Explaining Ukraine

• Сaptivity, torture, violence, and love - with Maksym Butkevych

  Maksym Butkevych is a prominent Ukrainian human rights defender. Before the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he dedicated his efforts to the protection of people whose rights were violated. When Russia launched its war against Ukraine, Maksym joined the Ukrainian army to defend his country. In June 2022, he was taken prisoner of war by Russia and accused of committing a war crime. The case was entirely fabricated: Russia sought to “balance” the real war crimes committed by the Russian soldiers in Ukraine and prosecuted by Ukrainian courts with invented charges against Ukrainian prisoners of war. Maksym was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He spent almost two and a half years behind bars in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories before being freed in a prisoner exchange in October 2024. He endured beatings, deprivations, and torture, but his spirit remained unbroken. We met with Maksym in late August 2025. Our conversation turned philosophical—about life and death, freedom and fear, hope and despair. *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. UkraineWorld is an English-language media about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine You can support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld Your contributions are essential — we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also help fund our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we support both civilians and soldiers. Donations are welcome via PayPal: [email protected] *** CONTENTS: 00:00 - Intro. Who is Maksym Butkevych 02:23 - Maksym’s recollections of Russian captivity 08:16 - The role of violence in Russian captivity 12:30 - How does the Russian machine distort the law 22:33 - Death and fear as key elements of the Russian violence system 29:07 - Staying yourself in captivity 37:17 - Is it possible to survive in captivity without thinking about love? 45:01 - Outro 45:41 - Support us: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld *** The podcast is produced by UkraineWorld with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UkraineWorld and can in no way be taken to reflect the views the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR Ednannia.

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• Ukraine vs Russia: who leads the tech battle? - with Glib Voloskyi

  Why is technology playing such a decisive role in this war? Who is ahead in technological innovation—Ukraine or Russia? How are drones reshaping the battlefield, and how might they also transform technologies of peace? And why must Europe step up its technological cooperation with Ukraine? *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Glib Voloskyi, analyst at the Initiatives Centre of Come Back Alive (Povernys zhyvym) — one of Ukraine’s most prominent charitable foundations, supporting the military and veterans since 2014. *** Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. Listen on various platforms (apple, youtube, spotify, soundcloud, amazon etc): https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine This episode is also made in partnership with Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO focusing on preparing a new generation of change-makers in Ukraine. *** SUPPORT US: You can support our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld Your contributions are essential, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also help fund our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we support both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal: [email protected] *** CONTENTS: 00:00 — The role of technology in war: who's winning the tech race? 01:34 — Russia’s real strategy: what are the goals? 02:12 — How Russia miscalculated: failed plans, logistics collapse and retreats 05:52 — The evolving Russian strategy: attrition and imperial ambitions 08:41 — Is this really a “Ukrainian conflict” or is it actually a Russian imperial war? 10:10 — Ukraine’s defence: from resilience to drone innovation 11:32 — The fierce race in drone technology 13:41 — What’s next? Land robots, unmanned vehicles and battlefield robotics 15:07 — Artificial intelligence at war: from target recognition to social media scans 16:40 — Dependency on Chinese tech: risk or overstated concern? 17:54 — Europe’s wake-up call: how possible it is to lose the technological race 20:33 — Tanks, drones and the future of warfare: what lessons are really learned? 25:24 — NATO partners and military conservatism: who adapts, who resists? 26:19 — Ukraine’s defence industry revival: grassroots innovation vs. scaling up 29:56 — Naval drones, land drones and robotics: Ukraine’s asymmetric advantage 31:37 — The myth of a "wonder weapon" 37:32 — Human body vs. artificial bodies: why soldiers can’t be replaced 39:01 — Why Russia destroys cities instead of capturing them 40:26 — The hidden battlefield: information wars and internal destabilisation 42:12 — The greatest danger ahead: forced concessions

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• How Russians hunt civilians in Kherson - with Zarina Zabrisky

  Kherson may be the most dangerous regional center in Ukraine. Occupied by Russian forces in 2022, its residents were subjected to torture and intimidation. The city was liberated by Ukrainian forces in November 2022 — but almost immediately came under daily bombardment and shelling from Russian troops stationed just across the Dnipro River. In June 2023, Kherson was hit by a catastrophic flood caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant — an explosion orchestrated by the Russian military. Today, the city’s residents are hunted by Russian drones, as if caught in some macabre human safari. “Kherson: Human Safari” is the title of a documentary film by Zarina Zabrisky, an American filmmaker who has spent significant time in Kherson, reporting from this brave and embattled city. Link to the film: https://khersonhumansafari.com/ *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Zarina Zabrisky, an American filmmaker and writer, author of the film “Kherson: Human Safari”. Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. *** LISTEN on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine *** SUPPORT US: You can support our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld Your contributions are essential, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also help fund our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we support both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal: [email protected] *** CONTENTS: 00:00 – Zarina Zabrisky, a U.S. journalist in Ukraine 02:30 – Why is Kherson so important in the war? 04:56 – Life in Kherson: What does it look like now? 13:50 – Why does a central store in Kherson look better than posh stores in the U.S.? 15:01 – In memory: Victoria Amelina in Kherson 16:12 – Kherson: Human Safari — the story of Kherson from the start of the full-scale invasion to date 19:40 – How did Zarina Zabrisky document the newest war crime against humanity? 24:02 – Do Russians conduct the “human safari” in Kherson for fun, or is it a strategy? 26:04 – A terror campaign: How does Russia attempt to erase Kherson? 29:20 – What exactly do Russians want to achieve with their cruelty toward Ukrainians in frontline territories? 36:00 – How Russia influences the ecosystem 41:12 – Destruction of the Kakhovka Dam: Survival and resistance stories from locals 43:30 – The rescue of Ukrainian children from Russian captivity 48:10 – Deportation of Ukrainian children as a form of genocide 50:00 - Support us: https://www.patreon.com/ukraineworld

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• Why Trump’s Ukraine plan won’t work - with Tetyana Ogarkova

  Trump is set to meet with Putin in Alaska on August 15. Media reports and leaks ahead of this meeting, along with statements by President Trump and members of his administration, suggest that the two leaders may have discussed a plan in which Ukraine would cede some or all of the occupied territories to Russia in exchange for “peace.” This brings us back to the basics: the fundamental truth that violating internationally recognized borders through military aggression cannot lead to sustainable peace. In this episode, we explain why the idea of a territorial swap is dangerous — why it would undermine international law, destabilize the global order, and why neither Ukraine nor most EU member states are likely to accept it. *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian journalist and public intellectual, the head of the international department at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, and author of the podcast “L’Ukraine face a la guerre: (Ukraine facing the war), in French. *** Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. Listen on various platforms (apple, youtube, spotify, soundcloud, amazon etc): https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine *** SUPPORT US: You can support our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld Your contributions are essential, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also help fund our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we support both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal: [email protected]

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• Russian war crimes explained by Nobel-winning Ukrainian NGO - with Oleksandra Romantsova

  Russia has committed over 160,000 war crimes in Ukraine, according to Ukraine's Prosecutor General's office. What kinds of crimes are most widespread in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Why is the Russian approach to war so heavily marked by cruelty? Why do Russian forces torture Ukrainian civilians and abduct Ukrainian children? *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Oleksandra Romantsova, a Ukrainian human rights activist and Executive Director of the Center for Civil Liberties — a Ukrainian NGO that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 Centre for Civil Liberties: https://ccl.org.ua/en/ *** Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. Listen on various platforms (apple, youtube, spotify, soundcloud, amazon etc): https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine *** SUPPORT US: You can support our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld Your contributions are essential, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also help fund our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we support both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal: [email protected] *** CONTENTS: 00:00 — The war that started in 2014: a history of Russian war crimes. 03:00 — First steps of the occupiers: a blueprint for terror. 07:11 — Why Russia fails to understand Ukrainians: a crucial mistake. 11:54 — The myth of “honest” Russian courts and police 14:19 — How Russia kidnaps Ukrainian children 16:07 — How Russia changes Ukrainian demography and militarizes Ukrainian children 19:23 — Preparing teenagers for the Russian army 21:26 — Is there a place for justice in a Russian world? 23:48 — Why returning people and achieving justice is critical 26:06 — A new war crime: kidnapping civilians 28:40 — Why documenting war crimes is crucial 29:50 — How Russia destroys any law in the occupied territories 31:20 — Using captives as hostages and resources 33:28 — Russian torture chambers exist even in small villages 34:30 — Chaos strategy: Moscow tries to create “grey zones” near NATO borders 36:10 — Why Russia is fighting a war against Ukrainian civilians. 39:23 — Why Putin fears democracy 41:14 — Breaking Ukrainians through religious persecution 42:43 — Three levels of justice: punishment, victims’ rights and historical truth 44:36 — Why crimes must be recorded now 47:02 — Lessons from other countries: never wait until the war ends 49:16 — Solutions: universal jurisdiction and a special tribunal

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