State of the World from NPR Ice fishing is a peaceful retreat for war-weary Ukrainians
Feb 17, 2026
Eleanor Beardsley, NPR correspondent who files on-the-ground stories from Ukraine, walks the frozen Dnipro and meets people ice fishing. They gather for companionship amid power cuts and drone attacks. Scenes include silent snowy expanses, tiny catches, wartime displacement, and fishing framed as a quiet act of resistance.
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Fishing On The Frozen Dnipro
- Fishermen drill foot-thick ice on the Dnipro and sit together on small stools to fish despite war and cold.
- Eleanor Beardsley describes the scene as a silent white wilderness in the middle of the city with churches and monuments visible.
Fishing As Quiet Resistance
- Ice fishing provides a peaceful respite and psychological relief from nightly drone and missile attacks.
- Men say continuing everyday life on the river is a quiet way to resist and maintain normalcy amid strikes and power outages.
Life On The Hardest-Hit Left Bank
- Residents on the city's left bank describe frequent Iranian-made Shahid drone strikes that hit nearby high-rises.
- Pensioners recount nightly runs to hallway shelters and loss of friends who now serve at the front or were killed.