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Neil Hauer

@neilphauer.bsky.social
2.2K followers 160 following 59 posts

Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya), Russia, Ukraine, Syria, heavy metal. Stories @CNN, @CBC, @NYMag, @guardian etc. 🇨🇦 neil.hauer@gmail.com. Eng/рус/հայ.

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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
While Donbas has captured public attention, the rest of Ukraine also suffers from Russia's war. In Sumy, a growing drone campaign portends more displacement as locals fear the city becoming a 'second Kherson.' I visited Sumy for @offbeatresearch.bsky.social: offbeatresearch.com/2025/11/year...
offbeatresearch.com
Years On, Sumy Struggles with Russian Bombardment - OffBeat Research
Neil Hauer reports from Sumy, a city which has grown increasingly war-weary as the threat of constant drone attacks and bombardments drag on the daily lives of its residents.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
The battle for Donbas is now fought with small arms and smaller drones, and men in teams of two or three. But the fighting is even deadlier than earlier in this war. I visited Dobropillya and spoke with some of its Ukrainian defenders, for CBC: www.cbc.ca/news/world/u...
cbc.ca
In Donbas, Ukrainian troops fight off endless Russian assaults | CBC News
In Dobropillia, a coal-mining town just a few kilometres from the front line with Russia in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, its few remaining inhabitants shuffle to find food or water under the const...
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
I'm in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine. Three massive Russian glide bombs just tore into the city a few kilometers away, big enough to feel their shockwaves in my apartment. Just an average night for Donbas.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
You can also support me on PayPal. Many thanks in advance - this is a dangerous and poorly-paid profession. www.paypal.me/neilhauer
paypal.me
Pay Neil Hauer using PayPal.Me
Go to paypal.me/neilhauer and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
Full article on the 14th Brigade and the situation on the Pokrovsk/Myrnohrad front coming soon. In the meantime, if you like my reporting, I would very much appreciate your support in continuing it: buymeacoffee.com/neilphauer
buymeacoffee.com
Neil Hauer is Artist
Canadian journalist, proud freelancer for almost a decade. Reporting on Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus and (soon) Syria for CBC, CNN, New York Magazine, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs and everyone els
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
7. Bobruk doesn't believe that any major Russian offensive is coming this fall. 'They are already doing all that they can, throwing meat constantly. They don't have the forces, and armoured vehicles don't have the same effect as they did earlier in the war.' /thread
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
6. Russians are now increasingly using civilian clothing in attempts to bypass positions. Very common just to see one or two Russians dressed casually and just wandering around. This has even led to ambushes on his team by men they had presumed were civilians.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
This meant that his team, which had been largely holding in place, was now suddenly flanked from their left. 'Many, many cases of this,' he says. 'Everyone still left in these places (near the front) are pro-Russian - many actively help them. We are constantly endangered by them.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
5. Pro-Russian civilians supporting the enemy is a huge problem in these frontline villages. Bobruk tells one story of two locals in a building to their west warmly greeting Russian soldiers and welcoming them in, allowing them to use their apartment. /cont
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
4. When major Russian assaults do come, they are almost exclusively by motorbike. Bobruk told of one Russian assault with 112 (!) motorbikes involved, each carrying two soldiers. These are rarely successful. 'Barely ten of these 224 Russians survived,' he said.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
3. Armour has nearly disappeared from the battlefield. Tanks, IFVs and heavy vehicles are all but absent now. 'We saw enemy armour literally three times total in 90 days,' Bobruk said. 'It's only men now - just meat.'
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
2. Units are all tiny now, on both sides. Bobruk's team deploys mostly in pairs, and Russians come in ones or twos. 'Even three soldiers together is already enough to almost guarantee a (FPV) drone strike,' Bobruk said.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
1. Bobruk and his team had just completed 90-day rotation, basically on the zero line/gray area the entire time. Surviving this was almost a miracle. They now had just five days off (mostly still in Donetsk oblast) before heading back - the lack of manpower is that bad.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
Yesterday I had the rare opportunity to speak with infantry from Ukraine's 14th Brigade. They had just returned from a 90-day posting in Novoekonomichne - one of the hottest parts of the entire front. Their commander, 'Bobruk,' had some very interesting insights. Thread:
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
If you're interested and have a few bucks to spare, I'd love your support in creating on-the-ground reporting with Ukraine's armed forces as they fight the Russian invaders. Donation link is below. Thank you in advance 🙏 buymeacoffee.com/neilphauer
buymeacoffee.com
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Dear followers, I have a request for you. I'm presently back in Ukraine again, and looking to make a reporting trip out to Donbas soon. The costs of this are not low, though, and keep growing as media budgets shrink. That's why I'm asking for your help to make this trip work. /1
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
More than three years into full-scale warfare, Ukraine and Russia are locked in a war of attrition, with an uncertain outcome. Yet there are some key steps that Western policymakers can take to ensure Ukraine emerges victorious. My new policy paper: carleton.ca/eetn/2025/a-...
carleton.ca
A Stoppable Force and a Movable Object: Mutual Exhaustion in Russia and Ukraine
Heavy losses in manpower and materiel have degraded the ability of both sides to achieve significant breakthroughs in offensive operations, while the past 18 months of the war have been marked by near...
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
Syria's minorities have been in the news lately, amidst uncertainty over their futures. But in the city of Aleppo, one Christian community is thriving: the Armenians. I spent a few days with them, for CTV News: www.ctvnews.ca/world/articl...
ctvnews.ca
What it’s like for minority Christians in Syria, after the fall of the longtime dictator
It’s been four months since the fall of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad marked the beginning of a new era in Syria. While the strongman’s toppling has brought hope, incidents of sectarian violence -...
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
In Tbilisi for a quick visit, and it's noticably depressing here. The most common conversation with friends is 'did you make it across the border okay?', followed by stories of foreigners who were deported. This from a country that was once the light in the region.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Visiting Ottawa this week for a short conference (and presentation on Russia/Ukraine) at my alma mater, @Carleton_U. Have already met so many Ukrainians the past day here 🇺🇦🇨🇦
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Have a pair of longform pieces (3,000-5,000 words) on Syria that I'm trying to find homes for. I've got good pitches drawn up for each, but struggling to find the right outlet(s). Any advice or suggestions appreciated.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Still searching, folks
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Nah he's right, this app is boring and lame
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
You can also reach me via email: neil.hauer@gmail.com
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Editors: I'm looking for a home for a story of mine on Latakia, Syria, where I was present just days before the the explosion of violence there this past weekend. Anyone interested? DMs are open.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
Latakia, on the Syrian coast. The former heartland of the Assad regime.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
On April 7, 2018, the Assad regime gassed the city of Douma. Survivors were brought to the Hague & forced to deny it. But their story didn't end there: two of the witnesses have been thrown out of their homes and threatened by HTS fighters. My latest from Syria: www.cbc.ca/news/world/s...
cbc.ca
Syrian gas attack witnesses coerced into false testimony face new threats at home | CBC News
After the Syrian government launched a chemical attack on the rebel-held area of Douma, Syria, in 2018, some of the survivors were forced to falsely testify it never happened. Now, some of those peopl...
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
Hey Francis, cheers for putting out this call for pitches - have just sent you an email
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Yeah he said he's been to the US like ten times and both of his brothers are there, but as he has no kids and tons of local friends and couldn't be bothered to uproot his life he stayed put
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
We walked down Al Amin street, the heart of the old Jewish quarter of Damascus, and he hailed out to people like he was a rock star. This is his Palestinian friend Nizar al-Aswad. 'I am the Palestinian resistance, and he is the Jewish spy,' Nizar joked.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Meet Bakhour Chamntoub, the new head of Damascus's Jewish community (all 7 of them). The self-proclaimed 'best tailor in Syria,' Bakhour is a real celebrity - seemingly half the Old City knows him. He says he can't leave Syria because he's a womanizer and 'all my girls are here.'
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Timely question actually, I was chatting about this with a local friend yesterday (who has some) and he said pretty much everyone who could possibly afford to has gotten them in the past few years. A big initial investment (in Syrian terms) but crucial given fuel costs and power shortages.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Am open for commissions - DM or email at neil.hauer@gmail.com
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Have just arrived in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda. The local Druze population were stridently anti-Assad for years - but the local leadership does not get along with the new Syrian authorities, either. Promises to be an interesting couple of days here.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Today I visited Douma, a northeastern suburb of Damascus that was one of the first strongholds of the Free Syrian Army. It spent seven years until siege and bombardment, with near-constant artillery and airstrikes - including a chemical gas attack.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Follow me to read the full story of these two men, and the bitter cruelty of how they were used by the regime only to be left hated by their neighbours, in the near future. In the meantime, if you'd like to support my reporting, you can do so below: buymeacoffee.com/neilphauer
buymeacoffee.com
Neil Hauer is Artist
Canadian journalist, proud freelancer for almost a decade. Reporting on Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus and (soon) Syria for CBC, CNN, New York Magazine, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs and everyone els
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
When Damascus fell in December, HTS fighters seized both men's homes, along with all their belongings. Both had already tried to flee Syria last year owing to the pressure on them, only to be captured & tortured by the regime. Now they again fear they could again be killed at any time.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Here is Abdurahman today, alongside fellow OPCW witness Omar Diab. They are now facing another problem. Many locals in Douma despise them for the testimony, even if clearly under duress. They believe that the Assad regime bribed them, using new apartments they received as proof.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Some of the survivors were rounded up by the Assad regime and Russia and forced to falsely testify to the OPCW that the attack was staged. Here is Abdurahman al-Hijazi, seen both providing aid in the attack's aftermath - and being forced to deny it, his family held hostage.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
This stairwell leads to the basement where women & children were sheltering from the bombing. As they rushed to escape, chlorine gas from the barrel that had landed two floors above them suffocated them. Eyewitnesses showed me horrific photos of the stairs clogged with bodies.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
On April 7, 2018, a Syrian Air Force helicopter dropped a barrel of chlorine gas on this street, landing on the building on the left. It was likely targeting an underground field hospital, whose now-blocked tunnel entrance can be seen in the second pic - but it missed.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Today I visited Douma, a northeastern suburb of Damascus that was one of the first strongholds of the Free Syrian Army. It spent seven years until siege and bombardment, with near-constant artillery and airstrikes - including a chemical gas attack.
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
13 years after I started obsessing over maps and videos of the Syrian war, I am actually here, in Free Damascus. Still feels like a dream. What an absolute privilege to be here and I can't wait to see so much of this beautiful country over the next month! 💚🤍🖤
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Hello Beirut 🇱🇧! Landed in Lebanon's lovely capital today for a quick stopover and last preparations. Tomorrow, I will make the journey overland to Damascus and Free Syria 🇸🇾 (when will this emoji be updated!?).
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
You can find the donation link here: buymeacoffee.com/neilphauer
buymeacoffee.com
Neil Hauer is Artist
Canadian journalist, proud freelancer for almost a decade. Reporting on Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus and (soon) Syria for CBC, CNN, New York Magazine, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs and everyone els
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Reposted by Neil Hauer
Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Re-upping this as I'm in final preparations for this trip - will be flying to Beirut on Sunday and crossing to Damascus on Monday. Any support appreciated!
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
You can find the donation link here: buymeacoffee.com/neilphauer
buymeacoffee.com
Neil Hauer is Artist
Canadian journalist, proud freelancer for almost a decade. Reporting on Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus and (soon) Syria for CBC, CNN, New York Magazine, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs and everyone els
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Thank you Louis!
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Re-upping this as I'm in final preparations for this trip - will be flying to Beirut on Sunday and crossing to Damascus on Monday. Any support appreciated!
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Neil Hauer @neilphauer.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Any other journalists (freelance or otherwise) heading to Syria soon and want to split costs on fixers etc? Drop me a line if so
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