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.

Some internally displaced persons (IDPs) have made the difficult decision to return back home to the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. There are different reasons for this choice. Some have not been able to find a job or adapt as an IDP in free Ukraine, others fear a winter of bombings and blackouts, while there are some who fear their properties are at risk of confiscation.

Thousands have undertaken the journey to their homes in occupied Ukraine. Recently, MP Maksym Tkachenko spoke of 150,000 "returnees", a figure which sparked fierce debate in Kyiv. An in-depth report by BBC Ukraine tries to clarify the numbers and motivations behind the phenomenon, translated by n-ost in this week’s newsletter.

The recent resolution of the European Parliament on "reinforcing EU’s unwavering support to Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression" has also created discussions and controversies, especially in the governing coalition in Italy, with parties voting in divergent ways, and reconfirming their divisions on the issue. 

Supporting Ukraine is German chancellor Olaf Scholz, who presented a new 650 million euros military aid package during his second visit to Kyiv. For some German commentators, however, the move is too late, and some see it as part of his campaign for re-election in February. Bulgaria is also sending new armaments to Kyiv, as well as Spain, which recently delivered some of its most advanced weapons systems to Ukraine.

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, meanwhile, is positioning himself as an important player on the future of Ukraine, given his ideological closeness to the new US president-elect Donald Trump. In the past week, the two have had several exchanges of views on the conflict by phone, according to Radio Free Europe’s source. 

Have a good read!

Francesco Martino
Editor of this week's edition

One of the most sensitive issues in the full-scale war is the topic of internally displaced people from the Russian-occupied territories, and each individual’s dilemma on whether to remain estranged from their home, or to return. Therefore, a recent claim by a Ukrainian MP that around 150,000 Ukrainians returned to the occupied territories has sparked a harsh debate.

In a piece, translated by n-ost this week, journalist Diana Kuryshko researches the real numbers of people returning, the reasons behind such decisions and the challenges of the journey back. The author finds out that to obtain accurate statistics is almost impossible. Most probably, there are dozens of thousands of Ukrainians going back to their homes, but it isn’t clear if they are remaining for the long-term.

They are motivated by the inefficiency of Ukraine’s state politics towards internally displaced people, their own inability to find good jobs, a fear of spending winter in Ukrainian cities attacked by Russian drones and missiles and coping with blackouts. People are also afraid to lose their property, as occupiers are currently confiscating flats and houses from owners who haven’t obtained Russian passports. At the same time, Russia is banning many Ukrainians from entering the occupied areas via its airport in Moscow. Pavlo Lysianskyi, lawyer and director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, explains:

"Currently, the occupiers massively confiscate local residents’ property, including thousands of flats, and they plan to confiscate more than 300,000 real estate properties. The return of Ukrainian citizens to occupied territories doesn’t fit the occupiers’ agenda, as they don’t need people with historical memory. Now, many Russian citizens of different ethnic groups are relocating to the occupied areas."

This piece was originally published by BBC Ukraine, a Ukrainian branch of the British public media.

Translated by Olesia Storozhuk.

Bulgaria

Bulgarians admit to spying for Russia in the UK

Two Bulgarian citizens living in the United Kingdom, Orlin Rusev and Biser Dzhambazov, have pleaded guilty in a London-based trial to spying for Russia. At the same time, three other accused Bulgarians have declared themselves innocent. The suspected group was arrested last year. Among their alleged espionage activities is the observation of an American military base in Germany, where Ukrainian soldiers were being trained. The trial against the Bulgarian citizens takes place at a time of strong tension between the UK and Russia. In recent weeks, London has authorised the Ukrainian army to use the long-range Storm Shadow missiles it supplies to Kyiv on Russian territory. (Mediapool)

Despite the ongoing political crisis in Bulgaria, which is still without a majority in parliament after early elections in October, the current government in Sofia has approved new military supplies to Ukraine. The nature of the armaments remains confidential: according to anonymous sources collected by Club Z, they are probably anti-aircraft missiles and/or portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS), which the Bulgarian army no longer needs. The Bulgarian supplies are carried out on the basis of a security agreement signed by Sofia and Kyiv in December 2022. (Club Z)

Bulgaria and Ukraine are important partners in the field of transport in the Black Sea, reiterated the Bulgarian Minister of Transport, Krasimira Stoyanova, in a meeting with the Ukrainian ambassador to Sofia, Olesya Ilashchuk. The central theme of the meeting was to ease the transport of goods to and from Ukraine "across road, rail, port and river networks", as stated by Stoyanova. The trade of Ukrainian goods to the EU remains a key element of the Ukrainian wartime economy. In support, Bulgaria has already provided Ukrainian land transport vehicles with permits for 2025. (Nova TV)

Germany 

Scholz’s Ukraine visit: "Does he want to portray himself as a chancellor of peace?"

Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kyiv on Monday for his second visit since Russia’s full-scale invasion. While he pledges 650 million euros in military aid and reaffirms Germany as Ukraine’s "strongest supporter in Europe," a Spiegel writer raises doubts about the timing, suggesting it may align with upcoming elections: "Is he using the backdrop of war to portray himself as a chancellor of peace once again?" Scholz’s first visit in June 2022 was criticised for its delay (he became chancellor in late 2021), compared to other politicians. Back then Scholz responded that he would not engage in "war tourism" and his visit was only for "very concrete things." Now, Spiegel wonders what "very concrete things" Scholz is bringing to Kyiv this time. (Spiegel) 

Investigative media Correctiv in collaboration with the IT-forensics organisation Qurium, has disrupted Russia’s 'Doppelgänger campaign', a disinformation strategy that creates fake social media accounts to spread its own "news" portals, or replicates reputable German news sites. Sites that looked like media outlets Spiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung spread anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western content on social media. Investigations revealed Doppelgänger used services from European companies, including the German hosting provider Hetzner and domain register 1API GmbH. After alerting them, Hetzner closed customer accounts, and 1API suspended 28 domains for "violating terms of use". The technical trail led to a government-controlled IP under Russia’s Defense Ministry. (Correctiv) 

Peace has become a "political battle term," with German parties like the Social Democratic Party, and extremist Alternative for Germany, and Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance claiming to "secure" or "protect" peace, writes Zeit foreign policy correspondent Jörg Lau. He highlights how the peace-centred rhetoric of post-war Germany shaped its current discourse on conflict, but has become outdated for current challenges, such as navigating "between Putin's nuclear missile threats and Trump's deal-making". He notes that "the mere absence of war is not enough, as Ukrainians in occupied territories painfully experience." (Zeit)

Hungary

Foreign minister talks to Lavrov, Ukraine adviser says Orbán "not pro-Russian"

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mihailo Podolyak says he does not consider Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán to be pro-Russian, a criticism that Viktor Orban often receives in the European public. "No, not pro-Russian at all," Podolyak says in an interview with Telex. "Orbán is as pragmatic as possible, focused on the national interest as he sees it, and he wants to benefit Hungary." The adviser says Hungary is "an inseparable part" of the EU, and sees "no pro-Russianism" in Orbán’s actions. (Telex)

A few days after this interview was published, Hungary's foreign minister Péter Szijjártó travelled to Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, where he reiterated the need to negotiate, keep diplomatic channels open and avoid an escalation of the war. Szijjártó listened for ten minutes, and was visibly tense, according to Telex. The Russian foreign minister said, among other things, that Ukraine was attacked "because of the defence of the rights of Russians", and that he rejected Ukraine president Zelensky’s recent proposal for a ceasefire freezing the lines of conflict in return for Ukraine’s NATO accession. The Hungarian government has repeatedly stressed the importance of a ceasefire. (Telex)

Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán have held several telephone talks since the 5 November elections, Hungarian Free Europe reports. According to sources, the new US president asked the Hungarian prime minister for his opinion on specific issues related to Ukraine. One source said that Donald Trump is primarily interested in Viktor Orbán's views on a quick end to the war in Ukraine. According to another source, the US President asked him, among other things, about Russia's ability to continue the war, how war-resistant he sees Vladimir Putin's regime, and what kind of settlement he could imagine. (Szabad Európa)

Italy

Italian divisions in EU on aid to Ukraine

The European Parliament’s recent resolution on reinforcing EU’s unwavering support to Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression provoked significant divisions in the Italian government coalition. The far-right party Lega, "always paying attention to relations with the Kremlin", writes La Repubblica, voted against the resolution, PM Giorgia Meloni’s party Fratelli d’Italia abstained, while Forza Italia, which is now the second largest party in the coalition, supported it. Meloni didn’t clarify her group’s abstention, but just reiterated "unconditional support" for Kyiv. Opposition parties were also split internally: some members of the Democratic party backed long-range missile supplies, diverging from the party’s official stance. Left-wing populist movement Five Stars and the Left and Green Alliance also opposed the resolution. (La Repubblica)

Thirty Italians, many from the northeast of the country, are estimated to be fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, as part of the International Legion. They operate discreetly, using their battle name, due to Italian laws prohibiting private citizens from fighting for foreign states. Moscow defines them as mercenaries, while they describe themselves as freedom fighters for Ukraine and Europe. Russia pays its soldiers more for capturing European combatants over those from Ukraine, they explain. Their ranks include far-right activists, left-wing sympathisers, and moderates, and they fear Russian intelligence will target their families. According to an Italian volunteer, three Italians have reportedly died in combat since 2022. (Il Corriere)

'The Savior of Children: A Ukrainian Story' is a new book recounting the efforts of Volodymyr Sahaidak, who rescued children from Russian abduction during the occupation of Kherson in 2022. Journalist Nello Scavo, correspondent for Avvenire, collected documents, stories of false identities, invented adoptions or illnesses and secret networks arranged by Sahaidak to protect and save from deportation 52 children under his care, as well as 15 orphans. Sahaidak managed this operation, despite facing constant threats from Russian occupiers. His documentation and Scavo’s reports were filed to the Hague court investigation. (Il Foglio)

Spain

Ukraine-Spain based family keep hero’s memory alive 

Ukrainian Air Force officer Taras Redkin gave his life during a combat mission in September 2022, just before turning 26. Piloting his MiG-29, he sacrificed himself to save civilians from a small Mykolaiv town where the plane was going to crash after being hit. Redkin has received posthumously the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III for his act of bravery. His family, now living between Spain and Ukraine, was accompanied for a few days by ABC Correspondent in Kyiv during their last visit to Kharkiv, where they work to keep the memory of Taras alive. (ABC)

Ukraine’s 210th Assault Regiment has unveiled photographs of a highly mobile armoured vehicle included in Spain’s latest aid package. The car is equipped with an Alakran mortar system, a cutting-edge weapon designed for the demands of modern warfare, where rapid and efficient deployment is critical, particularly under constant drone surveillance. The Alakran can be ready to fire in just 35 seconds and aimed in eight seconds, accommodating both 120mm and 81mm mortars with a firing range of up to seven kilometres. This Spanish technology has proven to be a useful asset for Ukraine’s frontline. (El Español)

At the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Spain’s Granada Ammunition Factory, with over 700 years of history, is thriving amid growing global demand for large-calibre ammunition. With its workforce tripling since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the factory now operates at capacity, producing shells for different types of weapons. This includes the 120mm caliber used by Spanish Leopard 2A4 tanks, 20 of which were delivered to Kyiv. The owner, a Slovak citizen, plans to expand operations with new facilities in the Spanish region of Jaén to meet increasing orders. (El Mundo)

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

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