the community centre in Irpin amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

Day 18 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Russian forces advance from North, West & Northeast

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Residents from Irpin flee the area amid fierce fighting

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is now in its 18th day. Russian forces are advancing to Ukraine's capital from the North West and North East.

Zelensky sends defiant message to Russia as Russian troops close in on Kyiv

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, millions of people mostly women and children are fleeing the conflict-ridden country. However, Ukraine's neighbours now report a dip in the number of refugees.

Ukraine's neighbours report a dip in the number of refugees fleeing the Russian invasion

Russia ramps up the attack in South Ukraine as the Russian invasion enters day 18

Down a dusty stairwell, hidden from the shelling that has become the grim background noise of Ukraine’s capital, Ludmila Yashenko fusses with the babies. There are 19 of them, sleeping or cooing in neatly arranged cribs, fed regularly from tubs of baby formula.

The kitchen has a sterilizer for bottles, while the nursery has a changing station stocked with diapers. Yashenko and other nannies bounce the babies on their laps and straighten their bibs, even as they watch television, wide-eyed, to learn the latest news from the war.

Death and destruction are rampant in Ukraine, but in this basement there is new life, if also new problems.

The babies were born to surrogate mothers, with their biological parents still outside the country. Because of the war, the citizenship of the newborns is unclear, as is the question of who their legal guardians are, since, under Ukrainian law, their biological parents must be present to confirm their nationality.

There is also the question of how, or if, they can possibly be taken to safety.

Elsewhere, expectant surrogate mothers are trapped by the fighting. Couples abroad have no idea how they will pick up their babies. One agent who connects would-be parents with Ukrainian women made a dash out of Kyiv with two of her clients’ newborns.

In the Kyiv basement, Yashenko and the other nannies are caring for the babies, even as they grow increasingly worried about the war raging overhead.

“Of course, we cannot abandon the babies,” said Yashenko, 51. Her husband and two sons, all soldiers in Ukraine’s army, have urged her to get out of Kyiv.

“They want me to leave, but I cannot abandon my colleagues, I cannot abandon my work, I cannot abandon these babies,” she said. “I will remain here until everything is back in its place.”

Ukraine is one of relatively few countries that offer surrogacy services to foreigners. By some estimates, its industry is the largest in the world; lawyers involved in the business say about 500 women are now pregnant in Ukraine as surrogate mothers for foreign clients.

Couples in the United States, Europe, South America and China who cannot have children on their own have turned to Ukraine. Advocates say that surrogacy is safe and provides an irreplaceable service to such couples.

The business has thrived in Ukraine largely because of poverty. Surrogate mothers here typically earn about $15,000 per child. Ukraine does not allow surrogacy for same-sex couples, or for couples who wish to choose the sex of their child.

Fourteen companies offer the service in Ukraine, including BioTexCom, the largest, which is running the basement nursery in Kyiv.

Albert Tochylovsky, owner of BioTexCom, said in an interview that he had faced a hard choice in setting up the basement nursery. The other option, he said, had been to drive about 40 women who were near term across Ukraine during the fighting. He promised to care for the babies.

But Tochylovsky was also fretting about the choice he had made. “Maybe I made the wrong decision,” he said. If the situation worsened, he said he would close the basement nursery and try to evacuate the babies.

Some people in the business have already fled with babies, although the legal implications of doing so are unclear. Svitlana Burkovsa, who has worked as an agent arranging surrogacy services, said she took two newborns to the western city of Uzhhorod, near the border with Slovakia.

“The babies are all right,” she said. “A nanny that I hired and I take good care of them. I do not have a choice but to look after them now.” The clients are two couples in China.

Burkovsa is also keeping track of two pregnant surrogate mothers who were hired by other clients. They are near their due dates but trapped not far from Kyiv, she said. She is trying to have them moved to a maternity ward in western Ukraine in time to give birth.

The business of overseas surrogacy typically relies on careful choreography of travel and legal services, all now disrupted by the war.

Anna, an expectant surrogate mother who, like others quoted, spoke on the condition that only her first name be used, has not left Kyiv because her husband enlisted as a volunteer soldier and she wants to be near him. She is also caring for her own son, she said by telephone.

“I really don’t want to leave him behind. But I have to save two lives: one inside me and the other 9 years old and running around” their apartment, she said.

The biological parents of the baby she is carrying are from China, she said. Although they have a stake in her safety, they cannot now make decisions about her movements.

“I hope the war will end by the time I need to give birth,” she said.

Ania, 26, who has two children of her own, is pregnant as a surrogate mother for the second time. The first time, the baby could not immediately be picked up by clients because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. “I’m just not lucky,” she said.

She is now 31 weeks pregnant with twins and living near Lviv after fleeing Kamianske, in central Ukraine. Her clients, she said, want her to move to Western Europe. But she is afraid to do so, because she may be required to register as the babies’ legal guardian under the less-permissive surrogacy laws that prevail outside Ukraine.

Frederic, the twins’ biological father, shares the same fears as Ania about the legal uncertainties. He and his wife are from France, where surrogacy arrangements face greater legal hurdles.

In November, as alarms were being raised about the possibility of war in Ukraine, Frederic insisted that the surrogacy agency let him contact Ania directly. He and his wife went to Ukraine, and now live together near Lviv with Ania, her husband and her two children.

“We feel very lonely in this process,” Frederic said. One of their many problems is that all the documents proving that he and his wife are the twins’ genetic parents were left behind in Kyiv.

“Have you heard of any family with the same problem as ours?” he asked.

At BioTexCom’s basement nursery in Kyiv, the babies sleep in numbered cribs. A doctor comes by regularly for checkups. The space is clean and well lit. Their swaddles are in prints of pink elephants or flowers.

“The parents are very worried about the situation in Ukraine,” said Yashenko, the nanny. “They are just waiting for the end of this senseless war.”

Sometimes, she said, she feels that she is sleeping and wants to awake to Ukraine before the war. “This is just a nightmare,” she said. “I want to wake up.” But she said the basement was safe, and that she would remain with the babies.

Yashenko had a message for the babies’ parents: “They are cared for, they are fed, they are loved. We have all we need.”

Down a dusty stairwell, hidden from the shelling that has become the grim background noise of Ukraine’s capital, Ludmila Yashenko fusses with the babies. There are 19 of them, sleeping or cooing in neatly arranged cribs, fed regularly from tubs of baby formula.

Down a dusty stairwell, hidden from the shelling that has become the grim background noise of Ukraine’s capital, Ludmila Yashenko fusses with the babies. There are 19 of them, sleeping or cooing in neatly arranged cribs, fed regularly from tubs of baby formula. The kitchen has a sterilizer for bottles, while the nursery has a changing station stocked with diapers. Yashenko and other nannies bounce the babies on their laps and straighten their bibs, even as they watch television, wide-eyed, to learn the latest news from the war. Death and destruction are rampant in Ukraine, but in this basement there is new life, if also new problems. The babies were born to surrogate mothers, with their biological parents still outside the country. Because of the war, the citizenship of the newborns is unclear, as is the question of who their legal guardians are, since, under Ukrainian law, their biological parents must be present to confirm their nationality. There is also the question of how, or if, they can possibly be taken to safety. Elsewhere, expectant surrogate mothers are trapped by the fighting. Couples abroad have no idea how they will pick up their babies. One agent who connects would-be parents with Ukrainian women made a dash out of Kyiv with two of her clients’ newborns. In the Kyiv basement, Yashenko and the other nannies are caring for the babies, even as they grow increasingly worried about the war raging overhead. “Of course, we cannot abandon the babies,” said Yashenko, 51. Her husband and two sons, all soldiers in Ukraine’s army, have urged her to get out of Kyiv. “They want me to leave, but I cannot abandon my colleagues, I cannot abandon my work, I cannot abandon these babies,” she said. “I will remain here until everything is back in its place.” Ukraine is one of relatively few countries that offer surrogacy services to foreigners. By some estimates, its industry is the largest in the world; lawyers involved in the business say about 500 women are now pregnant in Ukraine as surrogate mothers for foreign clients. Couples in the United States, Europe, South America and China who cannot have children on their own have turned to Ukraine. Advocates say that surrogacy is safe and provides an irreplaceable service to such couples. The business has thrived in Ukraine largely because of poverty. Surrogate mothers here typically earn about $15,000 per child. Ukraine does not allow surrogacy for same-sex couples, or for couples who wish to choose the sex of their child. Fourteen companies offer the service in Ukraine, including BioTexCom, the largest, which is running the basement nursery in Kyiv. Albert Tochylovsky, owner of BioTexCom, said in an interview that he had faced a hard choice in setting up the basement nursery. The other option, he said, had been to drive about 40 women who were near term across Ukraine during the fighting. He promised to care for the babies. But Tochylovsky was also fretting about the choice he had made. “Maybe I made the wrong decision,” he said. If the situation worsened, he said he would close the basement nursery and try to evacuate the babies. Some people in the business have already fled with babies, although the legal implications of doing so are unclear. Svitlana Burkovsa, who has worked as an agent arranging surrogacy services, said she took two newborns to the western city of Uzhhorod, near the border with Slovakia. “The babies are all right,” she said. “A nanny that I hired and I take good care of them. I do not have a choice but to look after them now.” The clients are two couples in China. Burkovsa is also keeping track of two pregnant surrogate mothers who were hired by other clients. They are near their due dates but trapped not far from Kyiv, she said. She is trying to have them moved to a maternity ward in western Ukraine in time to give birth. The business of overseas surrogacy typically relies on careful choreography of travel and legal services, all now disrupted by the war. Anna, an expectant surrogate mother who, like others quoted, spoke on the condition that only her first name be used, has not left Kyiv because her husband enlisted as a volunteer soldier and she wants to be near him. She is also caring for her own son, she said by telephone. “I really don’t want to leave him behind. But I have to save two lives: one inside me and the other 9 years old and running around” their apartment, she said. The biological parents of the baby she is carrying are from China, she said. Although they have a stake in her safety, they cannot now make decisions about her movements. “I hope the war will end by the time I need to give birth,” she said. Ania, 26, who has two children of her own, is pregnant as a surrogate mother for the second time. The first time, the baby could not immediately be picked up by clients because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. “I’m just not lucky,” she said. She is now 31 weeks pregnant with twins and living near Lviv after fleeing Kamianske, in central Ukraine. Her clients, she said, want her to move to Western Europe. But she is afraid to do so, because she may be required to register as the babies’ legal guardian under the less-permissive surrogacy laws that prevail outside Ukraine. Frederic, the twins’ biological father, shares the same fears as Ania about the legal uncertainties. He and his wife are from France, where surrogacy arrangements face greater legal hurdles. In November, as alarms were being raised about the possibility of war in Ukraine, Frederic insisted that the surrogacy agency let him contact Ania directly. He and his wife went to Ukraine, and now live together near Lviv with Ania, her husband and her two children. “We feel very lonely in this process,” Frederic said. One of their many problems is that all the documents proving that he and his wife are the twins’ genetic parents were left behind in Kyiv. “Have you heard of any family with the same problem as ours?” he asked. At BioTexCom’s basement nursery in Kyiv, the babies sleep in numbered cribs. A doctor comes by regularly for checkups. The space is clean and well lit. Their swaddles are in prints of pink elephants or flowers. “The parents are very worried about the situation in Ukraine,” said Yashenko, the nanny. “They are just waiting for the end of this senseless war.” Sometimes, she said, she feels that she is sleeping and wants to awake to Ukraine before the war. “This is just a nightmare,” she said. “I want to wake up.” But she said the basement was safe, and that she would remain with the babies. Yashenko had a message for the babies’ parents: “They are cared for, they are fed, they are loved. We have all we need.”

In a Kyiv basement, 19 surrogate babies are trapped by war but kept alive by nannies

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Russian troops continue to advance towards capital Kyiv

It is day 17 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine.

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine Heavy bombardment reported in Irpin & Bucha

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia has given the latest warning to the West. Russia to target Western arms supply? Watch this report to find out.

Russia's latest warning to the West: Russia to target Western arms supply?

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Seventh attempt of evacuation is underway in Mariupol. This after several attempts have been failed by the Russian aggression.

Seventh attempt of evacuation underway in Mariupol amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict enters day 17: Russians 25 kilometres away from Kyiv

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv said that Russia is planning an attack on Chernobyl nuclear plant. Watch this report to know about the risks.

Kyiv: Russia planning attack on Chernobyl nuclear plant amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battle for Kyiv continues as Russian invasion of Ukraine enters day 17

Watch top developments of week three of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

During a press briefing, US Vice President Kamala Harris laughed awkwardly when asked about Ukraine's refugees amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

US Vice President Harris under fire for laughing when asked about Ukraine's refugees

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, scores of people are fleeing the conflict. The Ukrainian refugee crisis is mounting as they narrate their ordeal.

Ukrainian Refugees narrate their ordeal as the Russian invasion of Ukraine triggers a refugee crisis

It is day 17 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and scores of civilians have lost their lives in the conflict. Armies of both countries have been involved in intense fights since Russian troops entered Ukraine. Bombing has caused extensive damage in Baryshivka village.

Day 17 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Bombing causes extensive damage in Baryshivka village

Satellite images show Russian troops closing in on the capital Kyiv with multiple homes and buildings on fire. There has been widespread damage in towns located close to Kyiv.

Russia Ukraine Conflict: Russian troops appear to be re-grouping for assault

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 2.3 million people have fled Ukraine, triggering a refugee crisis. Now, pop artists, Bloom twins hosted a fundraiser to raise funds for the refugees.

'Bloom twins' host a fundraiser as over 2.3 million people flee Ukraine amid Russian invasion

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, scores of people are fleeing the conflict but it has also increased the risk of COVID-19 infection among the refugees.

Heightened risk of COVID-19 infection among refugees fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine

What is the significance of the 'Mother of Kyiv statue'? Watch this report from Kyiv to know more details.

What is the significance of the 'Mother of Kyiv statue'? Watch this report to know all the details

Not a single civilian has been able to leave Mariupol, Russian shelling prevented a humanitarian convoy from reaching the city which is remained under siege since the invasion began. Multiple efforts to evacuate civilians have failed despite humanitarian corridors being established. Russian forces have not stopped bombing the city. Zelensky said efforts to send food, water and medicine to the city failed because Russian tanks attacked humanitarian corridors.

Ukraine: Situation in Mariupol critical amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

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