Ukraine: Global

This edition of Ukraine Global is about inner sabotage in Russia and how it can help the Ukrainian military to drive the enemy out of our land. Russian officials reported explosions on May 1 on the power lines in Russian's Leningrad region and a railway in the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine.

Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian investigative journalist and author, believes that sabotage among the Russian population can start at any moment if they know the real facts about killed soldiers. He says the number of killed commanders, generals, and lieutenant colonels in Russia is incomparable with any conflict of decades. It is interesting to count, even statistically, the number of victims on their part. They believe it takes 1,000 Russian soldiers to kill one general. So the number of killed officers has grown, and they recognize it. All local newspapers write about their death. Central television does not speak, but they write. It is still unclear who exactly made explosions on May 1 on the power lines in Russian's Leningrad region and a railway in the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine. But inner disappointment among the Russian population started to arise. Indeed, the majority of Russians still support their dictator. Still, the underground forces in Russia who are against the regime exist in the country and are becoming more visible.

Plus, the incompetency of the Russian military made possible the bombing of Belgorod beneficial for the Ukrainian Army, which has shown good results lately on the battlefield.

Ukrainian media have recently published a massive report by Elizabeth Owen about confiscated Russian assets in Ukraine. The report is based on findings by Ukrainian journalists Maksym Savchuk, Nadia Burdyey, and Heorhiy Shabayev in a probe by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. Arie Mora from the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group believes that the confiscation of Russian assets in Ukraine is still an open question. The state tries to understand how to do it correctly. So, the process of confiscating Russian assets in Ukraine has only just started. It is a question of morality and dignity. Such steps will definitely help the Ukrainian economy and strengthen the budget of defense forces. Still, it is quite tricky in juridical moments as Ukraine wants to stick to international law. At the same time, Ukrainian bureaucratic bodies make the confiscating process slower than Ukrainians want. We just need to be patient enough to see all those who are responsible for war crimes in Ukraine in jail and their money confiscated.

On February 24th, 2022, all Ukrainians were woken up by the news of Russia’s brutal attack on their land. Artists and performers did not stay aloof: they donated to the Ukrainian army, bought equipment, clothing and other essentials for soldiers, or raised funds in this country and abroad, encouraging nations to support Ukraine. Alex Borovenskiy, director of ProEnglish Theater, told RU’s Viktoriya Kriukova about his personal experience of writing songs and stage performances. “This war is a painful reality, and we need to realize the new circumstances we all live in. Culture can't stay aloof,” says Alex. Ukrainian and world artists have shown that we have more in common than just military and financial cooperation, which is crucial for driving the enemy out. We have the same values and we believe that such horrors can't happen in the 21st century, and we must stop it.

This edition of Ukraine Global is about the condition of Ukrainian cultural monuments on the de-occupied territories. How seriously were they damaged by the Russian invaders, and how are international organizations helping to restore them?

Due to Russian aggression, a multitude of cultural heritage sites in most regions of Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed. As a result of shelling, buildings have such damage that Ukrainians have not seen since World War II. Ukraine has recorded at least 407 verified cases of Russian war crimes against our heritage, but the actual number is certainly higher. After all, it is difficult to get information from temporarily occupied territories and areas of active hostilities. The Culture Ministry continues to work on recording the destruction of cultural heritage sites in order to have evidence for international proceedings. Culture has always played an important role in times of war. And international support for Ukraine grew after the full-scale invasion. Sometimes, it’s not only about the money. People wanted to help Ukraine. Alex Borovenskiy, ProEnglish Theatre director, visited Ukrainian territories close to the war zone and saw with his eyes how Ukrainian cultural monuments were damaged there. RU’s Viktoria Kriukova talked with Alex.

On June 6, every Ukrainian woke up to the news that the Russians destroyed the Kakhovka HPP, that now serves as additional proof of Russian military brutality that ignores all laws of war. Of course, the decision was made in the upper echelons of Russian command. Perhaps, Mr. Putin himself made this decision. Nevertheless, it is extremely painful for us as a nation to process such atrocious news and understand that Russians diminish our land every day. It is indeed challenging to stay objective in this situation.

Still, we do realize that Russia kills Ukrainians daily on our own land. We believe that this time, the destruction of Kakhovka HPP was a deliberate strategic act of the Russian Federation aimed at stopping Ukraine's counteroffensive. Have they won here? – We shall soon see. We know that no one will stop the Ukrainian Armed Forces from driving the enemy out of our land. And all the perpetrators and criminals will be held accountable.