It’s been four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Those researchers who have remained continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience and adaptability while also contending with the emotional and physical strains of living through a war. Research continues despite frequent power outages, freezing temperatures, damaged infrastructure and shrinking teams as friends and colleagues enlist in the military or seek safer employment.
The situation varies greatly from city to city, says Vitalii Palchykov, director of the Research Institute of Chemistry and Geology at Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, who is currently on a Fulbright Scholarship in the US. Things are better for science in Kyiv and Lviv than in Dnipro, Kharkiv or Odesa. Universities in cities nearer the frontline, for example, deliver most lectures online, although practical classes often require students to attend in person, despite the risks involved.
Anastasia Sachko, head of the department of chemistry at the Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University (YFCNU) in western Ukraine, is away from the frontline. ‘For researchers who can continue working at their home universities, face-to-face education remains possible though severely constrained,’ she says. ‘There are constant air-raid alarms. Students and academics must immediately leave, often abandoning experiments midway, and move to shelters.’ There are also repeated bomb threats and false alarms, which trigger evacuations and building inspections.
Power cuts disrupt labs as temperatures plunge
But power outages are the main obstacle to research. ‘Over the past six weeks, we have had approximately 4½ hours of electricity per day, delivered in intervals of about 1½ hours,’ says Sachko. It also means there’s often no heating in university buildings with lab temperatures falling to 4–8°C.
Power rationing is in place, but even then supplies are often disrupted by emergency shutdowns, says Yuriy Khalavka, a chemist and vice-rector for research at YFCNU. ‘We try to use backup [generators] to protect and supply electricity to essential instruments. We’ve also adapted our laboratory protocols to rely more on gas burners and autonomous, battery-powered tools (pH meters, balances, and even spectrometers)… However, equipment such as fume hoods, pumps and ovens cannot be powered by portable solutions, so some universities have started installing additional solar power facilities.’
Palchykov says his university has acquired several electricity generators that power critical facilities requiring constant electrical supply. ‘[But] these generators are insufficient for all our needs, and the costs of fuel and maintenance are substantial. The situation worsened dramatically in autumn 2025, with electricity often limited to 4–6 hours per day with lengthy interruptions. Such constraints prevent the operation of essential equipment in my laboratory, such as the gas chromatograph, severely complicating our work.’
Sachko’s research has also been profoundly affected. She works with atomic absorption spectroscopy, and for the past six weeks has been unable to perform procedures requiring the fume hood ventilation system and microwave digestion unit as they need to operate continuously for six hours. Additionally, she can’t use equipment with high energy demands, such as muffle furnaces and compressors.
But people have adapted, says Palchykov. ‘My colleagues in other cities and I endeavour to collaborate on shared projects, distributing tasks accordingly: some have access to NMR spectrometers, others to well-equipped synthetic laboratories or chemical databases. Occasionally, we prioritise writing review articles over experimental research.’
As for working from home, many simply cannot, says Sachko. ‘In many homes the temperature is often around 12–14°C which makes it difficult to stay warm and work efficiently.’
Like Palchykov, she stresses the importance of collaboration. ‘We’ve never been as closely connected with universities in other cities [as we are now] and are ready to provide access to our facilities for researchers [who need them]. Colleagues from Kharkiv and Odesa have worked in our laboratories.’
Kharkiv is about 30km from the Russian border and 25km from the frontline. ‘Every day and night for four years, Kharkiv has been shelled,’ says Valentyn Chebanov, director of the Institute of Functional Materials Chemistry in Kharkiv. ‘We’ve installed powerful diesel generators, and all scientific instruments, servers and computers are connected to [uninterruptible power systems]. We also have our own clean water well. Our institute is strategically important, which is why power outages are much less frequent.’
Despite everything, work continues. ‘Since 2022, nearly 30 young scientists have joined,’ he says. ‘We’ve installed new equipment, including an NMR spectrometer, a powder x-ray diffractometer, a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometer and a spectrofluorometer. We’ve built a state-of-the-art laboratory for microbiological and molecular genetic research. We’re still publishing in leading journals.’
Dwindling student numbers exacerbate concerns over Ukraine’s scientific future
Chebanov might sound upbeat, but he’s concerned by the numbers of students and young scientists leaving Ukraine, especially from frontline cities such as Kharkiv. He fears that the longer the war continues, the less likely it is that young people will return.
Grygoriy Dmytriv, dean of the faculty of chemistry at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, also worries about declining numbers of chemistry students. In 2021, there were 442 first year chemistry undergraduate but in 2025 that number has fallen to just 291.
Palchykov calls the situation ‘catastrophic’. His department now only admits eight students annually. Students must balance online education with part-time employment limiting time for practical training.
And what of the future? Ukrainian researchers are extremely grateful for all the international help received from individuals, foundations and institutions. Support through grants from bodies such as the Royal Society of Chemistry, Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and the US-based Simons Foundation have been essential for survival. But if science is to continue, more is needed now.
‘Ukraine has considerable scientific potential,’ says Sachko. ‘[But] we need deep and systematic integration into the international scientific community. It’s important not only to receive grants or financial support, but to become part of large international consortia.’ She’d like to see joint laboratories and research centres established with leading universities in the EU and the US – ideally located in Ukraine – and for Ukraine to join the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) as an associate member.
‘We must do everything possible now and in the future to develop our science and education, without which post-war recovery will be impossible,’ Chebanov says. ‘It’s clear that chemistry and materials science – our areas of expertise – will play a crucial role in the recovery, just as they do now in its defence. We are optimistic about the future and, paradoxical as it may seem during wartime, we are making long-term plans and actively implementing them.’ While overseas help will be crucial, national efforts to support science – happening now despite the war – are also important and will inspire confidence in the future of science, he adds.
One example of this confidence is a new lab opened in Kyiv in January by Ukraine’s National Antarctic Scientific Centre. Established without any direct external funding or donations, it analyses biological samples from Antarctica looking at biodiversity, mechanisms of adaptation, interactions and responses to climate change, explains research fellow Yevheniia Prekrasna.
‘Establishing a new scientific laboratory while war is ongoing is profoundly significant,’ Prekrasna says. ‘It’s not only an institutional achievement, but a statement of continuity and resilience. War disrupts infrastructure, education, and long-term planning, yet science operates on decades-long horizons. By investing in research capacity during such a period, the scientific community demonstrates that the future is not being postponed.’
‘We carry out scientific research and education under extremely difficult conditions, sometimes reaching the limits of our capabilities and endurance,’ Chebanov says. ‘But Ukrainians are a strong nation – we persevere and continue to live and work.’
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