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Tonight: night 1,692 of Russia's full-scale invasion

Nightfall Ukraine VR experience

One night of Russia's war against Ukraine.

You can take off the headset. Ukraine can't.

Experience it Donate

01 Experience

You don't watch it. You live through it.

Nightfall Ukraine is a first-person VR experience of one night in Russia's war against Ukraine – the siren, the blackout, the long wait for morning.

And when you take off the headset, the night goes on for millions.

Here, empathy becomes light: every donation goes to Ukrainischer Verein Mainz e.V., which supports hospitals and schools in Ukraine with generators and first-aid kits.

Soundtrack

Nightfall Ukraine

Music: Andreas Kemper · made with Suno (AI)

0:00 / 3:50

Lyrics

Intro

When the siren folds the evening in,
I count the seconds, breathe, begin.

Verse 1

The kettle cools; the stairwell holds
A thousand coats against the cold.
You keep your phone beside the door,
A little light, a little more.

Pre-Chorus

No headset can contain the night,
No border keeps a heart from sight.

Chorus

Nightfall Ukraine, we stay awake,
For every dawn the dark can take.
Не відвертайся — будь зі мною,
Let care become a lamp we loan.
A generator, a first-aid kit,
A school with warmth enough to sit.
When morning comes, let this be true:
The light we send belongs to you.

Verse 2

A bandura’s wooden voice remembers
Names and bread and embered winters.
Across the miles, your window waits;
We answer not with words alone, but crates
Of medicine, of power, of repair—
A promise made practical and shared.

Pre-Chorus

You live this night; we hear you call.
The smallest light can reach us all.

Chorus

Nightfall Ukraine, we stay awake,
For every dawn the dark can take.
Не відвертайся — будь зі мною,
Let care become a lamp we loan.
A generator, a first-aid kit,
A school with warmth enough to sit.
When morning comes, let this be true:
The light we send belongs to you.

Bridge

Ми поруч — не лише словами,
With open hands, with steady flame.
Hospitals need power through the night;
Children need a room to learn in light.

Final Chorus

Nightfall Ukraine, the night is long,
But help can travel, hand to hand.
Не відвертайся — будь зі мною,
We’ll meet the dark with what we can.
For every ward, for every school,
For every dawn you’re fighting through—
The light we send is not a view.
It’s here. It’s real. It’s meant for you.

Outro

До ранку. До світла.
We are still here.

How it works

  1. 1

    Experience

    Up to 20 minutes in the headset – in schools, at events, at home.

  2. 2

    Learn

    Briefing, debrief and teaching materials turn emotion into understanding.

  3. 3

    Help

    An earmarked donation to Ukrainischer Verein Mainz e.V.

Our principles

  • A learning tool, not a game. No score, no winning, no combat.
  • No graphic violence. No shock for its own sake: sound, darkness and waiting carry the experience.
  • Opt-in. Exit at any moment. With a content warning upfront – and in class, always with a non-VR alternative.

Book it for a school or event

02 Learn

When you take off the headset, the night goes on.

Since February 2022, the UN has verified at least 17,257 civilians killed in Ukraine – 835 of them children.[1]

As of 31 August 2026. These are minimum figures: the UN only counts cases it has verified one by one. And the toll keeps rising – in 2026, more than 400 civilians were killed or injured every week on average.[2]

What one night means

The air-raid alert

The phone buzzes, the siren wails outside. On 27 August 2026, Kyiv had 13 air-raid alerts in a single day – nearly 15 hours in total.[3]

The blackout

The lights go out, and so does the heating. In winter 2025/26, scheduled power cuts in Kyiv and Kherson lasted up to 22 hours a day. Indoors, temperatures fell to 6–15 °C – outside, often below −20 °C at night.[4]

The wait for morning

Corridor, basement, metro station. Russia attacks mostly at night – and since spring 2026 increasingly by day as well. On 13–14 May 2026, nearly 1,500 drones and missiles were launched within 24 hours – more than on any other day of this war.[5, 6]

The situation in numbers

  • 15,280civilians killed or injured, January to August 2026 – more than in all of 2025[7]
  • 22 ha day without power: scheduled outages in Kyiv and Kherson, winter 2025/26[4]
  • 8,150long-range drones in a single month (May 2026) – a record[8]
  • 1,000+air-raid alerts nationwide in the first 15 days of the 2026 school year[9]
  • 20,651children deported or forcibly displaced (Ukrainian government data); 2,672 brought back[10]
  • 4,278educational institutions damaged, 428 completely destroyed[11]
  • 10.8 mpeople need humanitarian aid in 2026, including 2.2 million children[12, 13]
  • 1.35 mpeople who fled Ukraine are registered in Germany (30 June 2026)[14]

“The war in Ukraine is a human rights catastrophe that is growing and intensifying by the week.”

Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2 October 2026[2]

Right now

As of 11 October 2026

24.09.2026

UN monitors: Russian attacks have reached a new level of intensity

Missiles, drones and glide bombs – in Kyiv, civilians were harmed on 16 of the first 24 days of September.

Source: OHCHR / HRMMU (opens external site)

Nightfall Ukraine – VR experience in schools

Many classrooms include children for whom this night was no simulation. That is why the VR experience is part of a 45-minute module: 5 minutes briefing, up to 20 minutes in the headset, 20 minutes debrief – always with a non-VR alternative.

A teacher guide – context, content warning, debrief questions, support contacts – is in preparation. To start, we are looking for pilot schools in Mainz and Frankfurt.

Apply as a pilot school

Psychological support for Ukrainians in Germany: Ukrainischer Verein Mainz e.V. (opens external site)

03 Help

Feel the night. Fund the light.

Every donation goes to Ukrainischer Verein Mainz e.V., which supports hospitals and schools in Ukraine with generators and first-aid kits.

“Endurance alone cannot heat a home, restore electricity or repair the damage caused by the ongoing war.”

Matthias Schmale, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, 22 July 2026[15]

Who receives the money

Ukrainischer Verein Mainz e.V. was founded in June 2019. It runs Saturday schools, cultural work and psychological support for Ukrainians in Germany – and, with partner organisations, delivers humanitarian aid, including generators and first-aid kits for hospitals and schools in Ukraine.

The Verein's website (opens external site)

And also

FAQ

What is Nightfall Ukraine – VR experience?

A first-person VR experience of one night in Russia's war against Ukraine – the siren, the blackout, the long wait for morning. Up to 20 minutes in the headset, followed by a debrief – and a direct path to help.

Is it a game?

No. It is a learning tool: no score, no winning, no combat.

How intense is it?

It shows no graphic violence; sound, darkness and waiting carry the experience. Taking part is voluntary, there is a content warning upfront, and you can stop at any moment. In class there is always a non-VR alternative. Ukrainians in Germany can find psychological support at Ukrainischer Verein Mainz e.V.

Where can I experience it?

In schools, at events and at home. Dates and platforms will be announced here. Schools and organisers can get in touch now: kontakt@nightfallukraine.org

Where does my donation go?

Every donation goes directly to Ukrainischer Verein Mainz e.V. Please use the payment reference “Spende Ukraine Hilfe – Nightfall”. Nightfall Ukraine – VR experience never handles money or payment data.

Where do the figures come from?

From the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (OHCHR), OCHA, UNICEF, the Government of Ukraine, the German Bundestag, news agencies and specialist media – each with its date. UN figures are verified minimums. All sources

Isn't there a ceasefire?

No (as of 11 October 2026). Brief truces in spring 2026 ended after a few days.[16, 17] On 1 October 2026, Vladimir Putin ruled out a ceasefire on long-range strikes.[18] In early October, the US, Ukraine and European partners met in Miami to discuss ending the war.[19]

Why “Nightfall”?

Because in Ukraine the heaviest attacks usually come after nightfall. Not to be confused with the British missile programme of the same name.[20]

Who is behind the project?

Nightfall Ukraine – VR experience is a project by Andreas Kemper, Frankfurt am Main. All donations go exclusively to Ukrainischer Verein Mainz e.V.

Sources

  1. OHCHR / HRMMU: Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict – August 2026 (PDF) (16 Sep 2026)
  2. OHCHR: Volker Türk, oral update on Ukraine, Human Rights Council (2 Oct 2026)
  3. The Kyiv Independent (citing Ukraine's Foreign Ministry): Kyiv records 13 air raid alerts in single day (28 Aug 2026)
  4. OHCHR: Periodic report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 Dec 2025 – 31 May 2026 (PDF) (29 Jun 2026)
  5. AFP (via Daily Sabah): Russia ramps up drone strikes on Ukraine (1 May 2026)
  6. Kyiv Post (Ukrainian Air Force data): Most aerial weapons launched within a day, 13–14 May 2026 (14 May 2026)
  7. OHCHR / HRMMU: Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict – August 2026 (16 Sep 2026)
  8. AFP (via The News): Russia fired record 8,150 drones at Ukraine in May (2 Jun 2026)
  9. UNICEF: Children in Ukraine face a fifth year of assault on their right to learn (15 Sep 2026)
  10. Children of War, Government of Ukraine (data: Bring Kids Back UA): childrenofwar.gov.ua (as of 10 Oct 2026)
  11. Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: Save Schools (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
  12. UN Ukraine / OCHA: Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026 (13 Jan 2026)
  13. UNICEF: Humanitarian Action for Children 2026 – Ukraine and Refugee Response (PDF) (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
  14. Deutscher Bundestag: Drucksache 21/7815, Antwort der Bundesregierung (PDF) (1 Sep 2026)
  15. UN Ukraine: Winter Response Plan launched to help 2.1 million people (22 Jul 2026)
  16. Al Jazeera: Orthodox Easter ceasefire begins (11 Apr 2026)
  17. Al Jazeera: Trump announces three-day ceasefire (8 May 2026)
  18. Al Jazeera: Putin rules out ceasefire with Ukraine (1 Oct 2026)
  19. Al Jazeera: US hosts talks to end Russia-Ukraine war (10 Oct 2026)
  20. GOV.UK: UK to develop new deep strike ballistic missile for Ukraine (11 Jan 2026)
Fund the light