Explaining Ukraine

Andriy Andrushkiv, a Ukrainian activist who runs an NGO reforming Ukraine’s institutions, became a volunteer soldier after February 24th. Andriy is also a theologian, and regularly publishes commentary on the Bible, trying to present the Gospels’ stories as if they were happening with us, now. We sent Andriy our questions through a messenger, and he replied to them using a smartphone dictaphone from the frontline. Listen to our conversation. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld

Agreements aimed to unblock Ukrainian grain exports were signed this week in Istanbul. The very next day, Russia attacked Ukraine's most critical port in Odesa. The three port complexes of Odesa are key to export Ukrainian food worldwide. – This is the weekly digest of our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld

Makariv, a town near Kyiv, suffered from heavy fighting in February and March 2022. We visited Makariv and talked to its residents. Listen to our stories – about a director of a culture centre who evacuated town residents under the shelling, about a woman who lived for almost a month under occupation, about another woman who was raped by a Russian soldier and whose husband was killed when he tried to defend her. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld

Why is Ukraine constantly asking for weapons? Can it defend itself with the weapons it already has? Can it mount a counter-offensive against the Russians army with the weapons available to it now? How have the armaments supplied by Ukraine’s international partners made a difference on the frontline? – Listen to our conversation with Alina Frolova, Ukraine’s former deputy defense minister and current deputy head of board of the Centre for Defense Strategies. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld

Russians continue their missile strikes against civilians in Ukrainian cities. Horrible attack on Vinnytsia (at least 24 people dead, many wounded and missing); attacks on Chasiv Yar, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv. Russian “operational pause” in the Eastern Ukraine. Prominent human rights activist Maksym Butkevych is in Russian captivity. We focus on these key developments in this week’s episode of the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld

One of Ukraine’s finest reporters, Nataliya Gumenyuk has traveled across many Ukrainian regions to understand the Russian invasion, Ukrainian resistance, and grassroots Ukrainian democracy. In this episode of the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast, she shares her reflections on what she has seen. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld

The explanation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not only geopolitical, but also psychological. It is rooted in Russia’s culture of violence and political sado-masochism. We discuss this with Peter Pomerantsev, senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University and author of the best-selling books, This is Not Propaganda and Nothing is True and Everything is Possible. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld

Ukrainians are using Western-supplied high-tech weapons to destroy Russian ammunition stocks, thus undermining Russia’s whole artillery-dependent warfighting strategy. We focus on this key development in this week’s episode of the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld

Chernihiv, a medieval city in Northern Ukraine, suffered heavily from Russian shelling and airstrikes in February and March. The city was without electricity and water for one month, and over 140 multi-storey buildings and over 2,000 private houses were damaged or destroyed. The number of dead could reach 1,000 people. If Chernihiv had fallen, the Russians were in position to take Kyiv next. We traveled to Chiernihiv, filmed the destruction, and talked to the local authorities and volunteers. – Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld

Russia made a missile strike on a trade mall in Kremenchuk, killing over 20 people; 36 went missing. This and others are cases of Russia’s increasing missile terrorism hitting civilian targets in Ukraine, which Kremlin propaganda tries in vain to deny. Unable to withstand Ukrainian strikes, Russia retreats from the Zmiinyi island in the Black Sea, but Russians continue their offensive in the whole Luhansk oblast in the East. The situation on the front is difficult as weapon disparity between Russia and Ukraine is still considerable. NATO summit in Madrid calls Russia “the most significant and direct threat” to Allies. – This and more in a new weekly digest of our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld