A product of many months of work, my research paper for @risj_oxford is finally out today! In it, I dissect Ukraine's use of humour as a tool of strategic communications and countering disinformation in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion 🧵👇
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/memes-morale-d… Here are six ways how humour worked in Ukraine's case - but can be applicable in other contexts:

1. It was an internal unity and coping mechanism. Ukrainians discovered the profound impact of humour on mental health in the situation of full-scale war

IMO, too much doom and gloom in the latest @TIME cover article on Ukraine. Too much focus on Zelensky, as if it's just his war and his decisions. Too many anonymous quotes by various 'aides' and 'advisors'. Too little about the Ukrainian people. Take it with a grain of salt An important fact that is casually mentioned in the article: 80% of Ukrainians oppose amy territorial concessions to Russia. Whatever some anonymous Zelensky advisers would say, not just the president but most Ukrainians are ready to keep fighting. It's an existential threat

Listening to excellent @TsybulskaLiubov insights on Ukraine's resistance to Russian information warfare at #StopFIMI conference in London. The key to success in countering disinformation is cooperation between different actors in the society and deep understanding of a threat Example of real-life impact of disinformation in Ukraine: Russian actors penetrate social media groups of Ukrainians whose relatives are MIA and instigate rebellion against the Ukrainian government; often, they exploit existing grievances and organic narratives to sow divisions

As a tribute to Ukrainian writer and poet Victoria Amelina, killed by a Russian missile in Kramatorsk, please read and circulate her work far and wide. In this thread, I will collect links to some of her writings translated into English ✍️ In this essay written at the start of Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Victoria tells how she was raised to admire the great Russian culture, despite living in the West of Ukraine. How Moscow was the centre of her universe - until she visited it iwpcollections.squarespace.com/victoria-ameli…

Those who imply or suggest that Ukraine might be behind the blowing of Kakhovka dam ignore the context of this war.
1. Russia has been lying before launching the assault on Ukraine and continued to do from day one blaming Ukraine for crimes Russia itself committed 🧵 2. Ukraine warned repeatedly that Russians were about to blow up the Kakhovka dam since October 2022 and asked for an international monitoring mission there. Nobody reacted. 3. Russian military bloggers are boasting about blowing up the dam and asking for more strikes on 🇺🇦

If you wonder why Ukrainians are unhappy about the Navalny documentary winning an Oscar and are rightfully suspicious of him, here's a useful thread

https://twitter.com/OstapYarysh/status/1619028907445092352

This article also sums up Ukrainians attitudes to Russian opposition pretty well: aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/…

So far, the only accountability plan already in place for Russia's crime of aggression and war crimes in Ukraine is 🇺🇦 armed forces continuing to crush Russian invaders. It is past high time to set up an international tribunal, kick Russia out of the UN Security Council, but A year into the war, the international community failed to draft a plan how to stop Russian genocidal invasion of Ukraine and hold it accountable in the future. A nuclear power is allowed to commit crimes every day, unhinged, to use blackmail to intimidate half of the globe

A year ago, I woke up in the early morning not yet knowing that my life and those of millions of Ukrainians would be changed forever, that many lives would be lost as a result of Russia's genocidal invasion. Yet, not for a moment during this year I doubted that Ukraine will win

https://twitter.com/olgatokariuk/status/1496713099419820034

Ukraine is paying a terrible price, it is losing an entire generation of its brave defenders, civilians, children. Yet, Ukraine is resisting - and it will resist - because everyone knows that is an existential struggle for its survival and for dignified, free life for 🇺🇦 people

The significance of @POTUS visit to Kyiv today is huge. The last time the US presidents visited Ukraine was in 2008. Biden's presence is a massive show of the US support to Ukraine. First photos show him paying respects at the Wall of remembrance of 🇺🇦 soldiers killed by Russia Today is the 9th anniversary of the mass shooting pro-democracy protesters in Maidan in Kyiv, ordered by pro-Russian president Yanukovych. Most Ukrainians perceive this day as a start of Russia's war on Ukraine. It's important @POTUS honoured their memory as well

On this day nine years ago, pro-Russian president Yanukovych ordered to open fire on protesters in Maidan. 23 people were killed on Feb 18th, and ~100 in two next days. It was a turning point in Ukraine's modern history and the first time I saw Ukrainians killed for their beliefs

https://twitter.com/10nyk/status/1626828819058376707

In the following days, Yanukovych fled to Russia where he is till this day. As people on Maidan were still mourning their dead (I will never forget standing in the square crying with tens of thousands of people next to me to the music of Plyve Kacha), Russian troops seized Crimea

During today's missile bombardment of Ukraine, two Russian Kalibr missiles entered into an air space of Moldova and Romania, before flying back into Ukraine, Chief Commander of the 🇺🇦 armed forces said. Romania is in EU and NATO. Russia is intimidating and testing allied resolve Upd: Moldovan officials confirm the violation of their country's airspace by a Russian missile today. Romanian ministry of defence, on the other hand, denied their country's airspace was violated

Some takeaways from president Zelensky's visit to the UK today 🧵.
The fact that the second foreign visit of Ukraine's president since the start of Russian full scale invasion was to the UK (after the 1st one to the US) shows which countries 🇺🇦 considers its priority partners. Zelensky was received at the highest level: meetings with the UK PM, King Charles III, address to the British parliament in Westminster Hall, visit to the British army base in Dorcet where Ukrainian troops are trained. Such a warm welcome is indicative of the UK stance on 🇺🇦

30 Russian missiles have been launched in the direction of Ukraine, spokesman of Ukrainian air forces said. Explosions were reported in Vinnytsia and Odesa regions, air defence is working. All Ukraine is under an air raid alert now Explosions in Kyiv

Two very important decisions today: Germany and the US announce they will send tanks to Ukraine. Ukraine was able to persuade its partners thanks to its victories on the battlefield and diplomacy. Leopards and Abrams will change the situation on the ground in Ukraine's favour Again, Ukraine is showing that the impossible can become possible if you try hard enough. The delivery of tanks, as well as air defence systems, was ruled out by Western countries in the first weeks and months of war. Now, Ukraine will have both

These photos of a girl who survived Russian missile attack on Dnipro today, how she holds on to her toy and New Year's decoration as the only symbols of normalcy while rescuers save her, makes my heart break. For almost a year already, Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians I must admit I was very naive a year ago, when everyone was talking about an imminent Russian invasion. While I was sure Ukrainians would resist and I did believe Russians were capable of such atrocities, I didn't think the world would allow this to happen for so long

On this day, in 1938, my favourite Ukrainian poet Vasyl Stus was born. He lived a big part of his life in Donetsk region and wrote his powerful poems in Ukrainian language. He was sentenced to years in prison camps for 'anti-Soviet activity' and died in a gulag in Russia in 1985 Learn more about him and read some of Stus poems here: lareviewofbooks.org/article/thrivi…

I can't stop crying every time I think about my friend whose husband was KIA in the last days of 2022. They should have enjoyed time with their daughter, listened to music, watched movies, danced at rave parties, as they were doing just recently. A maniac destroyed everything Today, I found out that another acquaintance lost her husband, Oleg Yurchenko. They had five children! He could have been exempt from military service, but he volunteered to fight because he was a true patriot of Ukraine. I cannot imagine how his family will cope with this loss💔

As 2022 draws to a close, I, as many Ukrainians, feel extremely tired and can confidently say this was the worst year of my life. My country has been assaulted, tens of thousands of people killed, millions fled homes. But this year also made me even more proud to be Ukrainian Ukrainians have shown the world what courage and bravery mean. They reminded everyone that things such as freedom, democracy, human rights and independence cannot be taken for granted. They demonstrated that impossible is nothing and that people have power, sometimes heroic power

While on holiday in Ukraine, I'm catching up with friends whom I haven't seen in months. Today, a friend came to visit telling how she and her 7yo daughter were hit by an explosion wave in Kyiv last month, when Russians bombed a power station near their house. Luckily they are ok They briefly left Kyiv early after Russian full scale invasion and returned in the summer when the situation seemed to stabilize. A child went back to school in September, although there were only half of pupils in her class and a new teacher (the previous one fled)

Shitty ending to the worst year of my life: returning to Ukraine for winter holidays and the airline lost my luggage. No, it cannot send it to Ukraine. It can send it to the nearest airport in a neighboring country. So I'll have to cross the border to pick it up when arrives 😣 Not to mention my trip lasts more than 24 hours, includes multiple tranfsers and means of transport, across four countries. There's also a coughing child who burst into tears when found out that our suitcases full of presents (mostly torches, batteries and books) have not arrived

I am extremely proud of @avalaina - Oleksandra Matviychuk, the head of the Centre for Civil Liberties, who received the Nobel Peace Prize today on behalf of her organization and Ukrainian human rights defenders. Her Nobel lecture is an absolute must-read: nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2… In her speech, entitled 'Time to Take Responsibility', Oleksandra raises crucial points related to Russia's war in Ukraine, war crimes, human rights violations and the dysfunctional international order that turns a blind eye to it and emboldens the aggressor state. Some quotes: