I have been to Bucha, Irpin and Borodyanka amid my latest trip to Kyiv last week. These towns suffered from Russian occupation, and unprecedented terror and destruction. Let me say some words about how we can help Ukrainians to hold through this winter. All photos mine. THREAD
1) First: a good news. The towns revive. Cafe “Bayraktar” serves food, the public library is open, the houses are being repaired (see the red bricks on the top level? They are new, repairing the damage done by the Russian bombs).
2) Still, the destruction is everywhere. The big markets are hit by bombs and shells (entry sign Novus for a huge market). The whole blocks are destroyed, in some houses several flats burnt.
3) What is essential? Roofs and windows. It will be minus degrees cold in Ukraine next weeks (under 32F), and rainy/snowy. Even when a house is not totally damaged by explosions, the water from the top will finish it. That is why they repair these parts first.
4) Still, money is limited. One can directly address city halls - not only in Kyiv region of course! In any damaged city! - most of them have extra entities like “(city name) reconstruction foundation”. Ask your city hall if they have a city cooperation program.
5) Energy generators can be helpful, but they will not solve the problem root. If Russians manage to split Ukrainian energy system into several isolated islands by cutting transmission lines, it will be a total collapse of energy supply no generators fleet can substitute.
6) So yes, you may send generators, but better lobby for air defense, long-range missiles and money for maintenance teams.
7) Overall: the reconstruction will be long and costly. It will include a lot of construction, de-mining, modernization. I heard some Western companies are already looking for storage facilities and logistic hubs. Good for them. For everyone it is a chance to be on the good side.
PS if you want to find some private initiatives from Ukraine (not only with the focus on recovery), I have a list here:
One of the reasons, Russia decided to invade Ukraine was the deep Russian delusion that they won WWII by alone (and can defeat anybody). In reality, the USSR was one of the Allied powers who co-won because of 1) U.S. lend-lease; 2) Ukrainian manpower. Let me explain (THREAD) /1
I will not address the lend-lease part, or how EVERY part of the Soviet military production: from planes to tanks and from food cans to even military insignia was the U.S. dependent Here: Soviet uniform buttons made in the U.S. and shipped by convoys. Let's talk on Ukrainians ./2
The basis of the Soviet military power was the land power, and in particularly the tanks. They were produced thank to the U.S. support (the only machine to cut the turret basis was sent from the U.S.), but also - developed by Ukrainians! The iconic T-34 is from Kharkiv. /3
The narrative of "corrupt Ukraine, way more corrupt than Russia" (not only the Russian, but mostly the Western narrative) was not true. It was anti-Ukrainian and it hurt Ukraine a lot as much of support (incl. military) was denied because of "corruption" (including Nato talks)1/x
The Western politicians attacked Ukraine as "corrupt" arguing why they oppose providing support for Ukraine. Remember inglorious interview by @DRovera from @amnesty as she falsely claimed Western weapons sent to Ukraine can land everywhere? This was the climax of that lie. 2/x
In fact, Ukraine has developed one of the most sophisticated and decentralized (NGO-run) anti-corruption system ever. The ProZorro system for public purchases or the obligation by employees of public companies, by judges, deputies etc. to publish all their property was unique 3/x
Wow, I have not seen this anti-Ukrainian video by Navalny before. Thank you @motytchak for noticing. The video is obvious from after 2019 (Zelensky is a president already). It is worth to translate it in whole.
Navalny: "Ukraine is amazing country, but"/1
"Ukraine is more corrupt than Russia. Despite the fantastic level of corruption here. (Ukrainian) oligarchs control the most part of economy. Some filthy clans, the whole Ukrainian elite... ok, not the whole but 95%, is a bunch of crooked scoundrels"/2
"any Russian crooked scoundrel is nothing compared to them. We at least have people who are not connected to each other. Who are in a fight. For example we and Putin. We don't see them, we do not interact, do no talk. But in the Ukraine (na Ukraine)..."/3
250 days of the Russian full-scale invasion have passed. Ukraine is defending everyone of us. I have decided to publish this THREAD with a call for donations for initiatives I personally know and some of them I met during my last Kyiv visit. All photos are mine from my trip 1/9
1) Ostanny Capitalist is a conservative-liberal platform collecting donates for many Ukrainian units, including those fighting in Kharkiv and Kherson, purchasing drones, communication devices, cars. I know their founder Valentyn Krasnoperov personally. PayPal: doneckua@gmail.com
2) Olha and Roman Motychak are activists from Hostomel, a town world-known after the decisive airport battle. This is how the town and surroundings Bucha and Irpin look like now. Olha amd Roman collect money for radio stations for 207th TerDef battalion: quicknote.io/d0fdce50-5537-…
A very strange radio show yesterday on a Russian-speaking Berlin radio (in Russian language). It was pretty hard for me to express my thoughts in Russian, despite the fact that Russian is my first language.
A fact which is not obvious for many from the West. Even when Ukrainians speak Russian (even as mother tongue), the phonetic pattern is different from "Russian Russian". I speak very hard "Russian Russian". That's why I never use it in Ukraine, as I can trigger traumatized people
When I visited Kyiv last week, I gave my commentary to Radio Liberty Russian desk on phone. For that, I left a cafe where I had my breakfast and spoke outside, where nobody could hear me. Of course, not because I was afraid, but because I knew my Moscow accent can trigger trauma.
A serious question: after all the years of the Russian non-stop lies (Ukrainian Nazis, biolabs, genocide of the Russians, battle pigeons, battle mosquitos etc.) and the repeated RU violation of the “pacta sunt servanda”’basic of diplomacy who needs any RU embassy? Kick them out!
Like really, who need any Russian embassy? You talk to the ambassador, he lies. You sign a deal with Lavrov, you both know Russia will violate it today. They promise you anything - they lie. Why to have them? To continue to pay salaries for our over-paid ambassadors in Russia?
I understand the interest of the Russia desks at our foreign ministries. All these guys who told you all the time Putin was a decent guy and Lavrov was a high-class diplomat and you could get a deal with them, and this could prevent a war. These desks were wrong and had no idea.