Ukraine Without Hype

In this episode... 1:24 - Visiting some local Kyiv stories with the theme of corruption and anti-corruption. 13:44 - The Russian Kharkiv offensive is blunted but they continue to make gains outside of Avdiivka. 18:37 - The city of Kharkiv continues to be bombarded by Russia, including strikes on a busy department store and the largest print house in the country. 23:47 - An update on the captured U...

In this episode... 00:00 - Announcements: We have expanded our social media presence and have posted a new video for Patreon subscriber 2:28 - Russian attacks on energy have necessitated a re-introduction of electricity rationing 5:51 - Russia has expanded its offensive by re-invading previously liberated areas outside of Kharkiv 19:38 - Attempted assassinations of both Ukrainian President Zelensk...

In this episode, we give an overview of what brought Georgia/Sakartvelo from independence in 1991 to the place where it is now, with mass protests on the streets fighting against the so-called "Russian Law." This law, similar to the Russian foreign agent law, would put onerous restrictions on foreign funding for civil society. We then debunk claims it is similar to American FARA restrict...

In this episode, we celebrate Labor Day by speaking with returning guest Vladyslav Starodubtsev about the history of International Worker's Day in Ukraine and the world, along with the state of labor rights in Ukraine at present. Vladyslav is a leftist and labor organizer in Ukraine including with Sotsіalniy Rukh. Twitter Vladyslav: @VlStarodubtsev Anthony: @Bartaway Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski Uk...

In this episode... 01:00 - Russian missile attacks on Kharkiv and the seaside promenade in Odesa 06:44 - Russian army makes worrisome advances north of Avdiivka 14:00 - US House of Representatives finally votes for Ukraine aid, reportedly after targeted and intensive lobbying stressing the plight of Ukrainian Protestants under occupation. 33:55 - Prominent deaths on either side of the line highlig...

In this episode, we sit down with retired Congressman David Bonior, former Representative for the northern suburbs of Detroit and Democratic Party Whip from 1991-2002. David worked to shift US policy in favor of independent Ukraine in the collapse of the Soviet Union and has advocated for the country ever since. We talk about the political fight in Congress, the Ukrainian-American diaspora, and hi...

In this episode... 0:53 - Combat Update: Kharkiv hit heavily by Russian bombs, Chasiv Yar shaping to be the next big battle 9:05 - Mobilization age lowered to 25 14:05 - Russian citizens in the Ukrainian military 22:00 - Russian military recruitment around the world, the hows and whys 51:22 - Russian Orthodox Church declaration of Holy War...and anti-urbanism Links https://youtu.be/OJBnIRLYLZk?si=...

In this episode... 00:55 - Announcement: New documentary from the Kyiv Independent 01:50 - Reflections on the Kyiv Security Forum 06:57 - Combat Update: Raids into Russian territory lasting a very long time 12:30 - Russia launches a heavy nightly missile campaign against energy infrastructure and civilian homes. I go to the scene of a destroyed Art Academy 29:31 - Ukrainians made to vote in Russia...

In this episode... We interview Ivan Zharkov, a participant in the Revolution of Dignity who enlisted to defend Ukraine in the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion. He talks about his experiences in the Battles of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Bakhmut, especially as the leader of a medical unit. Links https://english.nv.ua/opinion/what-price-victory-opinion-50396884.html Twitter Anthony: @Bartaway...

In this episode... 01:00 - Another Russian ship destroyed; Russia advances in the outskirts of Avdiivka 03:24 - Czech-led artillery shell supply getting ready for shipment to Ukraine 06:27 - German Chancellor Scholz says dumb things 10:41 - French President Macron gets a whole lot more assertive, threatens French involvement in war 19:00 - Sweden joins NATO 22:38 - Polish "farmer" protes...

In this episode... 01:09 - The fall of the hero-city of Avdiivka. The city is no more. 12:04 - Remembering 10 years of Revolution and War, and 2 Years of the full-scale invasion 14:30 - The Polish farmer blockade of the border reaches grotesque new heights 22:25 - The complicated legacy of Alexei Navalny, who was killed in Russian prison 36:41 - Tucker Carlson, crass Russian propagandist, amazed b...

In this episode... 00:01:15 - Ukraine destroys two more ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet using naval drones 00:04:02 - Russia makes breakthroughs in Avdiivka, putting the defense of the city at critical risk 00:12:18 - Republican blocking of Ukraine aid leaves Ukrainian Armed Forces ammunition starved 00:23:39 - Tucker Carlson interviews Putin, old man yells at clouds 00:42:00 - Zelensky does...

Once upon a time, Ukraine Without Hype liked to do episodes that were biographies of some of Ukraine's various baddies. The Russian buildup and then the full-scale invasion created different priorities. In this episode, we look at the subjects of these exposés and ask Where Are They Now? 00:02:42 - Pavlo Vovk 00:12:50 - Ilya Kyva 00:29:00 - Viktor Medvedchuk 00:48:00 - Dmytro Firtash 01:05:44...

In this episode: 01:00 - Quick updates on Russian missile attacks, Russia freezing, and the end of the holiday season 09:00 - Combat Update - Little movement on the front line, Ukraine shoots down Russian A-50, Russian electronic warfare in the Baltic Sea 17:05 - House Republicans claim they will block Ukraine aid for the next year 24:17 - The death of the sexual assault coach turned Russian spy G...

Anthony and Romeo reflect on the biggest news stories of 2023, from the Battle of Bakhmut to the Kherson flood to Avdiivka. What went right, what went wrong, and what was unexpected? Then, we take what we learned from the year to guess what may happen next year, a year of grinding attrition warfare and an ever-more vital fight for support. Links https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XQxveVhfuI&ab_c...

In this episode... 2:50 - In the Combat Update, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold Avdiivka, Russia pushes through the divided city of Marinka, and the ZSU consolidates gains on the Left Bank of the Dnipro near Kherson 10:07 - The collaborator Ilya Kyva is assassinated near Moscow by the SBU. 13:37 - House Republicans stonewall Ukraine aid funding until next year with a list of demands. 19:54 -...

In this episodes... 02:30 - The Kyiv Independent releases a new documentary (which I narrated) on the torture of Ukrainian POWs in Russian custody 03:41 - In the Start of Winter, a huge storm hits the Black Sea while Russia ups its drone attacks on Kyiv in the early phases of an expected winter campaign against energy infrastructure. 10:03 - Putin gives a speech reaffirming his maximalist goals of...

Olga Tokariuk is a Ukrainian journalist and Chatham Fellow who was there when the history of Ukraine - and the world - changed forever on the night of November 21, 2013. Former President Yanukovych had gone back on his promises of European Association, and fully chose Russia. What followed was protests turned into Revolution, and Revolution turned into a war to defend the very existence of the Ukr...

In this episode... 00:01:11 - Combat update - Avdiivka will be the focal point of the war for at least the rest of the year. 00:07:26 - General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, writes an article in the Economist about what Ukraine needs to break out of attritional "positional" war. 00:27:11 - Russian soldiers slaughter a family for not giving up their...

Some outside pressure is asking why Ukraine won't be having wartime elections. We start by going over why that would be impossible, then dig deeper into Ukrainian electoral politics and would would come of an election. 00:01:24 - Holding elections in Ukraine would be illegal, dangerous, and logistically insurmountable. 00:14:53 - A pretty confusing bill is in the works to allow for elections a...

In this episode... 00:42 - Anthony recounts a reporting trip to Kharkiv and back to the former Kakhovka Reservoir 07:42 - Russia launches a massive assault on Avdiivka, and takes massive casualties in the process. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched a large but secretive incursion across the Dnipro River. 22:12 - The newly arrived ATACMS missiles from the US devastate Russia's helicopter fleet station...

We are joined by Joey Ayoub, PhD, host of The Fire These Times, about the recent massacre by Hamas in southern Israel and Israel's subsequent retaliation against Gaza's civilian population. The ferocity of Hamas' attack was unprecedented, but so was the systemic weakness and dysfunction of the Israeli state. Why did it happen, and is there any solution to Israel's ongoing siege of...

In this episode... 00:49 - Russia hits a grocery store and cafe holding a wake for a deceased community member in a village in Kharkiv region, killing over 50 people. 03:15 - Ukraine advances beyond the second line of defenses in the Tokmak direction 05:17 - After heavy attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet, including its headquarters in Sevastopol, the Russian Navy retreated away from Crimea to...

In this episode... 00:01:20 - Visiting a Hungarian-speaking town in the Zakarpattia region 00:18:40 - The anniversary of the assassination of Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze in 2000, and how the protest movement against it helped form Ukraine's democratic path. 00:33:11 - A trade dispute over agricultural goods stirs diplomatic row between Poland and Ukraine. 00:41:48 - Azerbaijan invade...

In this episode... 00:01:21 - Ukrainian forces begin to pierce Russia's second line of defense in the south, and retake positions near Donetsk city. 00:08:35 - Russia caught by the Cuban authorities illegally trafficking potential soldiers. 00:11:51 - Russia looks to North Korea as a source of arms. 00:16:10 - Russia holds elections, including in the occupied territories. 00:21:07 - Elon Musk...