This is a new kind of war. Drones have fundamentally changed its nature—and continue to do so every day. The threats now come from above, not just ahead. If you’re wounded, medics may not reach you quickly because of the drone threat. Dugouts should be less massive—and more concealed.

And the drones themselves are diverse: small and large, for observation and for attack, for bombing and for supply. Let’s try to understand this evolving battlefield.

***

My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko, I am a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.

My guest today is Nataliya Gumenyuk, a leading Ukrainian journalist and co-founder of the Reckoning Project, which combines war crimes documentation with journalism. Nataliya recently embedded with three Ukrainian brigades to study drone warfare in depth. 

She wrote a major article for "The Atlantic".
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/05/ukraine-troops-front-lines/682910/

In this episode, I asked her to share what she saw and what she learned.

***

The Explaining Ukraine podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

You can support our work on Patreon, https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. 
Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also contribute to our frontline volunteer efforts, where we assist both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***

Contents: 

00:00 Intro
02:10 How is drone warfare changing the Russia-Ukraine war?
05:22 Why and how the frontline became transparent
14:59 Different types of drones and their purposes
27:51 Scaling or diversity: is Russia leading in the drone manufacturing?
32:11 Danger of the fiber-optic drones
37:42 What are the Ukrainian production capacities?
39:42 Ukraine strikes deep: Operation Spiderweb
42:29 What challenges does Ukraine face in drone production and how can international partners best support these efforts?
52:18 Support our work: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld



How Drones Are Dramatically Changing the War – with Nataliya Gumenyuk

There are foreigners fighting for Ukraine in this war — but their numbers are small.
They are not sent by their governments; they come as volunteers, driven by a personal sense of justice and a desire to help.

One of them is a British man with the callsign Caesar.

He serves in Ukraine's International Legion, fighting not only for Ukraine but for the values this struggle represents.


***

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.

UkraineWorld is an English-language media outlet exploring Ukraine and its connections to the wider world. It is run by Internews Ukraine.

Choose your platform: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine

***

You can SUPPORT our work on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld) — your help is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also contribute to our VOLUNTEER MISSIONS to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.

Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***

We thank the press service of the International Legion of Ukraine's Territorial Defense for assisting us in arranging this interview.  

***

Contents:

00:00 – Caesar, a British veteran, fights for Ukraine
01:15 – Why did Caesar come to Ukraine?
04:19 – Why do foreigners fight for Ukraine?
06:47 – Language and communication on the front line
08:45 – Eyes in the sky: How the drones work
09:22 – Evolution of the Russia-Ukraine war
14:44 – Ukrainian vs Russian tactics of waging the war
16:20 – Are Russian commanders good at modern warfare?
19:47 – Is Ukraine becoming a global military innovator?
20:46 – Do Ukrainian soldiers teach their NATO colleagues?
21:44 – “My friends think I’m crazy”: Family and friends' reactions 
22:50 – Why Europe must support Ukraine
24:17 – Kharkiv and cities near the frontline through Caesar’s eyes
26:26 – Why Russia hits so many Ukrainian civilian targets
28:00 – Why is the Russian army so cruel?
29:09 – The hardest battle of Caesar 
30:47 – What does this war mean to Caesar?
32:58 – The origin of his call sign
33:56 - Outro. Support UkraineWorld at patreon.com/ukraineworld 


His callsign is Caesar, he’s British, and he fights for Ukraine

Myroslav Shkandrij is a prominent scholar of Ukrainian cultural history and Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

He has written extensively on topics such as avant-garde art in Ukraine, Ukrainian nationalism, Jews in Ukrainian literature, cultural imperialism, and decolonization.

His book “Russia and Ukraine: Literature and the Discourse of Empire, from Napoleonic to Postcolonial Times”, published in 2001, remains a classic text on Russian cultural imperialism and Ukrainian resistance to it.

Find the book here: https://diasporiana.org.ua/literaturoznavstvo/shkandrij-m-russia-and-ukraine-literature-and-the-discourse-of-empire-from-napoleonic-to-postcolonial-times/

***
I invited Myroslav to revisit this work and reflect on how literature has, for centuries, served as a battleground of ideas between Russia and Ukraine.

My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I’m a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.

UkraineWorld.org is an English-language media outlet that explores Ukraine and its connections to the wider world. It is run by Internews Ukraine.

Choose your platform: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine

You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld 
— your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.

Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***
This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and under the framework of the project “HER-UKR: Challenges and opportunities for EU heritage diplomacy in Ukraine”, co-funded by the EU within the ERASMUS+ Jean Monnet Policy Debate action.

***

Contents: 

00:00 - Intro. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld
08:46 - Why is assimilation so crucial to Russian imperialism?
16:59 - Were there any anti-imperial voices within Russian culture?
21:30 - Who were the key figures of Ukrainian intellectual resistance in the 19th century?
35:33 - Why did Ukraine's fight for independence fail after 1917?
40:56 - How does "decolonization" theory apply to Ukraine's struggle?

Why Russia fears Ukrainian literature - with Myroslav Shkandrij

What’s the difference between colonialism and imperialism? What types of colonialism can we identify — and which of them are playing out in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other countries?

This conversation is not purely academic. It helps us better understand what’s happening today — and what might happen tomorrow. Russian colonial and imperial practices sometimes resemble those of other empires — but at other times, they differ significantly. Russia often masks its imperial violence with nationalist mythology. It’s important to reveal why that mythology is misleading — and dangerous.

***

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Our guest today is Botakoz Kassymbekova, a renowned scholar of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She is currently Professor of Eastern European History at the University of Zurich and specializes in Soviet history, Stalinism and post-Stalinism, and Russian imperial practices. She holds a PhD from Humboldt University of Berlin.

***

Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

This episode is created in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, the country’s leading cultural diplomacy institution.

***

A quick reminder: you can SUPPORT our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld

Your support is essential, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also help us fund VOLUNTEER trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we support both soldiers and civilians.

Donations are welcome via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

***

CONTENTS:

00:00:00 — Intro: what is colonialism and imperialism, and why does it matter now?
00:02:06 — Why Russia is an empire? What is the difference between colonialism and imperialism?
00:04:32 — Russia’s colonial tactics
00:07:44 — Why does Russia seek full control over Ukraine? Not just influence, but domination and assimilation.
00:09:55 — Difference vs. sameness: how empires shape identities
00:11:24 — Settler colonialism vs. extractive colonialism: what drives conquest?
00:16:30 — Russia as a settler empire: back then and now
00:18:22 — How Russia colonises its internal nations through assimilation and language suppression.
00:20:50 — Censuses, schools and silent erasure: how Russian state mechanisms classify and erase non-Russian identities within its borders.
00:23:00 — Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and the memory of famine
00:25:30 — Why colonialism is about state power, not ethnicity, and why Ukrainians were tools, not masters, of the Russian colonialism elsewhere.
00:27:42 — Soviet categorisation: Muslims vs. Europeans. How the USSR racialised and managed populations with a colonial gaze.
00:32:04 — Why Russia criticises Western colonialism while mimicking it.
00:34:57 — “Greatness” as the keyword of Russian imperial ideology. Territory as the imperial prestige
00:40:15 — Russia's strategic aims: bullying Europe for superpower status.
00:43:33 — Why the Soviet Union’s support for global decolonisation masked its own imperial domination.
00:45:15 — “Friendship of peoples”: a Soviet colonial tactic in disguise
00:50:10 — Nuclear tests, cotton fields, and poisoned generations: how Moscow exploited Central Asia
00:53:20 — Health and autonomy: why so-called “Soviet development” often meant suffering, not progress.
00:55:44 — Who decides? The colonial theft of political agency
00:58:12 — Why many Western scholars failed to see Soviet colonialism and still don’t.
00:59:21 — Final reflection: Ukraine’s struggle is part of a bigger story

Why colonialism is more complicated than you think - with Botakoz Kassymbekova

Ukraine wants to be heard around the world. But we must also learn to listen to the wider world in return.

The Ukrainian Institute — the country’s leading institution for cultural diplomacy — is doing remarkable work to make Ukraine’s voice heard not only in Europe and North America, but also across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

In this episode, I speak with two key figures at the Ukrainian Institute who work on engagement with the wider world. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of building these vital connections.

Our guests are Alim Aliev, Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Institute, and Anabell Ramires, Head of the Department for Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

***

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

This is the final episode in our special series with the Ukrainian Institute, exploring Ukraine’s growing ties with the countries of the wider world — including Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

***

Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

Choose your podcast platform: li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine

You can SUPPORT our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. 

Your support is crucial, 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: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

***

CONTENTS: 

00:00 – Alim Aliev, Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Institute, and Anabell Ramires, Head of Department for Asia, Africa, and Latin America of the Ukrainian Institute
02:00 – How Ukraine communicates with the wider world, particularly with the countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia
03:04 – Building bridges: the Ukrainian Institute’s new direction
04:42 – Сommonalities between Ukraine and the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America
10:31 – Lack of knowledge: How it influences relations between Ukraine and countries of AALA
12:14 – Topics that unite: ecocide, children, multicultural identity, and others
17:18 – When personal identity becomes a diplomatic tool
24:11 – Crimean Tatars are muslims, and indigenous people in Ukraine
28:54 – Difficulties in comparing European colonialism with Russian colonialism
36:40 – The rise of Ukraine Studies across the world
42:00 – Distance, and the shadow of Russian narratives
46:39 – What Ukrainians can tell people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America? 
50:06 – Support UkraineWorld on Patreon: patreon.com/ukrainewold

How Does Ukraine Talk to the Wider World? We Asked the Ukrainian Institute

How can we understand what’s happening inside the Ukrainian army?

How do soldiers feel? What challenges do they face? What parts of military life do they believe aren’t working?

Traditional sociology doesn’t always provide the answers. But another discipline — anthropology, also called ethnography — offers a different approach. This method involves deep immersion into the everyday lives of soldiers. 

A more recent innovation, called mobile ethnography, takes this further — allowing researchers to stay connected with soldiers even when they’re not physically present.

We wanted to learn more about what such a deep dive can reveal about the Ukrainian army.

***
Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Guest: Oleksiy Moskalenko, an 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.

***
Come Back Alive foundation: https://savelife.in.ua/en/ 

The Foundation’s Initiatives Centre: https://cbacenter.ngo/en 

From Civilian to Soldier: A Study: https://cbacenter.ngo/en/page/how-civilians-become-soldiers-come-back-alive-initiatives-center-studies-basic-military-training-in-ukraine 

***
Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

***
SUPPORT US: 

You can support our work on Patreon: https://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: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

***

CONTENTS: 

00:00 - Intro. Support UkraineWorld on patreon.com/ukraineworld 
01:51 - What is "Mobile Ethnography"? How a Civilian Foundation Studies the Ukrainian Army's Reality
15:14 - What Do Soldiers Really Struggle With?
17:55 - Risk Management for Civilians: How Understanding Army Life Can Prepare You?
20:49 - What "Sovietness" Really Means: Deconstructing the Biggest Complaint in the Ukrainian Army
35:12 - Ukraine's Existential Question: Can You Value Life and Still Win a War?
38:04 - From Civilian to Soldier: How Ukraine's Army is Changing from the Inside Out
43:03 - The "After-War" Problem: Why Ukraine Needs Help NOW

What research tells us about the Ukrainian army - with Oleksiy Moskalenko

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: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

***
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

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

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: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com


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

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: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

***
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

How Russians hunt civilians in Kherson - with Zarina Zabrisky

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: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

***
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 


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

A podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a multimedia project about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine, its politics, society and its culture. Support us: patreon.com/ukraineworld

New tracks tagged #Explaining Ukraine