Ukrainian Corporal Andrii Shadrin and news producer Kateryna Malofieieva are at the heart of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Both are based in the Donbas, a region that’s been partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. The battle for the Donbas is critical to the outcome of this war. And in the meantime, Andrii and Kateryna’s families are being torn apart.

• Plus, what waning homebuilder confidence tells us about the housing market.
• And, a wild weekend of weather with deadly consequences.

Guests: Ukrainian Cpl. Andrii Shadrin; news producer Kateryna Malofieieva; Axios' Dave Lawler and Matt Phillips.

Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Alex Sugiura, and Lydia McMullen-Laird. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

Go Deeper:

• On the front lines in Donbas: One Ukrainian soldier's story
• Homebuilders starting to feel higher mortgage rates
• Studies show climate change is increasingly driving extreme weather risks
• Extreme weather plagues U.S., from Colorado snowstorm to East Coast heat
• What we know about the new monkeypox outbreak