You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

Hello Nate, we're at Welcome Back to Shortwave.

Hello Regina, it is very nice to finally audio meet you.

It's nice to meet you too.

I heard you just came back from Ukraine.

I did, yes.

So I'm a part of a crew of NPR reporters and producers who have been cycling in and out

of Ukraine since Russia invaded back in late February and really in the weeks leading up

to the war.

But in your day job, you're an environment reporter on NPR's climate team, right?

I am correct.

And the reason I wanted to talk to you today is because I actually got a chance to do

some environment and climate reporting in Ukraine during my last stint.

So what does that involve?

It involves a lot of travel.

We made it to basically every side of the country.

Wow.

But the place I want to take you is in Northern Ukraine.

So come with me real quick to an ecological inspection laboratory in the Northern Ukrainian

town of Zhitoma.

It's our laboratory.

Yes, my laboratory was in the atmosphere.

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