iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Richard Coombes

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

All Republicans have to offer voters in the midterms is failure, lies, corruption, cover ups, fear mongering, name calling, enrichment of oligarchs, christian nationalism, racism, data centers everywhere, flock cameras, higher prices, new wars and fake bribes. Hell of a platform.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Learning the difference between a window and a mirror is a long process for some, it seems.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Lots of those who love you are simply quieter than the loudest social media voices. But nothing can conceal the fact that collectively in “the west” we’ve been too cowardly to help you properly. And now instead of taking the chance to defeat Russia in 2023 we’re bleating about our own defence.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Strange suddenly seeing Shevchenko. I listened to him a lot on Echo of Moscow a few years ago. I seem to remember concluding he was a true Leninist for sure, possibly also a Stalinist. He thumped Nikolai Svanidze during a radio argument on WWII losses under Stalin. Slippery, broadly speaking.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

“Russia is not my enemy” = “I don’t have the faintest idea who Russia is”

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

“It will be very short” is kind of what Sikorski said. Russia agree they’d lose such a war in just a few days? Progress.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

First time on a missile, second time to take the surrender

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Here’s an idea: learn from history. Evacuate Moscow completely then burn it to the ground yourselves. Difficult to see what can go wrong.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Oh well. US = Russian allies. European leaders = not-leaders. NATO Article 5 = “deliberately ambiguous” [translation: so we never have to activate it]. Ukraine 💔

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Russia has repeatedly struck US businesses in Ukraine. Not a word from Rubio. Russia has armed and informed Iran vs the US. Not a word. Russia's war has imperilled food supplies and driven up oil prices. Not a word. If all you can do is badmouth an ally on the wrong end of a genocide, STFU.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

This thread is really well expressed, thank you

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Reposted by Richard Coombes

jaculis.bsky.social @jaculis.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Russia thinks in tactics. From a reflexive control perspective Lavrov’s statements around "peace initiatives" target several distinct desired behaviors from both Ukraine and the West. Let's have a look to see what is really going on. /1

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Useful to get them all in one place

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Well, yeah, Patrushev, we all saw what a piece of cake Ukraine was for you.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

In which case can I please wake up in six weeks time and find that this is over? Or am I just going to continue reading stuff like this while Russia continues killing Ukrainians and no one except Ukraine has the balls to respond.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I confess I can’t read the tea leaves here. Russia is projecting strength, but is this because they feel at risk and are covering up a certain amount of alarm, or because they sense a genuine opportunity?

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

They’re taking the piss. Amusing themselves watching those two gnomes soak up the idea that predetermined “elections” might change something.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The long post-WWII record of other countries attacking the peace-loving Russian Federation has understandably set Russian nerves jangling … hang on … something’s nagging at me … trying to put my finger on it … no, it’s gone

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Isn’t the message to Putin “Are you going to climb into this van yourself or do these nice uniformed gentlemen have to help you?”

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

There’s something wrong with “Hands out in front of you, these uniformed officers will see you safely into custody”?

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

“Putin signalled a possible change in his position” oh dear, here we go again, Europe goes back to waiting for the rabbit from the hat.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

If DJT were a dog, his owners would have SO taken him to the vet a long time ago.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Russia will crack before Ukraine does. My question has always been how much damage Russia will do in these end days, on the way down.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Putin is a cowardly violent gnome whose days are numbered. Trump is a sick narcissist whose days are numbered. They will, unhappily, be with us doing violence for a while, but not a great long while. They can pretend all they like that they’re the only two who can carve up the world. It’s ending.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Trump is completely in thrall to Putin, something that western leaders and even Ukrainians seem unable to acknowledge.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Plan to knock out Russia’s missiles systems today please

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Other allies not being attacked described their missiles as not available for allies actually being attacked

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I’ve a ready-to-go list of people he can prosecute

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

In May I went to the Kyiv Book Arsenal and enjoyed a number of panel discussions and presentations. Here are Maksym Butkevich, Mariana Savka with Illarion Pavliuk, Pavlo Derevianko, Artur Dron and Yevhenia Kuznetsova, YK again, and Julia Musakovska with Oleksandra Matviychuk

Maksym Butkevich at the Kyiv Book Arsenal in May 2026, speaking on stage into a microphone in front of a large blue screen with bold white text, addressing a seated audience that watches and records him on a smartphone.

Panel discussion on a publishing stage with five speakers — two in military uniforms, a moderator holding a microphone and books on a table — addressing a seated audience beneath large stylized "Publishing Stage" signage.
Participants are Mariana Savka with Illarion Pavliuk, Pavlo Derevianko, Artur Dron and Yevhenia Kuznetsova

Kyiv Book Arsenal, May 2026. Panel discussion. Yevhenia Kuznetsova speaking into a handheld microphone, hand on her chest while explaining a point against a blue LED backdrop, with a second microphone and a purple cup on the table in front of her.

Kyiv Book Arsenal, May 2026. Panel discussion on a blue "Literary Stage" backdrop: Oleksandra Matviychuk on the right speaks into a microphone, the chairperson in the center listens, and Julia Musakovska on the left holds notes while audience heads fill the foreground.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

In May I went to the Kyiv Book Arsenal, and was overjoyed to meet a number of people who mean a lot to me. Natalie Skorykova (Orlando Publishing), Maryna Ponomarenko, whose poetry I translate, Yevhenia Kuznetsova, whose novels I love, and Valentyna Merzhyievska, co-host of the podcast Repainted Fox.

Natalie Skorykova and I embrace warmly at the Kyiv Book Arsenal, while blurred visitors and colourful booths fill the background.

A selfie of Maryna Ponomarenko and me at the Kyiv Book Arsenal, with a leafy tree and part of the Arsenal building behind us, a lamppost and other people visible in the background.

Yevhenia Kusnetsova and me at the Kyiv Book Arsenal, smiling in a close-up selfie — Yevhenia in the lower-left and me on the right wearing a dark shirt with a light crossbody strap; other attendees and artwork are visible in the background.

Me and Valentyna Merzhyievska leaning together for a sunny outdoor selfie, smiling at the camera; Valentyna on left wears hoop earrings, glasses on her head, turtleneck and pendant, me on right has light hair; sunlit brick building and blue sky in background.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. Touristy post 7 of 7. The two escalators, stacked one on top of the other at Arsenalna metro station, making it the deepest underground station in Europe. And the famous St Michael and St Sophia.

Arsenalna metro station, Kyiv. The first of two long, steep escalators, this one descending through a curved underground tunnel lined with glowing ad panels along the center, a few distant riders visible at the far end.

Arsenalna metro station, Kyiv. The second of two long, steep escalators, this one in an arched subway tunnel lined with illuminated ad panels, a worker in an orange vest riding upwards.

St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, Kyiv, with multiple gilded onion domes topped by crosses, ornate white-and-gold trim on pale blue walls, set against a cloudy sky.

St Sophia, Kyiv, its ornate bell tower topped by a gilded onion dome and cross, with pale turquoise-and-white decorative facade and arched openings, set beside smaller green-roofed domes against a cloudy sky.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

4? And nice commentary by the cameraman, as ever 😉

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. Touristy post 6 of 7. Windows in my hotel, broken in a Russian attack a couple of days before my arrival.

Hotel Ukraine, Kyiv. Sidewalk and building entrance cordoned off after damage, with shattered glass and broken window frames scattered across the pavement, boarded-up openings along the stone façade, and temporary barriers displaying "No entry" signs.

Hotel Ukraine, Kyiv. Boarded-up windows in stone side wall of hotel, with tall vertical pilasters, next to a street sign reading "вулиця Інститутська 4" (4 Institutka Street).

Hotel Ukraine, Kyiv. Pedestrian path beside the hotel blocked by a metal barrier with "No entry" signs, the brick walkway and steps littered with shattered window glass and broken frames between the building wall and a row of trees.

$The restaurant, Hotel Ukraine, Kyiv. Large windowpane with long vertical spiderweb cracks radiating from a central break, sunlight glinting along the fracture lines and soft clouds reflected behind a partially drawn curtain.$

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. Touristy post 5 of 7. Babyn Yar.

Informational sign in Ukrainian marking the Babyn Yar local landscape reserve, showing a park map, regulations and purpose text with a Ukrainian trident emblem, mounted on posts among dense green trees and foliage.

Babyn Yar, Kyiv. Rain-wet tiled park walkway lined with angled informational display panels and benches, surrounded by tall leafy trees with buildings visible in the distance.

Babyn Yar, Kyiv. Empty grassy clearing with two simple blue metal soccer goals and a dirt foreground, surrounded by dense green trees under a cloudy sky.

Babyn Yar, Kyiv. A narrow dirt hiking path cuts through dense green deciduous woods, flanked by tall trees and thick undergrowth, with a large textured tree trunk at left and a few broken concrete slabs visible in the foreground.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

It’s only ever been Ukraine defending itself that’s earned any comment from them

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. Touristy post 4 of 7. The Holodomor Museum. A 1932 law forbade picking up even leftover ears of grain. Mill wheels of farmers who missed their quotas but were found with food in their houses were broken.

Gateway to the Holodomor Museum, Kyiv, framed by two carved mourning figures, a tall column topped with a flame beyond, stones marked 1932 and 1933, and two visitors walking toward it along a tree-lined path.

The Holodomor Museum, Kyiv. Bronze statue of a young girl with braided hair clutching 5 ears of wheat to her chest, leafy trees blurred in the background.

The Holodomor Museum, Kyiv. Tall white monument tower topped by a gold, flame-shaped spire against a pastel sunset, façade patterned with repeating cross motifs and metal latticework at the base, with a large tree on the left and small groups of visitors walking in the foreground.

The Holodomor Museum, Kyiv. Three weathered circular stone millstones rest along a grassy slope beside low stone steps, framed by a tree and dense green shrubs, with a wet, textured paved area in the foreground.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. This is touristy post 3 of 7. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Golden onion domes and white facades of the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, overlooking the Dnipro river, a tree-lined park and distant city skyline beneath a partly cloudy sky.

The tall, ornate bell tower of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, with its white columns and gilded dome rising above the historic monastery courtyard, green-roofed buildings and rain‑slick, flower-lined walkway under a cloudy sky.

Panoramic view of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, with green roofs and golden onion domes overlooking the Dnipro river and a bridge, framed by tree-lined banks and a distant city skyline under a cloudy sky.

Preserved fragment of an ancient brick-and-stone wall displayed in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra under an ornate wrought-iron canopy and protective fence in a courtyard, accompanied by an informational plaque and a decorated white building in the background.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. This is touristy post 2 of 7. Dnipro views.

Panoramic riverside Kyiv cityscape at dusk showing a curving riverfront promenade with traffic, historic and modern buildings along the quay, bridges in the distance, and leafy trees framing the foreground under a wide, cloud-streaked sky.

Panoramic view of the Dnipro river in Kyiv, crossed by a red-and-white suspension bridge, bordered by sandy beaches and dense green forest, with a distant city skyline under a blue sky.

Panoramic Kyiv riverside cityscape with a wide blue river in the foreground, a sandy tree-lined shore to the right, a modern arched cable-stayed bridge crossing the water, and clusters of high-rise buildings and construction cranes on the distant skyline.

Kyiv: Hilltop statue of Volodymyr the Great, on a wrapped pedestal and overlooking the Dnipro river and a pale pedestrian bridge, with a forested riverbank and distant city skyline framed by leafy trees and a riverside path where two people are walking.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

In May this year I went to Kyiv, partly as a tourist but mainly to attend the Kyiv Book Arsenal. This is touristy post 1 of 7. Майдан Незалежності (Independence Square). A general view by day; the same view from my hotel window by night and then day; the Maidan on Kyiv Day.

Kyiv's most famous Maidan (square), with its war memorial, a large "Я ❤ УКРАЇНУ" sign, rows of candles on the steps and hundreds of Ukrainian flags, flowers and tributes gathered before a columned government building and an ornate tower.

Kyiv's most famous Maidan (square): a central illuminated victory column in a mostly empty, warmly lit square with surrounding formal buildings, glass-domed underground entrances, tree-lined lawns and streets extending into a deep blue night sky.

Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv at golden hour, with the tall Independence column topped by a golden winged statue, the circular plaza, grassy rooftop pavilions and surrounding historic government and residential buildings beneath a wide, partly cloudy sky.

Independence Monument in Kyiv’s central Maidan square lit vertically in red, white and green at sunset, topped by a golden angel with a wreath, with the plaza, fountains, pedestrians and city skyline bathed in warm orange light.

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Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

“sacred” (rather than “great”)

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