For years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has used his intelligence, including the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (GRU), to try and understand Europe — what they are thinking, how they would react to a crisis of war. The failure
In this episode of our podcast "Power Lines: From Ukraine to the World," co-produced with Message Heard, we again take a look into cyber warfare, this time from a more policy-focused perspective, as Jakub speaks with Lauren Zabariek, the executive director of Harvard’s Belfer Center. Lauren tells us about
The war in Ukraine is being fought by land, sea, air… and online. Russia has long been infamous for its hacking and aggressive cyber warfare capabilities, having previously been responsible for devastating attacks in Ukraine and across the world. But how effective have they really been during the war? And
For many Ukrainians, holiday celebrations will look different this year. Some are in foreign countries, separated from friends and family. Some will have an empty seat at the dinner table. Christmas lights will be a little dimmer. In this special festive bonus episode, we’re catching up with various Ukrainian
The 20th century saw the development of an international rule-based order dictated by the United States, with countries tacitly abiding by certain rules in order to trade and prosper with guaranteed security. But now that Russia has removed itself from this system through horrific actions that many deem to be
For this week’s bonus episode of our podcast "Power Lines: From Ukraine to the World," we’re speaking more about Roman Ratushnyi, the Ukrainian activist who fought to preserve Kyiv’s green spaces, and was tragically killed by Russian soldiers earlier this year after joining the Armed Forces of
The demise of the Soviet Union in the 1990s saw the state's vast wealth up for grabs by enterprising citizens; in making the public into the private, a new class of both Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs was born. For decades they played a pivotal role in both local – and often
This week’s bonus episode is an extended interview with Bektour Iskender, a journalist and co-founder of Kloop, an NGO and leading news publication in Kyrgyzstan. Through his work with Kloop, Bektour trains young journalists to cover politics and investigate corruption, while also reporting on the most significant stories happening
Iran has played a key role in Russia’s recent attempts to terrorize Ukraine. As Russian front-line advances are failing, the Kremlin has been launching massive attacks on critical civilian infrastructure across Ukraine using Iranian-made drones. “The whole world will know that the Iranian regime is helping Russia to continue
The countries surrounding Russia have long been on the front line of the country’s aggressively expansionist policies. From Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia to Georgia in the Caucasus – these countries form a Eurasian region that is simultaneously at odds with Russia, but beholden to the Kremlin’s every move. But
With its glut of resources and natural gas, cheap Russian energy has long been a lifeline for nations across the globe looking to give their citizens access to affordable fuel. But with the war in Ukraine breaking down relationships between Russia and the West, what will happen when the taps
Ukraine is the most significant part of Europe’s eastern borderland: all black earth and agriculture, the last bastion before the steppe and the vastness of Russia. The country’s geography has defined its significance as a strategic center as it becomes more entwined with the liberal values of the
They usually come at four or five in the morning. Men in uniform and with guns pull up in large vehicles. The dogs start barking. The family wakes up, knowing exactly what is about to happen. The house is searched. Phones and computers are taken away. And so is the
Ukrainian history is defined by struggles for power. It has been the battleground of empires, defined by foreign domination, especially in the 20th century, when Nazi and Stalinist forces sought to dominate and strangle the country for its resources. The parallels with today are stark. In episode 2 of our
ORLIVSHCHYNA, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast – It doesn’t look like a typical camp for internally displaced persons. Once a place to unwind and enjoy nature, the Lisovyi resort located on the Samara River near Dnipro, a large city in south-central Ukraine, was turned into a shelter when Russia launched a full-scale invasion
What does it mean to be a citizen of a country whose enemies claim has no right to exist? How does it feel to live in a battleground, where fighting for your country is part of the national psyche? What does it mean to be Ukrainian in 2022? In the
In the final episode of “Did the War End?” the hosts reflect on Russia’s war against Ukraine six months in, discussing recent strikes on military sights in Russian-occupied Crimea and the hope they represent to end the occupation, as well as the biggest lessons they took away from living
After a five-month blockade of Ukrainian ports, the first ships carrying Ukrainian grain have finally started sailing to the rest of the world. Russia has historically used food as a weapon — and this time around, it’s no different. In this episode of "Did the War End?" we are joined
Russia’s war has made Ukraine one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. In this episode of "Did the War End?" we are joined by an expert to take a closer look at what would it take to demine Ukraine. The Kyiv Indie Podcasts · A Ticking Time Bomb
Often referred to as the first “TikTok war,” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marks the first time a war of this scale has played out as millions of people track every move and development in almost real-time. In this episode, we are joined by two experts to discuss disinformation, content
Here's what we know so far about Zelensky's biggest reshuffle of top officials in two years.
People call them angels. In a blue van stuffed with bags of food, sleeping mats, water, and medicine, volunteers Artem Belan and Volodymyr Antonov, both 41, drive out of Kyiv’s suburbs for a daring mission: evacuating civilians from the frontline towns of Donetsk Oblast. The fighting in Donbas, an
With Russia currently occupying over 20% of Ukraine, many Ukrainians are risking their lives to escape to Ukraine-controlled territory. In this episode, we are joined by the Kyiv Independent’s Head of Investigations Anna Myroniuk, who shares the story of one family’s escape from Kherson Oblast. The Kyiv Indie
Picture this: You’re scrolling through eBay, ten years from now, maybe looking for some artwork to put up in your new apartment. You come across a painting you like…but it looks familiar. Really familiar. You look a little closer and you realize — you’ve seen this painting before.
Since Russia illegally annexed and occupied Crimea in 2014, nearly all forms of dissent on the peninsula have been crushed. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has imposed a new layer of censorship as repressions have increased and ways of resisting have diminished. In this episode of “Did the War End?
As part of its new strategic vision, NATO members have pledged to further step up their support for Ukraine, agreeing on a strengthened military aid package. During a three-day summit held in Madrid from June 28-30, NATO heads of state and governments endorsed a new NATO 2022 Strategic Concept outlining
Disinformation has been a part of Russia's geopolitical strategy since the establishment of the Russian Imperial Police in 1881. How has Russia weaponized information, from the 1800s, Soviet times, and all the way to today? In this episode of our podcast “Did the War End?” we discuss the evolution of
Throughout Russia's war, Ukrainians all over the country have shown remarkable courage, be it to help a stranger or save their loved ones. In this episode of our podcast “Did the War End?” we hear from one of those Ukrainians — Max — who drove from Kyiv to Mariupol in the middle
Azovstal, a steel plant in now Russian-occupied Mariupol, has become a symbol of Ukraine’s fierce resistance to the Russian invasion. Thousands of Ukrainian fighters defended the plant with little to no resources, refusing to surrender for nearly three months. In this episode of our podcast “Did the War End?
The early hours of Feb. 24, 2022 were not something any Ukrainian could have imagined. It was a very regular night. Then, millions of people across the country woke up to the sounds of explosions, as Russia began its full-scale attack on Ukraine, including its capital, Kyiv. In this episode
BUCHA, Kyiv Oblast — With cameras clicking and reporters crowding around, three men in grey uniforms began pulling a dead civilian in a black body bag out of the ground. Their movements were confident and precise. They have repeated the procedure dozens of times in recent days. After Kyiv Oblast was
“Sometimes hope returns to me. But sometimes it leaves, and I think that we are all going to die,” says Anastasiia Kiseliova, a 40-year-old mother of three, as she walks through the streets of Mariupol, voice-recording herself on an iPhone. “The city is gone,” she adds, her voice trembling. She
