iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

A new school year begins in Ukraine under the sound of air raid sirens. Nearly 3 million students returned to school as Russia escalates its daytime attacks.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Historian and writer Olena Stiazhkina argues that Ukraine cannot simply “go back to how it was” — and in some aspects shouldn’t want to. In her essay, she explores whether war can be normalized in a positive way, and what this could mean for Ukraine and Europe.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

In Kramatorsk, a frontline city in eastern Ukraine, a drone was used in attempts to attach a cable to a damaged flagpole in the days leading up to Ukraine's Flag Day. Ultimately, a real battle unfolded over that flag.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Living in Ukraine means dealing with challenges every day — always in the plural, because it is never just one thing. We are fighting, getting tired, taking losses, and planning. None of it can be paused.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

On International Youth Day, we’re sharing the voices of young people from Pavlohrad, a city 50 km from the combat zone. Some plan to leave for university, others have returned. But many say they don’t want to leave unless they have to. Here’s what home means to them.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

A century ago, villages in Zakarpattia lived closely tied to the land, with water mills at the heart of local life. The mill in Mala Uholka has been cared for by the Yarema family for three generations — a living reminder that there is no future without the past.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

In the 1920s, while the world was reading the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Virginia Woolf, Erich Maria Remarque, Ukrainian writers were building their own literary renaissance. By 1938, most of them had been arrested, imprisoned, or killed. 🧵

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Chris Liu, Vice President of Radio Taiwan International and media expert, explains why it is critical for Ukraine and Taiwan to learn from each other — because they share so many similarities, including the same enemy.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

An FPV drone was flying low over Kherson when “the internet guys” cut its fiber-optic cable. Situations like this have become a kind of everyday reality in Kherson.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Following Russia's overnight mass attack on Ukraine, a blind man searches for his dog in a damaged apartment building in Lviv. The frightened dog ran away during the attack, but was later found safe.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

On the night of July 28-29, 2022, Russian forces blew up a prison barrack in Olenivka, occupied Donechchyna, where 193 Azov POWs were being held. At least 53 were killed. A witness recalls that many people died because evacuation was never even attempted.🧵

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

How can a stork livestream affect people during wartime? Zoologist and lecturer Anatolii Podobailo explains how people in Ukraine's Poltava region began watching a livestream from Pyriatyn National Nature Park during air raid alerts—and why it became a source of comfort.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Ukraine has a new Commander-in-Chief. On 21 July, President Zelenskyy appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi to lead the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi. This is what you should know about him🧵

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

After days of mass protests across Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapatyi has been named the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But Ukrainians have known his name far longer.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Ukrainians are taking to the streets in peaceful demonstrations across Ukraine to oppose the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov from the position of Minister of Defense.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

We traveled to Kherson—a city with no safe neighborhoods, only places hit less often. Roofers work between drone attacks, a 7-year-old ignores explosions, and a 20-year-old cuts an enemy drone’s fiber-optic cable over the market. This is how residents describe life here.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

On July 14th, France celebrates the end of arbitrary rule and the birth of national sovereignty. Twelve years after Maidan, Ukrainians are still fighting for the same principles — every day.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

In Kyiv, two children swung on a swing in front of a residential building struck by Russia the night before. Children deserve a childhood free from sirens and fear. Protecting Ukraine's skies means protecting the future of an entire generation.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

If we want to overcome disinformation and propaganda, we cannot rely on censorship. Peter Pomerantsev, British scholar and expert on propaganda, explains that, if we want to stop disinformation, we must make the argument that tech companies are the biggest censors in the democratic world.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

“Russia is playing both sides of the coin.” @ksvarnon.bsky.social explains how Russia constructs two parallel identities: one for the West, built around “whiteness,” Christianity, and traditional values, and another for the Global South, framed as anti-colonial and anti-racial.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Russia tried not only to denigrate Azov, but to copy their own version of the unit. Why didn’t it work? Chief of Staff of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov," Arsen Dmytryk, call sign Lemko, shared his thoughts in an interview with Ukraïner.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

On the night of June 14–15, Ukraine endured another large-scale Russian attack. Our thoughts are with the families of those killed. Furthermore, several important cultural sites were damaged in what appear to have been deliberate strikes. Here's what we know so far. 🧵

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

12 years ago, the Ukrainian Army succeeded in reclaiming the land of Mariupol, a culturally wealthy, modernized industrial hub. The case of Mariupol shows resilience and strength in yet another time of History when freedom is something Ukrainians have to fight for. 🧵

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

History Professor Marci Shore explains how one of the most profound issues facing Russia today is a failure to recognize the subjectivity of the perpetrators of Stalinist terror, instead interpreting the evils of Russia's past as a metaphysical act of nature.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

What makes someone in Spain stop scrolling and feel the weight of a war happening far away? Spanish journalist Alicia Alamillos talks with us about the challenges of telling stories from Ukraine and beyond, and why Russia's disinformation works so well in Latin America.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

We are turning 10 this summer. 1802 people have already joined our community. With your support, we can do great things. How can you make it move on? Join the Ukraїner community via a monthly subscription: www.ukrainer.net/en/donate-en/

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Ukraїner turns 10. We’ve spent these years traveling across Ukraine, documenting it as it is, and sharing its stories with the world. We’ll be honest with you — it’s hard work. If you value independent journalism, support us by becoming a monthly subscriber to Ukraїner. Thank you for being with us.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

For years, much of Eastern Europe was interpreted through Moscow's perspective in both journalism and academia. Natalia Antelava, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Coda Story, reflects on how this legacy persists and why Ukraine has played a key role in changing the conversation.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Russia is rapidly scaling up its UAV forces while transferring personnel from infantry units to new drone battalions. Arsen Dmytryk, call sign Lemko, Chief of Staff of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov", outlines two possible reasons behind this strategy.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

💬 “I don’t expect people to be preoccupied with what’s happening with the protests in Georgia, the war here or the war in Gaza. It’s up to journalists to connect the dots and explain how something that happens in these remote places affects their lives”

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Who gets to be seen as truly “European”? We talk with Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon, an American scholar, about how the perception of Ukrainians in Europe shifted after 2022, and how ideas of Europeanness and whiteness expand, but can just as quickly contract again under political pressure.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

“Countermeasures against drones will be developed soon. Just wait.” Arsen Dmytryk, callsign “Lemko,” Chief of Staff of Ukraine's 1st Azov Corps, talks about why the cult of drones is the wrong approach.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Taiwan and Ukraine face similar challenges in today’s world. Both are under constant pressure from authoritarian neighbors and targeted by large-scale disinformation campaigns. We explore the parallels with Chris Liu, Vice President of Radio Taiwan International and media expert 🧵

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon (@ksvarnon.bsky.social), an American scholar, talks about the growing connections between the American far right, ideas of whiteness, and the romanticization of Russia as a “traditional” white state.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Mamure Chabanova, a Crimean Tatar philologist, teacher, and translator born in Bakhchysarai and raised there, speaks about language as a space of memory and how Russification and occupation have shaped its survival. 🧵

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Russia portrays itself differently across regions. Historian and writer @ksvarnon.bsky.social explains how Russia projects itself as a bastion of traditional values to the West and as anti-colonial to the Global South. Watch our latest interview here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUF-...

youtube.com

Historian Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon on Russia, Ukraine, and the Politics of Whiteness | How Come

YouTube video by Ukrainer in English

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

“I don’t like terms like ‘brainwashing’ because that sort of envisages a passive recipient of propaganda, and it’s not like that. It’s a two-way street. Effective propaganda gives people a script they want to play.” We discussed with @peterpomeranzev the mechanisms of propaganda.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Sloviansk in Donechchyna lies just 15 km from the frontline and faces constant shelling. Russia wants the region handed over in exchange for a ceasefire. But what do locals think? We went to Sloviansk and asked residents.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

For Ukraine, Europe Day is more than history. It stands for freedom, equality, and peace—the values that inspired millions during the Revolution of Dignity. Ukrainians took to the streets not for abstract politics, but for the right to live with dignity in a free country.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

In Sloviansk, we meet local activist Vasyl Khomenko. He speaks about a local school he once considered one of the best in the city—now destroyed after a guided aerial bomb strike—and reflects on how education has become a target in Russia’s war of aggression.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

The draft of the new Civil Code No. 15150 passed its first reading in the Verkhovna Rada. A number of its provisions have sparked outrage and contradict Ukraine’s commitments to European integration. On May 5, Ukrainians took to the streets in Kyiv to protest it. Here's why 🧵

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

“First, Russia must be defeated. Then Russian society must feel collective guilt for what happened under Stalinism and for the slaughters inflicted, especially on Ukrainians. There must be this collective sense of guilt. Russian children must learn the truth in textbooks of what Russians did.”

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Well-meaning supporters of labor rights sometimes thoughtlessly share Soviet imagery or praise the Soviet Union. This positive perception is often rooted in a romanticized, theoretical concept of the USSR. We explain why the Soviet Union was actually opposed to labor rights.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

In a recent interview, French political analyst Nicolas Tenzer explains why many political leaders avoid addressing Russia’s crimes despite overwhelming evidence. Here’s what he said 👇

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

April is Genocide Awareness, Remembrance, and Prevention Month. For Ukraine, this means highlighting Russia’s atrocities since 2014 and remembering the Holodomor—the man-made famine of 1932–33—because today’s crimes can’t be understood without historical context.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Millions of people in Ukraine are watching a livestream of a single stork nest in Pyriatyn National Nature Park. We stopped by during our expedition across the Poltava region and interviewed zoologist Anatoliy Podobailo. He told us how the livestream was set up.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

In 1937, Guernica became a symbol of modern aerial terror. Today, attacks on civilians, the destruction of cities, and war against civilian infrastructure once again raise the same question: what have we learned from history?

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

In February 2025, a Russian drone struck the New Safe Confinement over Chornobyl’s reactor no. 4. Experts say it may have been directly targeted, with no new international sanctions imposed. The strike caused a major fire and serious damage. Here’s what we know. 🧵

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Russia suffers from a crisis of subjectivity on all levels of society and the country requires the same kind of total reset Germany experienced after WWII. History Professor Marci Shore explains why, for Russia to have a democratic future, something needs to be radically, radically different.

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Ukraїner in English @ukrainer-en.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Under our previous posts about Iryna Kalinina’s photo, some comments claim the woman on the stretcher is a “propagandist.” This is false. The myth is so widespread that a chapter in Evgeniy Maloletka’s book The Siege of Mariupol is titled “Iryna and Marianna.”

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