Welcome to this edition of What about Ukraine?, a newsletter that helps you keep updated about what has been said recently about Ukraine in Ukraine, and in the international media.

A week after the US Congress finally approved the 61 billion USD aid package to Ukraine to resist Russia’s full-scale invasion, western countries are debriefing their own support. 

Old but useful Bulgarian equipment has finally arrived in Ukraine and is being modernised before heading for the front. A Hungarian NGO is sending technical equipment to Ukrainian soldiers, despite Hungary’s apathetic position on the war. Italy’s military aid has decreased, but Italian military companies have developed a stronger business relationship with Ukraine. Germany is still blocking the delivery of its air-launched cruise missile Taurus to Ukraine, Spain has declined sending its Patriot missile batteries, but has announced the shipment of anti-aircraft defence missiles. France is training Ukrainian pilots along with the UK to master the F-16 fighter jets.

Also in this newsletter is an article by Italian newspaper Domani about surrogate mothers in Ukraine for Western couples, and the Spanish and French media consult different experts who detail how Ukraine is not only fighting for its own freedom, but also for the freedom of Western European countries. Plus a German company focused on drones for sustainable agriculture is now producing military reconnaissance drones for Ukraine.

Below, we recommend you read the longform article the Europe-Ukraine Desk has translated to English this week, which reveals the fate of a journalist in Crimea who was tortured and tried by the Russian occupiers before the full scale war. Today he remains in a penal colony in Crimea.

Have a good read. 

Sarah-Lou Lepers
Editor of this week's edition

For freelance journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko, Crimea was not his place of birth, nor a destination for an editorial assignment. He moved there in 2013 to start a family with a woman he fell for. When Russia annexed the peninsula in 2014 he started to cover the events unfolding in front of him, using his phone, tenacity and courage. He chose to leave Crimea when his daughter was born, but returned a few years later, when he realised the media had lost interest in the occupied peninsula. In March 2021, he was detained by Russian security services, while he was gathering material for a new reportage. After facing torture by the FSB, he was sentenced to six years in a penal colony, which human rights organisation define as a politically motivated decision.

His story is not unique. According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center (an NGO that monitors human rights violations in Crimea) 318 cases of prosecution for political reasons have been recorded on the peninsula since the beginning of occupation in February 2014. Among them, 150 citizens were sentenced and are serving time in colonies, and 44 are currently in detention facilities.

In a piece translated by n-ost this week, journalist Oleksandra Yefymentko tells the story of Yesypenko. She followed the trial while staying in Crimea, talked to Yesypenko’s family and to human rights lawyers in order to reconstruct the details of his life, work, detention and imprisonment. She also examines whether the freeing of Yesypenko is possible. She points out, that:

"During the entire war, there were at least three cases where Crimeans were released — Hennadiy Afanasyev, Ilmi Umerov and Akhtem Chiygoz, as well as the 2019 exchange, when Oleh Sentsov, Volodymyr Balukh, and Oleksandr Kolchenko were returned. But after the start of the full-scale war, this stopped. Russia deliberately avoids exchanging Crimean political prisoners, as it does not recognise that Crimea is part of Ukraine, so there are no prisoners to exchange from the peninsula."

The piece was originally published by The Ukrainians, an online-media focusing on stories of successful and influential people from Ukraine.

Translated by Natalia Volynets.

Hungary

"Every metre costs a lot of blood"

A new film following battlefield doctors near Avdiivka last February, just before the Russian occupation of the city, has been released on Hvg, by journalist András Földes. The film shows their work, up close and personal. While pushing back the Russians, "every metre costs a lot of blood", says one of the doctors. The medics not only witness the fighting on the frontline, but also how hospitals and schools in the area are being attacked. (Hvg)

Despite Hungary's apathetic policy to Ukraine, Sándor Fegyir, Ukraine's future ambassador to Budapest, is optimistic about the Ukrainian-Hungarian relations. According to him, one sign that relations are on the right track is the work of Transcarpathian Dragon Suppliers, an NGO that uses donations from Hungary to help Transcarpathian soldiers with drones and technical equipment (Magyar Hang). The founder of the organisation, Hungarian military journalist Balázs Trautmann, was recently interviewed by news magazine Mandiner. As he explains, the organisation is not only helping just units from Transcarpathia, but more than 60 Ukrainian units, who know that Hungarian citizens have donated funds that can save lives. (Mandiner)

A reporter from the pro-government Tv2 visited Kherson and Zaporizhzhya to speak to soldiers in the Ukrainian army and victims of Russian aggression. This is a rare occurrence in the Hungarian media, where the war on the ground is mostly covered by independent media. In Kherson, the reporter László Domszky met Oleksandr, who is considered one of the city's heroes: as a civilian he had informed the Ukrainian army about the movements of the Russian army, but he was kidnapped and tortured by the Russians, along with others. Several of his friends died of torture (Tv2). The reporter also met a soldier of Hungarian origin from the Ukrainian army in Zaporizhzhya, who spoke about everyday life at the front. (Tv2)

Italy

Solidarity with Ukraine "turning into big business"

Italian involvement in military aid has changed since February 2022, an article in La Repubblica explains. Italy is the only country in the world to maintain secrecy about the military aid granted to Kyiv, which is estimated to be worth around 2.2 billion euros. Among the EU countries, Italy ranks low in the total amount of donations relative to its size. Despite the lack of data, the piece highlights that, with Giorgia Meloni’s government in place, the military supply has decreased in quantity and quality. However, sales of weapons to Ukraine by Italian companies have multiplied: last year sales were worth over 400 million euros. "It’s as if solidarity [...] had turned into big business," the reporter argues. (La Repubblica)

One of the most effective devices for anti-aircraft defence in Ukraine, besides US-made Patriot missiles, has been the Italian-French-made Samp-T, a piece by Il Post highlights. In February 2023 Italy and France jointly sent the first Samp-T anti-aircraft missile battery to Kyiv. Secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, and Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, are now asking again for urgent anti-aircraft systems. But the piece underlines that Italy and France are reluctant, as they have to host important events this summer, such as the G7 and the Olympic games, for which they need tools of military deterrence. (Il Post)

Before the Russian full-scale invasion, Ukraine was the second most popular destination in the world for couples needing surrogate mothers, after the US, since many countries have declared this practice illegal, such as Italy. An Italian couple had started the process of hiring a Ukrainian surrogate mother before February 2022, but the invasion put hundreds of clinics in crisis. Their clinic reopened, and in January 2024 they travelled to Ukraine to get their baby. Since the end of 2022, despite the war, the requests have increased. In almost two years, 2022 and 2023, clinics organised the birth of one thousand babies to surrogate mothers. (Domani)

Spain

No to sending missile battery, yes to sending missiles

After pressure from EU leaders urging Spain to send Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine, the Spanish Ministry of Defence has declined, citing "national security" concerns. However, the government has confirmed it will ship missiles to Ukraine for this anti-aircraft defence system this week. The exact number of projectiles is undisclosed, but their supply will be limited. Each one of them is worth more than one million euros and Spain has barely fifty in its reserves (El País). To better understand the system and how Patriots can help to protect the Ukrainian skies, La Razón prepared a comprehensive infographic. (La Razón)

Western countries withdrawing their focus from the Russian invasion of Ukraine is "a luxury that Europe cannot afford". Analyst and ex-foreign affairs minister Ana Palacio writes an opinion column advocating support for Kyiv without hesitation, which should go far beyond sending anti-aircraft weaponry, and how Europe must no longer rely on the United States as the umbrella protecting the continent. "We have forgotten to what extent our security is at stake," the analyst says, after recent Russian advances and attacks. (El Mundo)

Only 29 percent of Spaniards are willing to fight for their country in the event of war, according to a recent poll by the International Gallup Association. Spain stands out as one of the nine countries where the "no" answer is greater than the sum of "yes" and "indecision". A new debate has arisen: could Spain carry out forced conscription? According to the Constitution, citizens have the "right and duty" to defend Spain, but it also includes the possibility of conscientious objection. The law does not specify the cases in which this is a valid excuse. (InfoBae)

Bulgaria

Military aid to Ukraine: old, in poor condition, late, but still useful

Sofia’s aid to Ukraine is old, in poor condition, and arrives late in Kyiv, but it can still help the Ukrainian army's war effort against the Russian invaders. The one hundred armoured personnel carriers donated by Bulgaria to Ukraine, after a complicated political process and difficulties in delivery due to lack of funds, have reached their destination and are currently being modernised by Ukrainian technicians with new engines, additional protection and night visors. According to Ukrainian journalist and analyst Igor Fedik, the vehicles - which have remained unused for decades - will be particularly useful for troop transport, although probably not in frontline areas. (Svobodna Evropa)

Despite the long internal political crisis, which will see Bulgarian citizens go to the polls again on 9 June, Bulgaria continues to support the people of Ukraine and intends to actively participate in the country's reconstruction process. This was recently reiterated by Bulgarian ad-interim prime minister Dimitar Glavchev, who will lead the country until the next elections. The previous coalition executive between conservatives and reformers pursued a clear policy of support for Ukraine, moving the country away from its traditional position of proximity to Russia. (Dnes.bg)

Russian-sympathetic articles in the Bulgarian media have been debunked by the factcheck.bg portal. The news appeared on various Bulgarian sites and social media, alleging Bulgarian-produced ammunition was used by the Ukrainian army to bomb Oleshki, in the Kherson region, which is defined as "a Bulgarian village". According to the portal, the only available sources for such information are Russian news agencies, while videos showing the use of ammunition produced in Bulgaria cannot be located with certainty. According to a 2001 census, it also emerged that only 0.3 percent of the village's population was Bulgarian. (factcheck.bg)

France

Ukrainian pilots trained to master F-16 

Ukrainian pilots are not ready yet to fly fighter jets F-16, details an article by Le Monde. According to a military source, only ten Ukrainian pilots are now being trained in Europe, who are between 21 and 23 years old, and are very inexperienced. After six months' instruction in the UK, part of them arrived in France for the next stages of their training, in a secret location in southwest France, where they are supposed to spend another half a year. They will not be ready "before the beginning of summer", when the first F-16 are announced to arrive in Ukraine, according to the Belgian first minister. (Le Monde)

'Kyiv claims to fight for the whole of Europe', is the headline of an article by Les Echos. "What you Westerners are struggling to understand is that Putin is committed to a neo-imperial project and that he will go all the way," explains Oleksandr Bogomolov, director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Ukraine. Among other experts, he details why many Ukrainians believe Ukraine is first in line, before Putin sets his sights on western Europe. "Should we therefore fear a third world war?" the journalist asks the security specialist. "It's already started for Putin," laughs the Ukrainian researcher, mentioning Africa and Syria, where Russia is already pushing out Western influence. (Les Echos)

The online investigative Mediapart has launched a partnership with The Kyiv Independent, announcing the regular exchange of articles between the two media. To start off, Mediapart translated the documentary 'Destroy in whole or in part', by Danylo Mokryk, from The Kyiv Independent’s investigative unit on Russian war crimes. The documentary answers the question: "Has the Russian state (or has it had) the project of committing a genocide in Ukraine?" (Mediapart)

Germany 

Lawmakers stand firm on blocking Taurus missile supply

Just when it was thought that Germany had concluded the Taurus missile debate, with the Bundestag voting against the delivery on 14 March (Deutscher Bundestag), the discussion resurfaced following the USA's delivery of ATACMS rockets with a greater range than before. As noted in a FAZ commentary, this "increases pressure on the federal government", though chancellor Olaf Scholz has "committed himself so strongly to this issue that he can hardly do anything but stick to it", regardless of what other international allies say. The FAZ author criticises this "fruitless, symbolically charged debate" and wishes for more focus on broader Ukraine support. (FAZ)

A German manufacturer of drones for sustainable agriculture, Quantum Systems, is now producing drones for Ukraine. The changing geopolitical landscape and the outbreak of war prompted the company’s founder and CEO Florian Seibel to adapt his business model towards defence, developing "reconnaissance" and offensive "strike" drones. This became a broader trend within Germany, analyses Der Spiegel, where smaller innovative companies like Quantum Systems represent "a new generation of companies that are currently shaking up the defence industry" and are working towards responding to "the increasing [drone] demand." (Spiegel)

In the Ukrainian village of Volodymyrivka in Donbas, the war has dramatically altered the lives of the residents. The village, previously full of life, is now characterised by the absence of its men, as hundreds were drafted to "serve in the army", to replace the heavy casualties suffered by the Ukrainian forces. Süddeutsche follows Julia Michno, who is contemplating divorce to prevent her husband Michail from being drafted. "I cried, I screamed, I threatened to divorce him and give up custody of the children [to him]," she says. Their story provides a glimpse into the desperate times among Ukrainians, who due to the increasing need for drafting soldiers "try to bribe their way to a certificate of unfitness, or flee across the border to Poland or Romania". (SZ) 

The Europe-Ukraine Desk curated this newsletter. This week's edition has been composed by our team all over Europe: Marika Ikonomu, Kornelia Kiss, Katarina Kukla, Sarah Lou Lepers, Oksana Mamchenkova, Francesco Martino, Antonina Rybka and Fermin Torrano.
Michael Bird was our proofreader. 

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