To-do list for everyone shocked and horrified by the images of bombed children hopsital in Kyiv:

- Ask your representatives to provide more air defense systems to Ukraine. They could’ve saved those children today.
- Donate to the bombed Kyiv hospital:
1/ohmatdytfund.org/en/donate - If you’re a US citizen, pressure your representatives to allow Ukraine to strike into Russia with US-made weapons so that Ukraine can neutralize Russia’s capacity for these kinda of attack.

Ukraine knows how to do it — the problem is with the red lines forced by the US.
2/

If you google “How many civilians died in Ukraine?”, you’ll always see a figure of around 10,000 victims.

This UN’s official figure is wrong, and the UN admits it.

In today's visual explainer, let's see what's wrong with the 10K figure and how to fix this misinformation.

A 🧵 1/9

We’re seeing many attempts to explain the issues with Ukraine’s counteroffensive with:

1. Russia’s unbreakable military might
2. Ukraine’s poor leadership and inefficient military strategy
3. Ukraine’s unprecedented level of corruption

Here’s why they’re all false points.
1/ Russia is not unbeatable.

Ukraine has proven again and again that it can beat Russia if it acts smart and gets enough material military help.

But the delays and blocks in military help have enabled Russia to take time, build defense lines, and prepare for Ukraine’s moves.
2/

This is the story of two Ukrainian orthography editions published in 1928 and 1933 – and everything horrible that happened in between.

It's also a lesson in Soviet/Russian colonialism, showcasing how Moscow weaponizes language to conquer and dominate other nations.

🧵 1/ Let’s step back.

After reconquering most of Russia's former colonies from 1918 to 1920, the USSR feared a new wave of liberation wars.

That’s why the 1920s were the time of the “korenizatsia” policies that gave some level of cultural autonomy across the USSR republics.
2/

The scale of the Kakhovka dam disaster is much bigger than you think.

Our focus and donations are on the flooded southern side of the Kakhovka dam. Saving people and wildlife is a top priority.

But to understand this event, we also need to look to the North of the dam.
1/10 The Kakhovka reservoir is 240 km (150 mi) long and up to 23 km (14 mi) wide.

It was used to support a vast system of irrigation channels and provided fresh water for millions across the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro regions.

All these channels are drying out right now.
2/10

Almost 48 hours since Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam, we can already see how its propaganda machine is trying to cover up Russia's role in this war crime.

And some are already falling for it.

Here's how to fight these narratives and help the affected people and animals.

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam is a war crime, a humanitarian disaster, an act of ecocide, and a nuclear escalation all at once.

Let’s break down the magnitude of Russia’s yet another war crime and what we all should do next.

It's Kyiv Day.

No matter how many rockets or drones Russia launches, Kyiv stands strong. It always has been and always will remain Ukraine’s beating heart.

Dear Kyiv and its people, this one is for you.💚

#35

Why Ukrainians don’t want to share platforms with Russians.

Beneath the scandals and misunderstandings, there's rational and values-driven thinking that makes Ukrainians refuse to share platforms with Russians.

Let's break it down.
1/27 As Russia wages a genocidal war in Ukraine, some organizations use their platforms to call for dialogue between Ukrainians and Russians.

These calls aren’t always direct. Often, they are subtle, like shared awards, discussion panels, and shared representation at events.
2/27

#34

How Ukraine is rethinking Victory Day (and why it's important).

A thread. Ukraine is one of the nations most devastated by WWII.

It faced the crimes of Nazi Germany and was brutalized by the Soviet crimes of the 1930s and 1940s.

But for decades, Moscow censored the history of Ukraine’s World War II experience.

#33

Negotiations with Russia are a trap.

And why arming Ukraine is the most reliable path to lasting peace.

A thread.
1/ As Russia's winter offensive is becoming a complete failure, brace yourself for the new wave of calls for negotiations and "peace at any price".

Russia’s propaganda effort will continue nuclear saber-rattling and calling to end the arming of Ukraine.

So let’s break it down.
2/

Watch this level of manipulation, gaslighting, and indifference to the sufferings of Ukrainians.

She says this year was defined by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and immediately turns to the West’s double standards regarding other human rights violations in the world.

https://twitter.com/amnesty/status/1640747623412908032

Ukraine is not the only place where human rights are violated, sure. And we should get better at covering non-European issues.

But the scale and genocidal intensity of Russia’s war against Ukraine is the largest, most shocking human rights violation of the last year.

On this day one year ago, we published our first explainer on why Russia’s war in Ukraine was a genocide.

Our claim stands stronger today. This is genocide. Russia continues its attempt to erase Ukraine.

That's why we have updated our first explainer.

A visual thread.

#32

Why Russian and Belarusian athletes should be banned from the Olympics.

And how to end Putin's hijacking of the world’s sports institutions.

A thread. Side note: this thread is based on our Patreon article, which is open to everyone.

You can read the full text here:
bit.ly/uaexplainers32

Now, back to the thread.

#31

One year into the full-scale invasion and 9 years into Russia’s assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty, too many things are on our minds.

It is impossible to communicate the entirety of the emotions and thoughts that run through our heads.

But we had to try. In this issue, we tried to answer the most basic questions that people might have for Ukrainians: what we feel, want, need, how to support us, and what we think will happen next.

This comparison is laughable.

Unlike Belarus, Russia does have a history of imperial conquest and genocide of tens of indigenous ethnicities.

Russia has never recognized any of those wrongdoings, and the culture of Russian supremacy has never been properly discussed.

1/4

https://twitter.com/navalny/status/1627632124562927617

Also, the survival of the dictatorship in Belarus was possible only through Russia's direct interference.

In Russia, dictatorships are self-sustainable and have been able to reproduce themselves throughout centuries precisely because of Russia's imperial bias.

2/4

#30

How Russia is using the fossil fuel propaganda playbook against Ukraine.

We don’t talk enough about Russia's role in building the modern fossil fuel propaganda machine.

Let’s explore the similarities between “climate wars” and Russia's info warfare against Ukraine.

A 🧵 Quick side note: this thread is a part of our new explainer available to all on our Patreon: bit.ly/uaexplainers30

Check it out if you enjoy the article format!

Back to the thread.

Navalny's team has launched a huge Free Navalny campaign with @anneapplebaum among its advisers and aspirations to win the Oscar for the Navalny movie. Good for them.

Ukrainians and many other nations colonized by Russia are increasingly critical of the campaign.
Here's why:
1/ Many prominent voices have already raised concerns about Navalny's far-right and racist views, so we're not going to focus on Navalny himself.

Instead, let's talk about the positioning of the Free Navalny campaign and its stated goals.

What is it aiming to achieve?
2/

#29

7 reasons why religion is complicated in Ukraine

Today, a lot of Christians in Ukraine are celebrating Christmas. This is a perfect day to remind ourselves that Ukraine is a complicated mixture of religious branches and church dynamics.

A thread. Quick side note: this thread is a part of our new explainer available to all on our Patreon: bit.ly/explainers29

Do check it out if you enjoy the article format better!

Back to the thread.

We need to talk about Ukraine's red-black flag – one of the most controversial and misunderstood symbols of the Ukrainian resistance.

Where did it come from? Does it represent right-wing extremism? What does it mean for Ukrainians?

Buckle up, it's a long thread! ❤️🖤 Sidenote: you can read the full version of this explainer with lots of links on our Patreon:

Now, back to the thread.

#27

The Holodomor of 1932-1933, explained

How the USSR deliberately starved to death 4.5 million Ukrainians and then tried to cover it up.

A thread. Sidenote: this thread is a shortened version of our new explainer. The full article is available here:
bit.ly/uaexplainers27

Let's get back to the thread.