Ukraine Without Hype
By Ukraine Without Hype
Ukraine Without HypeJul 17, 2023
79 - International Worker's Day Special w/ Vladyslav Starodubtsev
In this episode, we celebrate Labor Day by speaking with returning guest Vladyslav Starodubtsev about the history of International Worker's Day in Ukraine and the world, along with the state of labor rights in Ukraine at present. Vladyslav is a leftist and labor organizer in Ukraine including with Sotsіalniy Rukh.
Vladyslav: @VlStarodubtsev
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
78 - US Congress Finally Passes Ukraine Aid
In this episode...
01:00 - Russian missile attacks on Kharkiv and the seaside promenade in Odesa
06:44 - Russian army makes worrisome advances north of Avdiivka
14:00 - US House of Representatives finally votes for Ukraine aid, reportedly after targeted and intensive lobbying stressing the plight of Ukrainian Protestants under occupation.
33:55 - Prominent deaths on either side of the line highlight the differences in the quality of people involved.
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
77 - Ukraine and US Congress w/ former Democratic Whip David Bonior
In this episode, we sit down with retired Congressman David Bonior, former Representative for the northern suburbs of Detroit and Democratic Party Whip from 1991-2002. David worked to shift US policy in favor of independent Ukraine in the collapse of the Soviet Union and has advocated for the country ever since. We talk about the political fight in Congress, the Ukrainian-American diaspora, and his current mission in the country.
But first, some updates about Chasiv Yar, missile strikes, mobilization reform, and protests in Georgia.
Links
https://youtu.be/OJBnIRLYLZk?si=dbYgifdM2MEAgyBt
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
76 - Russian Foreign Military Recruitment
In this episode...
0:53 - Combat Update: Kharkiv hit heavily by Russian bombs, Chasiv Yar shaping to be the next big battle
9:05 - Mobilization age lowered to 25
14:05 - Russian citizens in the Ukrainian military
22:00 - Russian military recruitment around the world, the hows and whys
51:22 - Russian Orthodox Church declaration of Holy War...and anti-urbanism
Links
https://youtu.be/OJBnIRLYLZk?si=dbYgifdM2MEAgyBt
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
75 - Heavy Russian Missile Campaign & ISIS Attack Outside Moscow
In this episode...
00:55 - Announcement: New documentary from the Kyiv Independent
01:50 - Reflections on the Kyiv Security Forum
06:57 - Combat Update: Raids into Russian territory lasting a very long time
12:30 - Russia launches a heavy nightly missile campaign against energy infrastructure and civilian homes. I go to the scene of a destroyed Art Academy
29:31 - Ukrainians made to vote in Russian "elections"
31:13 - ISIS attack on Moscow suburb
49:40 - 20 Days in Mariupol is the first Ukrainian film to win an Oscar
Links
https://youtu.be/OJBnIRLYLZk?si=dbYgifdM2MEAgyBt
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
74 - From the Streets of Maidan to the Trenches of Bakhmut w/ Ukrainian Soldier Ivan Zharkov
In this episode...
We interview Ivan Zharkov, a participant in the Revolution of Dignity who enlisted to defend Ukraine in the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion. He talks about his experiences in the Battles of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Bakhmut, especially as the leader of a medical unit.
Links
https://english.nv.ua/opinion/what-price-victory-opinion-50396884.html
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
73 - A European News Roundup: Vive la France
In this episode...
01:00 - Another Russian ship destroyed; Russia advances in the outskirts of Avdiivka
03:24 - Czech-led artillery shell supply getting ready for shipment to Ukraine
06:27 - German Chancellor Scholz says dumb things
10:41 - French President Macron gets a whole lot more assertive, threatens French involvement in war
19:00 - Sweden joins NATO
22:38 - Polish "farmer" protest worsens
27:27 - Russia nearly kills the Prime Minster of Greece
31:17 - Russia threatens Moldova over Transnistria with strong parallels between Moldova and Ukraine
Links
https://english.nv.ua/opinion/what-price-victory-opinion-50396884.html
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
72 - The Fall of the Hero-City of Avdiivka
In this episode...
01:09 - The fall of the hero-city of Avdiivka. The city is no more.
12:04 - Remembering 10 years of Revolution and War, and 2 Years of the full-scale invasion
14:30 - The Polish farmer blockade of the border reaches grotesque new heights
22:25 - The complicated legacy of Alexei Navalny, who was killed in Russian prison
36:41 - Tucker Carlson, crass Russian propagandist, amazed by shopping carts
Links
https://english.nv.ua/opinion/tucker-carlson-interview-with-vladimir-putin-compared-to-holodomor-denier-walter-duranty-50391631.html
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
71 - Tucker Carlson Goes to Moscow, Avidiivka Critical while GOP blocks aid
In this episode...
00:01:15 - Ukraine destroys two more ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet using naval drones
00:04:02 - Russia makes breakthroughs in Avdiivka, putting the defense of the city at critical risk
00:12:18 - Republican blocking of Ukraine aid leaves Ukrainian Armed Forces ammunition starved
00:23:39 - Tucker Carlson interviews Putin, old man yells at clouds
00:42:00 - Zelensky does personnel shakeup of Ukraine's top brass, replaces Zaluzhnyi
00:51:38 - Zelensky passes a decree on the study of formerly Ukrainian-inhabited regions within the borders of the Russian Federation.
00:57:03 - Ukraine's Eurovision contestants were selected
Links
https://english.nv.ua/opinion/tucker-carlson-interview-with-vladimir-putin-compared-to-holodomor-denier-walter-duranty-50391631.html
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
70 - The "Where Are They Now?" Episode
Once upon a time, Ukraine Without Hype liked to do episodes that were biographies of some of Ukraine's various baddies. The Russian buildup and then the full-scale invasion created different priorities. In this episode, we look at the subjects of these exposés and ask Where Are They Now?
00:02:42 - Pavlo Vovk
00:12:50 - Ilya Kyva
00:29:00 - Viktor Medvedchuk
00:48:00 - Dmytro Firtash
01:05:44 - Arsen Avakov
01:20:35 - Conclusions
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 69: Ukraine's Most Pressing Internal Issue - Mobilization Reform
In this episode:
01:00 - Quick updates on Russian missile attacks, Russia freezing, and the end of the holiday season
09:00 - Combat Update - Little movement on the front line, Ukraine shoots down Russian A-50, Russian electronic warfare in the Baltic Sea
17:05 - House Republicans claim they will block Ukraine aid for the next year
24:17 - The death of the sexual assault coach turned Russian spy Gonzalo Lira
32:25 - Headline Story - Extremely unpopular reforms to the mobilization system flounder in parliament, and the underlying problems that surround them.
51:09 - Protests in the Russian region of Bashkortostan
57:53 - New Year prisoner exchange brings defenders of Mariupol and Snake Island home at last
Links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XQxveVhfuI&ab_channel=KyivIndependent
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Shedryk - Carol of the Bells (Traditional)
Episode 68: Looking Back on 2023
Anthony and Romeo reflect on the biggest news stories of 2023, from the Battle of Bakhmut to the Kherson flood to Avdiivka. What went right, what went wrong, and what was unexpected? Then, we take what we learned from the year to guess what may happen next year, a year of grinding attrition warfare and an ever-more vital fight for support.
Links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XQxveVhfuI&ab_channel=KyivIndependent
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Shedryk - Carol of the Bells (Traditional)
Episode 67: Ukraine enters EU Negotiations, but the US House Republicans Block Aid to Ukraine
In this episode...
2:50 - In the Combat Update, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold Avdiivka, Russia pushes through the divided city of Marinka, and the ZSU consolidates gains on the Left Bank of the Dnipro near Kherson
10:07 - The collaborator Ilya Kyva is assassinated near Moscow by the SBU.
13:37 - House Republicans stonewall Ukraine aid funding until next year with a list of demands.
19:54 - Hungary steps aside to allow Ukraine to enter EU accession negotiations but blocks aid funding.
25:20 - A more pro-EU government is sworn in in Poland, which may begin the process of ending the truck blockade on the border.
Links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XQxveVhfuI&ab_channel=KyivIndependent
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Shedryk - Carol of the Bells (Traditional)
Episode 66: The Russian Hand Behind the Polish Trucking Blockade
In this episodes...
02:30 - The Kyiv Independent releases a new documentary (which I narrated) on the torture of Ukrainian POWs in Russian custody
03:41 - In the Start of Winter, a huge storm hits the Black Sea while Russia ups its drone attacks on Kyiv in the early phases of an expected winter campaign against energy infrastructure.
10:03 - Putin gives a speech reaffirming his maximalist goals of reforging the Russian Empire while the Russian Supreme Court declares LGBT people to be extremists
20:52 - In the headline story, the Polish trucker blockade on the Ukrainian border, which is blocking Ukrainian humanitarian goods, has clear Russian influence behind it.
31:00 - The "Scythian Gold" that had been locked in legal limbo after the illegal annexation of Crimea has finally returned home to Kyiv.
Links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XQxveVhfuI&ab_channel=KyivIndependent
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 65: Ten Years of Revolution, the Anniversary of Euromaidan with Olga Tokariuk
Olga Tokariuk is a Ukrainian journalist and Chatham Fellow who was there when the history of Ukraine - and the world - changed forever on the night of November 21, 2013. Former President Yanukovych had gone back on his promises of European Association, and fully chose Russia. What followed was protests turned into Revolution, and Revolution turned into a war to defend the very existence of the Ukrainian people.
We look back at that time 10 years ago, and what it means now.
Olga's Links
Twitter: @olgatokariuk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-tokariuk/
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 64: A Russian Pogrom
In this episode...
00:01:11 - Combat update - Avdiivka will be the focal point of the war for at least the rest of the year.
00:07:26 - General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, writes an article in the Economist about what Ukraine needs to break out of attritional "positional" war.
00:27:11 - Russian soldiers slaughter a family for not giving up their home.
00:30:50 - A pogrom at an airport in Dagestan shows where the Russian government would prefer internal frustrations be pointed.
00:46:48 - Ukraine is set to take a step forward with its EU candidate status next month.
Links
Zaluzhniy's Article: https://infographics.economist.com/2023/ExternalContent/ZALUZHNYI_FULL_VERSION.pdf
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 63: Why There Won't Be Elections, But What If There Were?
Some outside pressure is asking why Ukraine won't be having wartime elections. We start by going over why that would be impossible, then dig deeper into Ukrainian electoral politics and would would come of an election.
00:01:24 - Holding elections in Ukraine would be illegal, dangerous, and logistically insurmountable.
00:14:53 - A pretty confusing bill is in the works to allow for elections anyway.
00:30:51 - Ukrainian civics lesson 101
00:37:43 - What are Ukraine's political parties?
00:56:08 - What happens with the formerly "pro-Russian" vote?
01:03:31 - Would Zelensky win re-election?
01:07:25 - Might Zelensky not run for re-election?
01:12:00 - The controversial character Oleksiy Arestovych has announced his Presidential campaign.
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 62: Assault on the Fortress-City of Avdiivka
In this episode...
00:42 - Anthony recounts a reporting trip to Kharkiv and back to the former Kakhovka Reservoir
07:42 - Russia launches a massive assault on Avdiivka, and takes massive casualties in the process. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched a large but secretive incursion across the Dnipro River.
22:12 - The newly arrived ATACMS missiles from the US devastate Russia's helicopter fleet stationed at Berdyansk, but they still aren't quite what was wanted.
26:43 - The trial of five police officers involved in brutally suppressing Euromaidan reaches an unsatisfying conclusion.
36:30 - Ukraine moves forward with legislation that could allow for same-sex partnerships.
41:20 - The Polish elections look like a win for the opposition, but either way, it looks good for Ukraine.
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 61: Gaza War - Understanding An Unfolding Tragedy With Joey Ayoub
We are joined by Joey Ayoub, PhD, host of The Fire These Times, about the recent massacre by Hamas in southern Israel and Israel's subsequent retaliation against Gaza's civilian population. The ferocity of Hamas' attack was unprecedented, but so was the systemic weakness and dysfunction of the Israeli state. Why did it happen, and is there any solution to Israel's ongoing siege of Gaza?
Joey Ayoub's Links
https://thefirethesetimes.com/
https://www.patreon.com/firethesetimes
https://twitter.com/FireTheseTimes
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 60: Ukraine Breaks the Black Sea Blockade
In this episode...
00:49 - Russia hits a grocery store and cafe holding a wake for a deceased community member in a village in Kharkiv region, killing over 50 people.
03:15 - Ukraine advances beyond the second line of defenses in the Tokmak direction
05:17 - After heavy attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet, including its headquarters in Sevastopol, the Russian Navy retreated away from Crimea to other Black Sea ports. This opened up trade lanes out of Odesa, which are once again in use.
15:06 - The first Abrams tanks arrive in Ukraine to aid the counter-offensive, with ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles finally on their way as well.
18:52 - USA Congressional infighting leaves Ukraine funding in question
26:48 - Anti-Ukrainian political party comes out ahead in Slovak elections
29:35 - Nearly the entire Armenian population of Nagrono-Karabakh has been driven from their homes.
38:51 - Serb militants carry out a short uprising in northern Kosovo with either the support or blessing of the Serbian government.
47:24 - Reflection on the unwinding of the international order
Links
"Bullet Holes" by the Kyiv Independent: https://youtu.be/E-coT5t70Tg?si=LQRYdJfgJdudQvta
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 59: Azerbaijan invades Nagorno-Karabakh
In this episode...
00:01:20 - Visiting a Hungarian-speaking town in the Zakarpattia region
00:18:40 - The anniversary of the assassination of Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze in 2000, and how the protest movement against it helped form Ukraine's democratic path.
00:33:11 - A trade dispute over agricultural goods stirs diplomatic row between Poland and Ukraine.
00:41:48 - Azerbaijan invades the Nagorno-Karabakh region to take full control of the area. News of war crimes by the Azerbaijani army pour in.
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 58: The Defense Ministry Gets a New - Crimean - Boss
In this episode...
00:01:21 - Ukrainian forces begin to pierce Russia's second line of defense in the south, and retake positions near Donetsk city.
00:08:35 - Russia caught by the Cuban authorities illegally trafficking potential soldiers.
00:11:51 - Russia looks to North Korea as a source of arms.
00:16:10 - Russia holds elections, including in the occupied territories.
00:21:07 - Elon Musk interfered with a Ukrainian operation to sink the Russian Black Sea Fleet by cutting off the attack drone's internet connection.
00:29:35 - Ukraine's new Defense Minister is a Crimean Tatar community leader with a record as a diplomat and administrator.
00:50:18 - Igor Kolomoisky finds himself in legal trouble on fraud charges.
00:58:56 - Armenia uses a diplomatic event in Kyiv to announce aid to Ukraine...to the scorn of its Russian treaty allies
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 57: The Death of Yevgeny Prigozhin
In this episode...
00:01:16 - Despite naysaying in the Western press, the Southern offensive makes a major breakthrough by taking Robotyne and pushing forward.
00:25:32 - How Ukraine, the country that barely has a navy, is taking the fight to the Russians in the Black Sea and Dnipro River
00:43:00 - Three Ukrainian pilots die in a training accident, including the famous ace known as "Juice"
00:47:20 - Anti-corruption news: The heads of all recruitment offices are sacked after discovering widespread corruption, and investigative journalists look at a bad deal on coats by the MOD
1:09:21 - Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner group and failed insurrectionist, is eliminated via an exploding airplane along with much of the rest of the mercenary company's leadership. What now?
Links
"Uprooted" by the Kyiv Independent: https://youtu.be/cq2gEMhuDpsMy
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 56: Looking Over an Empty Reservoir - A Trip to the South
Anthony has returned from a reporting trip to the south of Ukraine and relays what he saw on the ground.
00:02:10 - Odesa's Transfiguration Cathedral was badly damaged by the recent Russia strike on the city landmark, but Odesa is undeterred from the August vacation season.
00:19:05 - We had a bit of an adventure with the Transnistria border and a drunk, possibly, maybe marijuana farmer, but saw the very apparent reforms in the State Border Service.
00:38:14 - Returning to Mykolaiv, a city bouncing back now that it is no longer the front line.
00:42:21 - The area around the now-drained Nova Kakhovka Reservoir is facing a water crisis, both for individual use and agriculture. But the recovered meadowland also has archeological discoveries.
1:02:25 - Zaporizhzhia, on the other end of the reservoir, is a fortified city overseeing the counteroffensive only a short distance away.
1:10:42 - Conclusions
Links
https://newlinesmag.com/podcast/ukraines-cluster-bomb-dilemma-with-sera-koulabdara-and-romeo-kokriatski/
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 55: The Ballad of Igor Girkin
In this episode...
00:00:36 - Announcements; join our Discord
00:02:44 - Russian counterattack thwarted in the Luhansk Oblast while progress continues in the south and Bakhmut
00:11:20 - Russia cancels grain deal, then bombs Odesa city center and port infrastructure
00:25:44 - The Ballad of Igor Girkin, the Forrest Gump of Russian Imperialism. One of the men most personally responsible for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is now under arrest in Russia for something other than his actual crimes.
1:02:20 - Russian conspiracy to humiliate a Ukrainian fencer backfires
Links
"Uprooted" by the Kyiv Independent: https://youtu.be/cq2gEMhuDps
My article on Kherson: https://kyivindependent.com/how-russian-soldiers-shared-evidence-of-their-own-war-crime/
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 54: Zelensky's NATO Diplomacy
In this episode...
01:30 - Ukrainian army attacks the first line of Russian defense in the south while making gains around Bakhmut. Meanwhile, deep attacks take down the Crimean Bridge and an assassination of a Russian submarine commander.
13:30 - An update on the after-effects of the Wagner Coup attempt
20:30 - The NATO Summit in Vilnius proves to be disappointing.
27:00 - Zelensky clashes with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev
30:00 - Zelensky's visit to Poland looks to mend old wounds.
38:30 - Turkey makes big moves to support Ukraine amidst Russia canceling the grain deal.
47:00 - Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina passes in the hospital after a Russian missile attack in Kramatorsk.
52:40 - Question from the fans on the US sending Ukraine cluster munitions
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 53: Wagner Group's Failed Mutiny
In this episode...
00:50 - The Ukrainian counteroffensive lurches forward across the front lines
07:23 - Wagner Group and its leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin launch a day-long uprising against the Russian government. What happened? Why? What now?
41:15 - A locked Kyiv bomb shelter leads to the death of a mother and child.
45:00 - Russian targets a restaurant in Kramatorsk used as a hub for journalists and aid workers.
48:00 - The legal system finally answers the question "Who ordered Katya Handzyuk?" The politicians who ordered the activist's death were sentenced to 10 years.
43:45 - A peace delegation by a group of African countries proves disappointing
57:00 - Hungary holds Ukrainian prisoners of war
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 52: Coming Under Russian Fire with Humanitarians in Kherson
Following the Russian destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Dam in the Kherson region, the area downstream was flooded, causing a massive amount of destruction. Anthony went to the city to cover the aid efforts in a city in which he has memories of a better time.
While there, the Russians fired on a group of humanitarian aid workers Anthony was helping and reporting on. One was wounded but is in stable condition.
After that story, Anthony goes on a rant about the Internal Committee of the Red Cross failing in its mission. Then an overview of what the future environmental, economic, epidemiological, and war-related after-effects of the dam's destruction will be for years to come.
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 51: From Streamer to War Correspondent With Dylan Burns
Dylan Burns is a political streamer on YouTube and Twitch who has made multiple reporting trips to Ukraine. We talk about his coverage of demining efforts and other topics, what it means to be a political streamer with a younger audience who stepped into the world of journalism, and the controversial value of debating more Russia-friendly figures.
Dylan Burn's Info
https://www.dylanburns.tv/
https://www.youtube.com/@DylanBurnsLIVE
https://twitter.com/DylanBurns1776
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 50: Long Nights of Drone Attacks
In this episode -
00:40 - What is it like to go through a mass suicide drone attack?
10:43 - Combat update: Ukraine continues to advance around Bakhmut, but major shifts are unlikely until the counter-offensive. They also continue to hit strategic Russian points. Meanwhile, Russia struggles to find a solution to re-do's of the Belgorod border raid.
18:00 - A tangent about the rise of Russian PMCs as an erosion of Russian state power.
22:27 - Armenia takes further steps to concede the Karabakh dispute to Azerbaijan.
26:20 - NATO peacekeepers injured by ethnic Serb protesters while trying to control conflict in Kosovo.
34:53 - A tangent about how consociational governance isn't all that great and how some in the West tried to impose failing models from the Balkans onto Ukraine.
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 49: Bakhmut Falls, Raid into Belgorod, and a Host of Diplomatic Summits
In this episode -
1:30 - Russian forces take control of the ruins of Bakhmut
11:15 - A questionable group of Russian volunteer soldiers fighting for Ukraine launch a raid into Belgorod Oblast of Russia and take a strangely long amount of time to be driven off.
37:30 - With the Russian success in Bakhmut, the war enters a new phase. What are the opportunities and concerns for how that new phase will shape out?
47:30 - Looking to the sky, Kyiv thwarts a massive missile barrage with the help of the Patriot missile defense system, and it looks like F-16s are on their way to the Ukrainian Air Force
52:10 - The Arab League, G7, and Chinese-Central Asia Summits all show opportunities for Ukraine and how far Russian soft power has fallen
1:06:30 - The (now former) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court gets caught in a bribery scandal
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 48: Cracks Show in the Russian Lines
In this episode -
1:45 - An overview of the evolving situation in the war. Ukraine has made a series of localized micro-offensives throughout the front line resulting in numerous small victories against the Russian occupiers. Most importantly, in the area around Bakhmut, where they have retaken ground to the north and south of the city. This also enflames the struggle between the Wagner Group and the regular Russian army.
26:15 - Ukraine's acquisition of Patriot and Storm Shadow missile systems is changing the calculus in the war of long-range missiles.
40:25 - A eulogy for the left-wing internationalist volunteers Finbar Cafferkey, Cooper Andrews, and Dmitry Petrov, and the journalist Arman Soldin.
52:40 - The Red Square Victory Day Parade was a flop.
1:03:00 - Amnesty International was caught covering up an internal review showing the failings of the Ukraine reportage.
1:06:50 - Eurovision
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 47: The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict with Karena Avedissian
Ukraine without Hype is joined by Armenian political scientist Karena Avedissian. Karena specializes in governance, access to justice, social movements, and new media/communications in Eurasia. We asked her about the background of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region, recent developments of Baku tightening their grip on the region and Yerevan looking like they may give in, and the role of civil society in either country.
Twitter
Karena: @KarenaAv
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 46: Ban on Agricultural Imports Creates Rift between Ukraine and Bordering Allies
In this Episode...
1:00 - Combat Update: Ukraine pushed back to the last few neighborhoods in Bakhmut, while a raid in Kherson Oblast gains attention as paving the way for the coming offensive.
12:05 - Putin visits occupied Kherson Oblast...maybe
17:05 - Wagner fighters blow the whistle, having been given extermination orders against Ukrainians
(https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/18/wagner-mercenary-admits-tossing-grenades-at-injured-ukrainian-pows)
25:12 - Ukraine's EU neighbors block Ukrainian agricultural imports in order to protect domestic markets, the EU is trying to negotiate a resolution.
International News
39:50 - Washington Post reports on deep Russian influence campaigns in Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany Party and left-wing Die Linke Party.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/04/21/germany-russia-interference-afd-wagenknecht/
47:35 - Azerbaijan closes down Nagorno Karabakh, and the next conflict looms closer.
57:35 - Civil War in Sudan is another conflict where the Wagner Group is showing its influence.
For Sudan: @YousraElbagir
For Armenia: @KarenaAv
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 45: The Very Dumb Intelligence Leak
In this Episode...
01:10 - War Updates: The Russians advance through the city center of Bakhmut, but it seems pretty certain that the city will not be surrounded. No Russian progress around Avdiivka, and most other advances have ground down.
10:07 - The Wagner Group circulates a video of themselves beheading a live Ukrainian prisoner. We go into some of the sociology behind why they would go to such depths.
20:52 - The Russian Orthodox Church faces an increasingly frequent series of localized crises in the aftermath of their official expulsion from the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
27:22 - In the main focus of the episode, a weirdo internet Nazi working for the Air National Guard leaks a trove of top-secret military documents in order to impress his friends on a gaming chatroom.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 44: Putin the Fugitive
In this News Digest...
00:50 - War Updates: The focus of the war is on Bakhmut and Avdiivka, two cities that have been largely destroyed and are threatened by attempted Russian encirclements. Russia knocks a US surveillance drone out of international skies, while Slovakia supplies Ukraine with fighter jets. Putin threatens to move tactical nuclear weapons into Belarus.
15:00 - International Relations: While Putin accepts his role as an inferior partner at a summit with China, Japanese PM Kishida makes a visit to Kyiv. Journalists release evidence of a years-long Russian plot to dominate Moldova in the midst of that plot seemingly unfolding ( https://kyivindependent.com/leaked-document-exposes-kremlins-10-year-plan-to-undermine-moldova/ ). Azerbaijan begins a new round of hostilities with Karabakh and Armenia.
And the title story - the International Criminal Court puts out a warrant for Vladimir Putin and "Children’s rights commissioner" Maria Lvova-Belova for the mass kidnapping of Ukrainian children.
28:40 - Domestic News: Standoff as Russian Orthodox priests refuse to vacate Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. A gay marriage bill is introduced to the Verkhovna Rada. New picks for Ministerial positions in the government seem promising.
37:05 - Entertainment: At the Oscars, "Navalny" documentary beats Ukrainian documentary "House Made of Splinters." I have thoughts.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 43: Talking Russia, War, and Pop Culture with Foreign Volunteer Soldier James (Spaghetti Kozak)
James is a US Army veteran who supported Ukraine for years before the full-scale invasion and enlisted when the time came. We talk to him about how his many years living in Russia opened his eyes to the country's simmering fascism and his path into the Ukrainian army. Since he also has a YouTube channel where he talks about old movies, we also go into how evolving technologies and pop culture shape popular perceptions of the nature of war.
James
Twitter: @SpaghettiKozak
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpaghettiKozak
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 42: Three Nations With the Same Enemy
00:45 - Combat Update, including the increasingly brutal fight to defend the strong point of Bakhmut while preparing a counter-offensive.
10:50 - A militia made up of Russian dissidents fighting for Ukraine makes a cross-border raid into Bryansk region of Russia in order to get the rest of the country to revolt. We have questions.
26:00 - China presents a peace plan while rumors swirl of them possibly beginning to sell Russia military equipment.
34:30 - Pro-Russian protests in Moldova raise concerns over Russian aggressive actions in the country.
45:34 - Georgian demonstrators force their government to abandon a repressive "foreign agent" law.
57:40 - Russian occupation authorities illegally sentence a Ukrainian civil society activist turned soldier turned POW to 13 years in prison.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 41: Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished - One Year On With Maria Romanenko
The glory of Ukraine has not yet perished, nor the will.
Still upon us, young brothers, fate shall smile.
Our enemies shall vanish, like dew in the sun.
We too shall rule, brothers, our country.
February 24th is the anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, a day that shall live in infamy. It has been a full year since the Russian-fascist forces began their three-day campaign to conquer and exterminate Ukraine. We talk to former Ukraine Without Hype co-host Maria Romanenko about becoming a refugee on the first day of this war and the advocacy and support work she has done in the United Kingdom since then.
Twitter
Maria: @Rommari
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Resources and Charities
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 40: Fighting Both the Russian Invasion and Corruption
For this week's combat update, Russia continues to grind away at Bakhmut, making the most progress in the northern suburbs while being fought back in the south. In what appears to be the start of their much-awaited Spring offensive, most other fronts are successfully holding the Russians off. Then...
30:45 - The execution of Russian neo-Nazi could be another sign of inter-fractional fighting either within the ultra-nationalist camp or being it and the regular army.
40:50 - Zelesnky's makes a diplomatic trip to the UK and EU, which shows some signs of possible future deliveries of fighter jets.
53:45 - Anti-corruption raids continue throughout the country, targeting oligarchs and government officials suspected of graft.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
LinkTree
https://linktr.ee/ukrainewithouthype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 39: Free The Leopards
The second half of January has been extremely busy and there are many headlines to cover.
00:42 - Combat Update: Russian forces make troubling gains to the north and south of Bakhmut, but Bakhmut still stands. Russia fails in offensives along the southern line at Orikhiv and Vuhledar. Ukraine advances against Kreminna but is met with an increased Russian buildup.
09:10 - Russia missile strike hits an apartment building in the central city of Dnipro, killing 46 people.
19:12 - A helicopter crash in the Kyiv suburb of Brovary kills the top leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, though the causes are still unknown. The helicopter also crashed into a kindergarten, killing one child.
27:30 - A corruption scandal in the Ministry of Defense leads to an anti-corruption hunt that leads to several officials resigning. There is also more turnover in high-level posts which could possibly be coincidental timing rather than wrongdoing.
48:00 - Tanks. Ukraine's allies have begun supplying Ukraine with a variety of tank models that are superior to what the Russians have readily available, though the process of doing this was extremely politically fraught.
1:13:00 - Miscellaneous. New pro-Ukraine President of Czechia, revelations about Bulgaria's vital role in supplying Ukraine in the early days of the war, strikes on military facilities in Iran
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 38: The Battle for Soledar
After months of little but continuous defeat, the Russian military looks like it is on the verge of taking the Donbas salt-mining town of Soledar. The battle is ongoing, but the situation is dire and would leave northern Bakhmut more vulnerable. We go into what little we know about the situation on the ground. This is followed by a discussion on the mercenary company Wagner Group, who is leading the battle, and the designs of its owner Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The start of 2023 has seen Ukraine destroy several Russian barracks and logistics points, leading to Russia lying about its own barracks strike against Ukraine in order to save face.
Good news is coming in about new weapons shipments to Ukraine, including armored fighting vehicles and possibly tanks.
As a new session of Congression takes their seats, the far-right is better positioned to block support for Ukraine.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Music
Shchedryk (Traditional)
Episode 37: Mr.Zelensky Goes to Washington
On the last day of a very difficult year, we do a news roundup of the last headlines of 2022. President Zelensky leaves Ukraine for the first time of the full-scale invasion to hold a joint presser with President Biden, then a speech before a joint session of Congress.
In other news, Russia sends its New Year Greetings in the form of multiple murderous missile salvos against most of Ukraine's major cities. Russian ultra-nationalist and ex-space program head Dmitry Rogozin was wounded in a strike in Donetsk. The statue of Empress Catherine II was dismantled in Odesa. Azerbaijan blockades the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Music
Shchedryk (Traditional)
Episode 36: The Downfall of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine
Our news update covers the continuing Russian offensive on Bakhmut while Ukraine steps up its campaign of HIMARS strikes and partisan sabotage behind enemy lines, the coming and going power blackouts, the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Ukrainian NGO, and what may be the final death of the corrupt Kyiv District Administrative Court. Plus, morbid packages are being sent to Ukrainian embassies throughout Europe.
Then (@19:15) the Ukrainian government is moving to ban religious organizations which are connected to the Russian Federation, which mostly means the Russian Orthodox Church. We go over the history that led to the ROC being in the position it is now in, why it is being targeted (spoiler: it is all the collaboration with an invading army), and then dig into some of the misinformation being spread about the topic.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Music
Shchedryk (Traditional)
Episode 35: Remembering the Holodomor
Kyiv is suffering from increasingly severe power outages as Russia focuses it strategy on making Ukraine as unlivable as possible for the civilian population during the winter.
Then (@11:45) we take our time to remember the Holodomor following its remembrance day on November 26th. What is was, why it was a genocide by the Stalinist regime against the Ukrainian people, and what it may have been like to live through. And, of course, how the genocide of the Ukrainian people in the 1930s is connected to the current one in the 2020s.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 34: The Liberation of Kherson
In a rustic candlelit recording session, Anthony covers the liberation of Kherson - the steps that led to the victory, the immediate priorities for the civilian population, and where the fighting is likely to shift to.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Music
Celebration in liberated Kherson
Episode 33: When All the Lights Are Out
Recorded and edited during the windows where everyone has electricity, this episode traces what led Russians to change strategies to targeting civilian infrastructure. Frustrated by continuous battlefield failures, the Russians can only take comfort in making Ukrainians as miserable as they can. Then, ANthony and Romeo discuss some of their recent travels from one side of the country to the other.
Frontline report: https://english.nv.ua/nation/nv-visits-the-frontline-of-the-kherson-counteroffensive-ukraine-war-50278670.html
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 32: Debriefing After a Trip to the Mykolaiv Frontlines
Greetings Comrades! This is a crossover episode with the Eastern Border podcast where Anthony and Kristaps discuss their recent reporting trip to the city of Mykolaiv and the nearby frontlines. But first, a combat update regarding the rapid Ukrainian advances on both the Kharkiv and Kherson fronts.
And a special thank you to our fixers at the Ukraine Frontline Media Platform.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Kristaps: @Eastern_Border
Fixers: @UFMPlatform
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 31: A Rosh Hashanah Greeting - Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die?
It is a short-form on-the-road episode by Anthony Bartaway, but these are all developing stories that deserve more focus. First up, the Ukrainian advance in the Kharkiv region and northern Donbas is continuing to roll forward and retake occupied territory, but they are discovering all of the horrors seen in all recovered territory. Putin swaps high-profile Ukrainian POWs for his flunky Medvedchuk. Russia holds a stage-play of a "referendum" in occupied regions of Ukraine, in a stunt that should fool nobody. The Russian military is bolstered through a "limited" and poorly-organized mobilization that seems to target minority groups. Conflicts in multiple points of the former Soviet Union show Russia's decline as a regional power.
Finally, wrap up with a thought on the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)
Episode 30: So...What Just Happened in Kharkiv?
While the Russian army was focused on defending its holdings in Kherson, Ukraine pulled off a stunning offensive to the east of Kharkiv. In less than a week, the Russian garrison in the Izyum salient completely disintegrated, leading to them abandoning Kharkiv Oblast to the west of the Oskil River. This offensive has not stopped, so this episode may become immediately out of date - in the time between editing and posting Ukraine has taken more territory to the north of the Donets River. Anthony and Romeo go over how this happened and what it may lead to.
Twitter
Anthony: @Bartaway
Romeo: @RomeoKokriatski
Ukraine Without Hype: @HypeUkraine
Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/UkraineWithoutHype
Music
Hey Sokoli (Traditional)