In war-torn Ukraine, astronomers are still fighting for their future

"When Ukrainian forces retaken the site of the Braude Radio Astronomy Observatory in September 2022 after forcing a Russian retreat, they found the facility still stood but barely. Collapsed roofs, charred walls and emptied shelves all reduced the once-proud observatory to ruin. The scars of occupation were everywhere; Russian troops had converted part of the site's partially built Giant Ukrainian Radio Telescope (GURT) to a makeshift kitchen and had discarded trash among the high-precision electronics."

"The observatory had been built some 75 kilometers outside of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv as a monument to the nation's astronomical research, dedicated to the peaceful exploration of the universe using one of the world's largest radio telescopes. Now it was yet another casualty of the ongoing conflict, another entry in the ever-growing list of things to repair and rebuild."

"I used to dream of becoming a scientist and returning to my village one day—visiting the school, talking to children about how incredible and mysterious the universe is, says Olena Kompaniiets, a junior researcher at the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. But now the school is gone, and so is the village. There is nowhere to return to."

The Braude Radio Astronomy Observatory near Kharkiv, Ukraine, suffered severe damage during Russian occupation in 2022. When Ukrainian forces retook the site, they discovered collapsed roofs, charred walls, and destroyed equipment. Russian troops had repurposed parts of the facility, including the partially built Giant Ukrainian Radio Telescope, as a makeshift kitchen. The destruction represents a significant loss for Ukrainian astronomical research and peaceful scientific exploration. Ukrainian scientists, including junior researcher Olena Kompaniiets and cosmologist Daria Dobrycheva, have lost not only their research facilities but also their homes and villages to the ongoing conflict, forcing them to abandon dreams of returning to their communities.

Read at www.scientificamerican.com