On 24 February 2026, Chemistry World, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, featured an article by science journalist Maria Burke titled “Ukrainians are a strong nation – we do not give up: four years on, scientists remain resilient despite challenges.”
The article highlights Ukrainian scientists, particularly chemists, who have continued their work for four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, demonstrating extraordinary resilience and adaptability while overcoming the emotional and physical hardships of life during wartime. Despite frequent power outages, sub-zero temperatures, damaged infrastructure and reduced research teams, scientific research continues.
The challenges and achievements are discussed by Vitalii Palchykov, Director of the Research Institute of Chemistry and Geology at Oles Honchar Dnipro National University; Anastasia Sachko, Head of the Department of Chemistry at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University; Yuriy Khalavka, Vice-Rector for Research at the same university; Grygoriy Dmytriv, Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv; and Yevheniia Prekrasna, researcher at the National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine.
Valentyn Chebanov, First Deputy Director General of the State Scientific Institution “Institute for Single Crystals” of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Director of the Institute of Functional Materials Chemistry of the SSI, Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, spoke about how scientists live, work and achieve world-class results in the frontline city of Kharkiv, particularly at the State Scientific Institution “Institute for Single Crystals” of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
He noted that Kharkiv faces daily shelling; however, the Institute has installed powerful diesel generators, and all scientific instruments, servers and computers are connected to uninterruptible power supply systems. The institution has its own clean water well and holds strategic importance, which means power outages occur less frequently. Despite the difficult conditions, work has not stopped. Since 2022, nearly 30 young researchers have joined the team, and new equipment has been installed, including an NMR spectrometer, a powder X-ray diffractometer, a liquid mass spectrometer, and a spectrofluorimeter. A modern laboratory for microbiological and molecular genetic research has also been established. The Institute’s scientists publish their findings in leading international journals.
Valentyn Chebanov emphasized the need to make every effort to advance science and education now and in the future, as Ukraine’s post-war recovery will be impossible without them. He stressed that the team of the State Scientific Institution “Institute for Single Crystals” of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine looks to the future with optimism, develops long-term plans and consistently implements them. At the same time, alongside international support, domestic initiatives aimed at strengthening the scientific sphere remain critically important, as they foster confidence in its continued development. He also noted that research and educational activities are carried out under extremely challenging conditions, sometimes at the limits of possibility and endurance. Nevertheless, Ukrainian scientists continue their work and remain resilient. These words became the title of the article.
The full article is available at the following link: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/ukrainians-are-a-strong-nation-we-p…
