When the war began, Russia cut off fuel supplies to Ukraine and attacked oil storage and stations. At that point, Ukraine had less than two weeks' worth of fuel.
Here's a story of a company that adapted, survived, and ensured Ukraine's essential fuel supply 1/
OKKO, now a market leader, has flourished under the new CEO Vasyl Danylyak, a personal friend of mine, guiding it through wartime transformation.
Today, at the Kyiv School of Economics we're publicly discussing for the first time the case we have written about OKKO 2/
But the story of the company is that of people
When the missiles struck on day one, OKKO's managers didn't abandon their jobs, but acted. With the Russians everywhere, they checked on their teams and prepared evacuation plans 3/
The case highlights manager Olena, who asked her colleagues, "Can I count on you?" and everyone answered yes
I still get emotional recalling those days. That type of determination was everywhere; people had families to save but wouldn't abandon their jobs 4/
But some people did flee. At Andriy's station near Kyiv, only 3 people stayed. Andriy, however, took charge of 2 sites, running between two sites through war-torn streets to oversee operations. "As we focused on our duties, customers calmed," he recalls 5/
Iryna, near the shelled Chernihiv, took charge of 4 stations, fueling the military defending the city. "We are not afraid!" she declared. Though without an official title, she led
Chernhiv later was encircled by the Russians but never fallen 6/
By keeping stations open, OKKO teams kept Ukraine moving. “That our reality now,” Oleksandra thought
Despite the risks, they served customers with positivity, still remembering - I kid you not - to say OKKO's values: "Service with a smile." 7/
Across OKKO, exceptional teams banded together, communicating constantly to adapt. Lawyers & marketers ran stations. Drivers risked their lives delivering fuel. Some died.
Everyone became everyday heroes. Later OKKO created a campaign “Our Heroes” to tell their stories 8/
I could discuss the company's strategy and changes in supply chain management, including finding new suppliers worldwide and bargaining over shipping slots to keep the country running. 9/
I witnessed oil depots attacked and oil tankers driving at night through hidden routes to evade Russian surveillance.
But I think the story is people! Thank you for being human! 10X
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Ukraine and the U.S. moved close to NATO Article 5–style security guarantees, but they fight over territory — especially Donbas, write Axios and Reuters.
Russia has blown off every US-led peace proposal since 2022. Kyiv agreed to ceasefires and talks. Moscow answered with missiles and new territorial demands.
In 2025 alone, Washington put forward 6 ceasefire initiatives. Russia refused all six. Here's a timeline — United24. 1/
March 2025: The US proposed a 30-day ceasefire. Zelenskyy agreed and publicly backed the plan. Putin refused to sign and kept Russian strikes going. 2/
April 2025: Washington pushed another ceasefire proposal. Russia responded with a wave of large-scale attacks across Ukraine.
Kyiv said talks could start after Russia stopped firing. Moscow said no. 3/
That is how a Ukrainian soldier remembers the last days of journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna in Russian captivity — a witness account that finally puts a human face on how she died, The Guardian. 1/
Roshchyna was 27 when she disappeared in the summer of 2022, reporting from occupied Ukraine.
She became one of an estimated 16,000 Ukrainian civilians detained by Russia. For 2 years, her fate was unknown. Now, a fellow prisoner has described her final journey. 2/
Mykyta Semenov, an Azov soldier released this summer, travelled with her by train and truck to Sizo-3 prison in Kizel, deep inside Russia near the Urals.
Semenov: I saw her walking down the corridor. Light blue summer dress with flowers. Sporty sneakers. A small makeup mirror. 3/
Zelenskyy is not rejecting Trump’s peace plan — he’s rewriting it from the inside.
Kyiv’s strategy is “yes, but”: stay constructive with Washington while stripping out political landmines that would destroy domestic legitimacy — WSJ. 1/
Zelenskyy is open to elections, but only after a ceasefire guaranteed by partners.
He accepts a cap on the army, but only at current force levels — 800k. He allows discussion on Zaporizhzhia, but rejects Russian control — insisting on US-Ukraine oversight. 2/
Instead of rejecting a Donbas “demilitarized/free economic zone,” Zelenskyy asks implementation questions the US plan can’t answer:
– Who enforces withdrawals?
– What stops Russian infiltration?
– What prevents Moscow from advancing once Ukraine pulls back? 3/
Russia has killed at least 167 Ukrainian scientists — professors, engineers, PhD students, museum researchers as of November 2025, writes Moya Nauka.
Russia kills the people who teach Ukraine how to exist as a modern country.
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Among the first victims of the full-scale invasion was Vasyl Kladko — physicist, State Prize laureate, corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Russian troops executed him in occupied Vorzel in March 2022.
2/
Ihor Zyma, neuroscientist and associate professor at Kyiv National University, died together with his wife during a Russian missile strike on Kyiv on January 1, 2025.
Russia opened the year by killing a family of scientists in their home.
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