The Reality of Life

This image captures the reality behind my recent trip to Ternopil, Ukraine—but more importantly, it illustrates what people here face night after night at the hands of Russian aggression.

On the night of October 29th, 2025, several drones flew directly over our hotel at low altitude as they moved toward targets farther west. You could hear them passing overhead. This is not unusual—these flights happen most nights. Some drones carry explosive payloads; others are simply meant to terrorize civilians.
The map shows these airborne threats color-coded by type. Most are drones, but the others include ballistic missiles, conventional missiles, and even dive bombs.

If you’ve ever needed a visual of what daily life looks like for Ukrainians right now, this map is exactly that. And yet, the resilience of the people here is extraordinary. Their strength is humbling. Could you imagine living under this constant threat? I’ve circled blue the area where we stayed during this trip.