# And still, they plant: front-line farmers rebuild their businesses against all odds

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/and-still-they-plant-front-line-farmers-rebuild-their-businesses-against-all-odds/
- Published: 2026-11-04T09:59:45+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T02:41:03+00:00
- Original publisher: Kyiv Independent
- Original article: https://kyivindependent.com/and-still-they-plant-front-line-farmers-rebuild-their-businesses-against-all-odds-2/
- Topics: Europe, World

## Key points

- A drone strike killed 27 cows and destroyed a barn and tractor.
- International aid helped Starychenko rebuild his farm.
- Attacks on storage sites threaten food distribution and grain capacity.

## Summary

Russian attacks have repeatedly damaged front-line farms in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast, putting livelihoods and food production at risk. Despite the danger and cost, farmer Volodymyr Starychenko rebuilt his dairy business with aid, illustrating how targeted support can help farmers keep operating during the war.

A late 2024 drone strike destroyed a main barn at Starychenko’s farm, killed 27 cows and incinerated a tractor; rebuilding took a year and a half. Before the war, his family farm had grown to 200 cows and supplied a local community of more than 30,000. Attacks on storage and distribution sites are also disrupting food supplies, while Ukraine could face a grain storage shortfall of up to 11 million tonnes by November 2026, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.