Explaining Ukraine

Ukraine’s counteroffensive remains underway, with Ukraine’s armed forces liberating several villages in the East and in the South. Ukraine is also blowing up more arms depots located in Crimea and in the Russian rear. Meanwhile, Russia has continued bombing peaceful Ukrainian cities, with a particular emphasis on Odesa this week. Among other things, Russia hit the UNESCO-protected parts of the cit...

What role can science play in Ukraine’s victory and recovery? What problems has Ukrainian science faced over the past decades, and how can they be overcome? What are the central science and technology needs on the frontline? Could these needs serve as a boost to Ukraine’s future technological development? Guest: Yury Gogotsi, a Ukrainian scientist in the field of material chemistry and professor a...

Russia withdraws from the grain deal and puts global food security at risk. At the same time, it started regular shelling of the Ukrainian port cities, including Ukrainian grain depositories. This is our weekly overview of key events and trends in and around Ukraine. Volodymyr Yermolenko, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, is joined by Maksym Panchenko, analyst and journalist at UkraineWorld, to di...

The NATO Summit in Vilnius: was it a complete disappointment for Ukraine, or was there a bright side? While experts are analyzing the results, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are gradually moving forward using changed tactics. Russia continues violating international law by terrorizing Ukrainian civilians and putting the world under the threat of hunger by refusing to extend the grain deal. This is ou...

Russian propaganda is one of the foundations of this war. Are Russian narratives still widespread in the world today? What are the most toxic ones? Volodymyr Yermolenko, the chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, speaks to Nina Kuryata, a Ukrainian journalist and former chief editor of the Ukrainian service of the BBC. UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the l...

What is fascism? Why does the fascist danger exist today, even within democratic states? Is Russia fascist? – Jason Stanely, American philosopher and author of books including How Fascism Works, How Propaganda Works”, is the guest of this episode of Thinking in Dark Times, a podcast series by UkraineWorld.org. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, and chief editor of...

This episode is about Victoria Amelina, a Ukrainian writer, and our friend, killed by a Russian missile. Victoria Amelina, a Ukrainian writer and human rights activist, passed away on July 1st, 2023 after she was severely injured by a Russian missile strike on Kramatorsk, Eastern part of Ukraine, Donetsk region, on June 27th. In this episode we will try to tell you her story. And to explain why sh...

As the world marks the 500th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Kremlin continues shelling Ukraine’s peaceful cities, while Ukraine awaits strategic decisions from the upcoming NATO summit This is our weekly overview of key events and trends in and around Ukraine. Volodymyr Yermolenko, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, is joined by Maksym Panchenko, analyst and journalist at UkraineWorld, to...

The failed mutiny by the PMC “Wagner” and its leader Prigozhin exposed flaws in Russian leadership. Despite internal problems, Russia continues to jeopardize the safety of Zaporizhzhia NPP. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Army continues to liberate its land, and its international allies stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. Russia committed another cruel war crime in Kramatorsk. This is our weekly ove...

What are the consequences of the Wagner “revolt” against the Kremlin? Will it weaken Putin’s power? What is the future of Russian criminal paramilitary groups like Wagner? Listen to our Twitter space with Petro Burkovskyi and Maria Zolkina, analysts at the Ilko Kocheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, a Ukrainian think tank. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, ch...

Mykola, the acting head of Nechvolodivka, a village near Kupyansk in Kharkiv Oblast, was twice kidnapped and tortured by the Russian occupiers. We went to his village and spoke to him and his family. In this episode, we tell you the story of him and his family’s story - and try to look at the patterns of Russian cruelty during the occupation. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and...

While Ukraine is gradually moving forward in its counteroffensive, Russia keeps attacking Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles almost every night, and is blackmailing the whole world with the threat of a nuclear disaster. Even though the war rages on, Ukraine is already planning reconstruction, and discussed its plans with international partners at this week’s Ukraine Recovery Conference in L...

Another Rammstein meeting delivers on further support to Ukraine while the latter achieves its first successes in the counteroffensive. In the meantime, a delegation of African leaders embarks on a peacemaking tour to Ukraine and Russia. This is our weekly overview of key events and trends in and around Ukraine. Volodymyr Yermolenko, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, is joined by Maksym Panchenko...

Every war is different, yet they share a lot of similarities. Bosnia, Syria, Iraq, Chechnya, Ukraine - how can these wars be compared? What are the patterns of Russian actions in Chechnya and Syria which are being repeated in Ukraine? Why should we talk about evil? - Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, invites Janine di Giovanni, a prominent American...

On June 6th, Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam, causing a massive environmental catastrophe in southern Ukraine. The impact of this ecocide will last for decades. In this episode, we discuss the causes of this crime, and its consequences for Ukraine’s people, ecosystems, economy, and war effort. - Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, talks to Maksym Panchenko and Anastasiia Herasy...

In 1994, Ukraine gave up the nuclear weapons it had inherited from the Soviet Union. It was invited to sign the Budapest Memorandum with Russia, the UK, and the US, which was supposed to give Ukraine security assurances. Russia broke these assurances first in 2014, and then in 2022, by invading and occupying Ukraine. Since 1994, Ukraine has found itself in a security vacuum, which, directly or ind...

On June 6th Russia blew up the dam of the Kakhovka hydropower plant in Southern Ukraine. This act of geopolitical terrorism and ecocide produces a major environmental disaster for decades to come. It also puts the Zaporizzhia nuclear power plant (the biggest NPP in Europe) at a significant risk. We have recorded a Twitter space to discuss this tragedy, based on our conversations with the Ukrainian...

Russia’s daily bombardment of Ukrainian cities; a drone attack on Moscow; Ukraine’s efforts to create a coalition to deliver Patriot air defense systems; China’s peace diplomacy in Europe; the US new aid package to Ukraine; another raid by the Russian Volunteer Corps in Belgorod; and the creation of a Marine Corps in Ukraine. - This is our weekly overview of key events and trends in and around Ukr...

Why is Ukraine important to the Jewish world? Which figures and elements of Jewish religious history and culture are linked to Ukraine? How can we look at Ukrainian and Jewish history in a way that treats tragedies with justice but also discovers parallels and interconnections? – Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and chief editor of UkraineWorld, speaks to Rabbi Jacobson, a Jewish schola...

A conversation about the Ukrainian experience during the war, Russian fascism, the future of this war, and Ukrainian security. Volodymyr Yermolenko, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, was a guest on Ukraine Calling, a podcast by Hromadske Radio, a Ukrainian independent radio broadcaster. Host: Andriy Kulykov, Chairman of the Hromadske Radio NGO and a Ukrainian radio and TV journalist. Original: htt...

Bakhmut, F-16 fighter jets, Russian volunteer corps attacks Russia - Explaining Ukraine Weekly, 22-29 May 7 key events in and around Ukraine over the past week: Zelensky on G7 meeting; agreement on F16 fighter jets; Russia ready to transfer nukes to Belarus; Ukraine returns its POWs; the situation in Bakhmut; Russian volunteer corps attacks Russia; Putin sends even more missiles and drones on Ukra...

A conversation about Ukrainian identity, Europe, and Russian imperialism. Volodymyr Yermolenko, UkraineWorld’s chief editor, was a guest of the Silicon Curtain podcast (https://www.youtube.com/@SiliconCurtain) and its host Jonathan Fink. Original (video): https://youtu.be/v4y-l6jsJeA UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of the largest Ukrainian media NGOs. Support us at patreon...

In this episode, Argentinian journalist Carolina Amoroso speaks about her experience of reporting from Ukraine during the war. She shares her understanding of the Ukrainian struggle, the strength of Ukrainian resistance, and the driving role of women in Ukrainians’ fight for their freedom. Carolina Amoroso is an Argentinian journalist and book author who has won several media awards in her country...

Why should we avoid dividing Europe into “Western,” “Central,” and “Eastern,” and instead speak of Europe as a whole? What is Ukraine’s struggle bringing to the European idea? What is it like for a British intellectual to visit Ukraine during the war? Why must Europe regain its strength and power? Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, speaks to Timothy G...

How does Russian propaganda manipulate World War II, and how is it using the Allied victory over Nazism to justify its current invasion of Ukraine? How does Russia make the "West" into an enemy, and how has this process evolved since 2022? How does Russia use pop culture to promote its narratives and justify its cruel war against Ukraine? Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of Ukrai...