Dillendub - Come Back Alive

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

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

Let’s take a deeper look into drone warfare and the long-term changes it is bringing to the battlefield. How is Ukraine countering Russian drone attacks? How is it developing systems of drone interceptors? Are we moving toward a future where drones will fight other drones? And what skills must our societies cultivate to prepare for this new reality?

***

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

Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine

Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld 

***

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

Guest: Taras Tymochko, a consultant at Come Back Alive (Povernys zhyvym), one of Ukraine’s most prominent charitable foundations supporting the military and veterans since 2014. Taras coordinates the foundation’s project “Dronopad”—“the fall of drones”—which aims to develop a system of interceptor drones for the Ukrainian army to take down as many Russian drones as possible.

***

SUPPORT:

You can support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. 
We rely on your contributions to keep UkraineWorld going.

You can also help finance our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we assist both civilians and soldiers. Donations are welcome via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

***

CONTENTS:

00:00 Taras Tymochko, "Come Back Alive" Foundation Consultant, "Dronefall" Project Lead.
02:15 How did drones eliminate the traditional front line?
03:10 “Kill zone”: a wide space between the two armies in which soldiers on both sides are extremely vulnerable because of the drones.
04:35 Comparing Russian and Ukrainian drone capabilities
06:03 Dronefall Project: producing interceptor drones
12:47 Why do cheap interceptors defeat expensive missiles?
18:02 AI on Battlefield: How close are we to autonomous interceptor drones?
21:21 How new interceptor divisions are created in Ukraine's forces
26:49 How Ukraine counters fiber optic drones
29:39 The future war: the role of drones vs. infantry
33:13 Starlink: advantages, vulnerabilities, and alternatives in communication
37:54 Why is "battlefield experience" so important?
42:57 What "battlefield-tested" quality means


How Ukraine fights Russian drones - with Taras Tymochko

How is the life of a soldier different from that of a civilian? Which aspects of it are hardest for civilians to understand?
What is happening on the frontline today — and how will the outcome of this war depend on the technological race?

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

Guest: Vladyslav Urubkov, a former soldier of the Ukrainian army and now a manager for military affairs at Come Back Alive (Povernys zhyvym) — one of Ukraine’s most prominent charitable foundations, supporting the military and veterans since 2014.
Come back alive: https://savelife.in.ua/

***
Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine.
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
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.


Being a Ukrainian soldier - what is it like? - with Vladyslav Urubkov

Imagine an NGO that has raised over one billion dollars to support the Ukrainian army. Imagine a civil society initiative that purchases armaments and military equipment. Imagine a transparent organisation with an independent board and detailed reporting. This NGO exists — it is called “Povernys Zhyvym”, or “Come Back Alive”. It is one of the largest Ukrainian civil society foundations supporting Ukraine’s defense.

In this episode, we will speak about its work — and about the ways you can help Ukraine.

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

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

Guest: Kateryna Leshchyshyn, head of the international partnerships at the Come Back Alive foundation.

***
SUPPORT: 
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.

***
The podcast episode 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

***
CONTENTS:

00:00 What is Come Back Alive (Povernys Zhyvym)?
02:09 Come Back Alive`s Role: at the crossroads of the military, defence industry, and charity
04:33 Why does Ukraine need charity foundations to win?
07:49 Povernys Zhyvym buys a lot of things: from arms and vehicles to drones and chairs
09:58 Come Back Alive tests and develops new solutions
13:27 Working with foreigners: Challenges and successful stories
16:09 Why foreigners are reluctant to fund military equipment
19:34 Reality of the Ukrainian army: 80-90% of soldiers are former civilians
22:07 Who are the main donors of Come Back Alive?
29:38 Ways to support Ukraine: Spreading information, demonstrations, literature
37:37 Why donors should choose Come Back Alive



How Ukrainians fund their own defense: the story of “Come Back Alive”

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 #come back alive