Maria Romanenko 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Award-winning Ukrainian activist, presenter, and journalist | @uk_aspen fellow | Contact 📩: maria@mariaromanenko.com
Feb 23, 2023 5 tweets 1 min read
Just had a shower & I’m ready for an early night (after like 10 intvws today). This time last year I was going to bed in the Kyiv region to wake up to the region, & the whole country, being bombed. My Dad would join the army the next day and my bf & I would move westward using… …the road that was shelled a couple of days later, with Russians killing people trying to evacuate.
Sep 18, 2022 6 tweets 3 min read
Insane story from Kharkiv region’s police: 7 Sri Lankans, who were in #Ukraine 🇺🇦 for work and studies, were kidnapped by Russians 🇷🇺, beaten, had their nails torn off, and forced to work for free (clean). The 6 men and 1 woman, all aged 20-40, arrived in Ukraine around 3 weeks before the all-out invasion and rented a house in Kupiansk (which was occupied until a few days ago). They were hiding in their house for some time until they decided to try and flee into Kharkiv(under UA🇺🇦)
Jul 27, 2022 4 tweets 1 min read
I’m translating an interview with three Russian soldiers that are held as POWs in Ukraine, and it’s making me so angry… Main outtakes:they had a choice to say no, but they didn’t because they were obeying an order. They want to go back to Russia and will stay in the armed forces when/if they do. If Russia decided to cross the border of Ukraine, then it’s in Russia’s interests and who am I to argue
Apr 17, 2022 4 tweets 3 min read
How does #Ukraine celebrate Easter? 🐣 Well, firstly, not today but next week! Secondly, I detailed the entire process in my new (and first!) article for @ManchesterMill. I was born on Easter Day, so you can consider me an expert of sorts. Read here:

manchestermill.co.uk/p/its-the-leas… As always, massive thanks to @joshi and @SophieAtk, without whom this article wouldn’t have been possible. And thank you to the lovely @danithecole who introduced me to the world of @ManchesterMill! ❤️
Apr 9, 2022 13 tweets 2 min read
Why do I not talk about the “good Russians”? (controversial post alert) There are good Russians. I was walking in a street in Manchester today and heard a Russian accent (in Russian). I turned around: there were two ladies. I smirked.
Mar 2, 2022 8 tweets 3 min read
As I leave #Poland, I need to do my due diligence and massively thank its government and people at the time when Ukraine faces all-out military attacks from Russia.

Russia and Poland: A Tale of Two #Ukraine Neighbours. THREAD: In the past, the Ukrainian territories have been under both Polish and Russian rule for a long time. Ukrainians have also warred with both nations in a bid to regain their independence and rights. This is history and can neither be rewritten nor erased.
Feb 12, 2022 5 tweets 3 min read
It’s paralysing how much misconception there still is around the #Russia-#Ukraine war. I was recently asked whether Ukrainians will soon get mad at Zelenskyy for not having ended the war fast. I did not vote for Zelenskyy but let me set the record straight: Ending the war is 1st and foremost down to Putin&Russia. 2ndly, it’s down to #Ukraine’s western partners who, other than arming Ukraine, could also sanction RU politicians hard and switch Russia off from SWIFT, making Russians’ lives impossible. Now, that would be a clear message
Apr 29, 2019 4 tweets 2 min read
The news that we deserve: President of #Turkmenistan has released a music video for a rap song about his horse. Unfortunately no English captions but I'll translate it into English if 10 people like this tweet. Some side notes: it's the National Akhal-Teke (a horse breed that President Berdimuhamedow owns) Day in Turkmenistan today. Berdimuhamedow's grandson wrote the music for the song and he can be seen in the video accompanying the president on synth.