The high-speed train cruising at 160 km/hr from Kiev to the east of the country is a welcome luxury in a nation gripped by war and a shattered economy.
The passing country outside is patched with small villages and trails of smoke that billow up in the brisk morning air.
It is early Monday (26 October) and the free and functional onboard wi-fi makes the high-speed trains in the west look outdated in comparison.
But for most Ukrainians, every day life doesn't run as smooth t...
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Nikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.