Профиль

Look closely at this photo. It’s a civilian fire engine in Kharkiv wrapped in anti-drone armor. Ukrainian firefighters are now forced to weld steel cages to their rescue trucks because Russian forces actively hunt first responders with FPV drones. Read that again.

⁉️ Even anti-drone nets did not save it: Ukraine reveals details of strike on Russian oil refinery 2,000 km away

Ukrainian long-range drones struck the Tyumen Oil Refinery in Siberia early on July 25, approximately 2,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border

This is Russia’s crime — but it is partly our responsibility, in the United States. We are doing much less than we should, on the rationale that letting Russians kill Ukrainians will end the war. It won’t. That is wrong as strategy, and as ethics.

Today, Russia struck a civilian car in Kharkiv with a fiber-optic FPV drone. The Russian operator deliberately targeted an ordinary car. ​The driver was killed. ​Russia is hunting civilians in frontline cities‼️ Just because they can.

Ukrainian engineers: Sleep is for countries not being invaded.

My op ed argues Bulgaria is fast becoming the new Hungary within the EU, at least where Ukraine policy is concerned. New PM, Rumen Radev, has has set in train a pivot in Bulgarian policy: from strong support for Ukraine to obstruction of EU sanctions. www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...

The move reflects the accountability of the Zelensky admin to Ukrainian society as well as Ukrainian political elites' ability to sort out disagreement through consultations. Drapatyi is widely popular in the army and in society so his appointment will likely end this episode of uncertainty.

Civilian oversight of the military is a feature of democracies that often leads to tension, shuffles, and resignations. The difference in Ukraine is that society is acutely attuned to the issue because the country is more than a decade into an existential defensive war.

A short explainer of the political crisis in Ukraine right now. Fedorov, Syrskyi, Zelensky, and the majority of Ukrainians share the same goal— defeat Russia. The debate and disagreement is how best to achieve it. Also, don’t forget that…

I’m a political science professor, buddy.

« France showed up with soldiers and a navy and spilled French blood for American independence. Ukraine asks for no such sacrifice. It asks for the moral clarity to recognize that its fight is righteous and that the aggressor deserves defeat »

Not tankies. Historian colleagues of the region based in Europe tell me they encounter this view all the time—from journalists, from fellow academics, from the public in public-facing events, etc. I think you’re right that it’s on the decline, but it’s still there.

A reminder

Yeah, I see what you’re saying. If the timeline were different, I’d be less sure removing him is called for. But also civilian control of the military is essential in democracies. If he’s lost the confidence of the minister and the minister is backed this strongly by society, he needs to go.

I think the criticism of Syrsky goes beyond that. There are reports of vindictiveness vis a vis units that have criticized him and corruption scheme reports. Also the timeline says that Ukr’s position has improved significantly since Feb when Fedorov took office

Reappointing Fedorov is Zelensky's best route to restoring societal trust and continuing needed anticorruption reforms. Removing Syrsky would be a partial but still useful course correction. It'd show the president is responsive to society and entrenched corrupt networks haven't won the day.

Unfortunately, things are looking worse by the hour. But it's not over till it's over and Zelensky has a track record of reversing things under civil society pressure. He did it not only last year with NABU but before the war too. Let's see.

😂

Pressure from entrenched networks in and around the army that prefer Syrski and benefit from schemes.