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.

Ukraine has imposed a ban on oil from Russian energy group Lukoil transiting on its soil, which has triggered a frank discussion in Hungary over fears for Hungarian energy supply in the long-term. The Italian daily Domani reports on the Vatican secretary of state’s visit to Ukraine, a first since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion.

The German Süddeutsche Zeitung, along with a group of European media, published an investigation revealing that German-made military-use goods still make their way into Russia, despite EU sanctions. In Bulgaria, official data show that the Bulgarian military industry earned 3.4 billion euros in 2023, thanks to exports related to the war in Ukraine. The Spanish police arrested three hackers suspected of being perpetrators of a joint pro-Russian cyber-attack on Spanish institutional websites. And the French daily Les Echos details the latest deal negotiated by Ukraine with a large group of its sovereign bondholders, that should prevent the country from defaulting.

Also in this edition, we translated a thorough article from the Ukrainian media publication Detector Media, on how the Ukrainian media, and especially privately-owned TV stations, are being financed and monitored since the start of the full-scale war.

Before diving into our summary, consider taking five minutes to answer a few questions about this newsletter, which can help us make our work more relevant and useful to you. It would mean a lot!

Have a good read. 

Sarah-Lou
Editor of this week's edition

The beginning of Russia’s full-scale war completely changed the structure of Ukraine’s television landscape. On 24 February 2022, the six biggest channels, including those privately-owned and state owned, and the public broadcaster, united to create a telethon 'Yedyni novyny', providing viewers with updates on the development of the war. 

Two-and-a-half years later, this telethon attracts more critics and scepticism than trust among both audiences and media professionals. According to one of the recent polls, 47 percent of Ukrainians do not trust the updates, compared to the 36 percent who do. According to another piece of research into public opinion, TV remains an important source of information for 43 percent of respondents, but this figure has dropped. In 2022, almost 67 percent of Ukrainians stated that they received information from TV news.

Over two years, from March 2022 to March 2024, the state issued a total of 27 million euros of cash to TV companies, supporting the production of the content for 'Yedyni novyny'. Channels receiving this money include four private stations, which were previously considered a tool for oligarchs to influence the informational and political agenda. Even more so, the owners (or previous owners on paper) of two Ukraine’s biggest media groups are currently under arrest and sanctions in different corruption cases.

In a piece, translated by n-ost this week, journalist Natalia Dankova gives a detailed overview of the current situation within Ukraine’s private television networks. She answers tricky questions about how the war and public financing has changed the character of the most popular channels. And, what is even more important, who influences their editorial policies in wartime and what comes next. Media expert Otar Dovzhenko tells Dankova in the article:

"This spring, Yaroslav Yurchyshy, head of the Verkhovna Rada’s (Ukraine parliament) committee on the freedom of speech, offered his vision (in an interview for RBC-Ukraine): 'De-facto, the state resorted to such a mild type of de-oligarchisation, where we offer the funding, and the channels, on their part, guarantee compliance with certain editorial standards, so that we do not have some new, say, [Russian pro-Putin propagandists] Solovyov or Simonyan on air.' However, the situation where the state takes over an enterprise, starts publicly funding its operation and defining the principles of said operation (which in our case entails editorial policies and the media’s participation in the telethon), has a different name, which is 'nationalisation'. At the same time, the state doesn’t assume legal ownership [of media groups], it just acts as such in all but name. Basically, those media were confiscated for the needs of the state. No wonder, then, that those media are immune to sanctions."

This piece was originally published by Detector Media, a Ukrainian independent online publication focused on the analysis of the country's media landscape and informational policy.

Translated by Tetiana Evloeva.

Hungary

Ukraine ban on oil transit sparks long-term supply fears

Ukraine has imposed a ban on the oil transit from the Russian energy company Lukoil via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Most Hungarian energy experts do not fear supply problems in the short term, but they stress that a long-term solution is needed. "The Ukrainians probably had the biggest problem with accepting money from Lukoil, which is one of the financiers of the war... Also, they probably wanted to annoy the Hungarian government a bit," said Attila Holoda, former secretary of state for energy. Lukoil will likely hand over trans-Ukrainian transport to another company. (G7)  

All the parties will come to an agreement on the oil transit issue, argues energy expert József Balogh, because "The Russians are interested in selling, the Hungarians and the Slovaks and Czechs are interested in getting the cheapest possible oil, and the Ukrainians are interested in collecting the transit fee" (Magyar Hang). The ban could be a problem for Hungary's imports, thirty percent of which come through Ukraine. According to Viktor Katona, head of oil analysis at Kpler, there is a threat of a significant shortage of supply towards the end of the month. "In the mid to long term, Brussels has to take a stand," he adds. (Világgazdaság)

Disinformation narratives circulating about the Russian attack on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv are analysed by fact-finding portal Lakmusz. In Hungary, these are spread also by the pro-government media, including suggestions that the attack could have been caused by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile, which experts have ruled out on the basis of the available footage (Lakmusz). In a field report, Válaszonline interviews the hospital’s chief doctor Daria Voronyak, who sheds light on the importance of the biggest and most important children’s hospital in Ukraine. (Válaszonline)

Italy

Expanding the nuclear industry under Russian bombs

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state in the Holy See, is the highest Vatican representative to have visited Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. An article in Domani outlines the purpose of the trip, from 19 to 24 July, both spiritual and political. The Vatican and the Pope’s position has already been criticised by Ukraine and other international stake-holders in the war because of its tendency to give equal weight of responsibility to Ukraine and Russia (Domani). But relations between the Holy See and Kyiv seem to have improved after a new approach by the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky a week ago on direct negotiations with Russia. (Domani)

Italy and NATO have a complex relationship, especially after Italy’s reluctance to commit 40 billion euros annually in military aid to Ukraine, considered an unsustainable commitment by the Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto, an article in Il Riformista explains. Crosetto also criticises NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for appointing a Spanish representative as the new special envoy to the Southern Front (middle east, north Africa, and Sahel), which is a role Italy desired. Matteo Salvini, deputy PM, accused of pro-Russian stances, called for Stoltenberg’s resignation. But while Crosetto has always publicly supported Ukraine, Salvini has an unclear position, and internal political divisions persist. (Il Riformista)

Despite the ongoing conflict, Ukraine’s nuclear industry is expanding, a long investigation in IrpiMedia reports. Since the Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia in March 2022, Europe’s biggest nuclear plant has been on the frontline. Ukraine, through state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom, aims to grow its nuclear capabilities, collaborating with US-company Westinghouse to build new reactors at the Khmelnytsky plant in west Ukraine, where Soviet-era reactors from Bulgaria, (see our edition from 9 May), and two advanced ones from Westinghouse could be added. Ukrainian experts, warning of nuclear terrorism in relation to the Russian state company Rosatom, criticise the controversial role of the IAEA and Energoatom’s work, underlining how [the enlargement of the small nuclear power plant in Khmelnytsky] is an example of how energy interests come after political and economic ones. (IrpiMedia)

Germany 

German weapons tech supplied to Russian companies via Turkey

Despite EU sanctions halting the supply of military-use goods to Russia, new investigations reveal that German-made technology is still making its way into Russia. Süddeutsche Zeitung collaborated with other European media to uncover that the Russian group Promtech evaded sanctions "via a subsidiary in Turkey." In 2023, Promtech, which specialises in producing systems and components for aviation, rocket and space technology, "imported technology worth almost eight million US dollars" from the USA, EU and Germany, unveils the investigation. Two German companies were found to have "machines and dual-use goods such as cable pulls or connectors delivered to Promtech's Russian subsidiaries." (Süddeutsche Zeitung)

In the aftermath of a Russian cruise missile destroying the Ohmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv on 8 July, eight children from Ukraine, most of them suffering from cancer, were transferred to German children's hospitals. "The seriously ill children affected must not become victims of this criminal war of aggression. We will provide them with good care in German specialist clinics," said federal health minister Karl Lauterbach. The facilities receiving the children include Stuttgart’s Olgäle, the paediatric department of the Katharinenhospital, which is the largest children's clinic in Germany, with around 400 beds. (FAZ)

The Interdisciplinary Ukraine Studies (KIU) competence network has opened in Frankfurt (Oder) to strengthen Ukrainian studies between the city’s European University Viadrina and four Berlin universities. Funded by the German Academic Exchange Service, the network aims to become an established institution by 2028, "eliminating blind spots in the academic perception of Ukraine". At the KIU's opening event, Oksana Dubovenko, counsellor of the Ukrainian Embassy in Germany, emphasised the need for Ukraine experts "for the reconstruction of a post-war Ukraine, in which Germany is to play a central role." (taz)

Bulgaria

Military industry flourishes thanks to war

In 2023, the Bulgarian military industry earned 3.4 billion euros thanks to exports related to the war in Ukraine, according to official data from the Sofia government. Most of the gains came from supplies to the Ukrainian army, often through other NATO countries, especially Poland and Romania, but also the USA and the UK. Bulgaria still mass-produces Soviet-standard ammunition, used by the Ukrainian armed forces. According to 24 Chasa, some Bulgarian armaments also arrived in Russia after being exported to African countries under the influence of Moscow, like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso. (24 Chasa)

Bulgarian politicians have still not managed to resolve the issue of appointing a new ambassador to Kyiv, a vacant post since the start of the Russian full invasion. The position remained empty due to the clash between the government and president Rumen Radev. This week the government appointed former defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev as acting ambassador, despite Radev's strong opposition. This temporary solution allows Sofia to send Nenchev to Kyiv without the formal approval of the president, which is required by the constitution. (OffNews)

Ukraine’s serious need of electricity imports, after the Russian army damaged a large part of the power plants on Ukrainian territory, is one of the reasons for the sharp increase in energy prices in Bulgaria. According to experts interviewed by the Bulgarian public television, Bulgaria currently exports 1300 megawatts to Ukraine. Contributing to the current prices is the fact that after the start of the Russian invasion and the interruption of the import of Russian gas, many Bulgarian production companies now use electricity instead of gas. Last month the Sofia government announced it was ready to support Ukraine by exporting electricity to Kyiv. (BNT)

Spain

Three arrested for Pro-Russian cyber-attacks 

Spain detained three hackers for cyberattacks "with terrorist intentions", according to investigators. The three detainees, Spanish nationals of around 30 years old, were members of NoName057, a hacking group closely linked to Kremlin intelligence. They are accused of attacking the websites of the Ministry of Interior, the Spanish National Postal Service, the Bank of Spain, and companies in the defence sector, such as Navantia and Indra, for their cooperation with Ukraine (El Español). On 22 July, after the news became public, the hacker group launched a new massive cyberattack against Spain and promised further "revenge". (El Español)

Across the Atlantic, Spanish journalist Marc Marginedas is delving into how Russia is transforming Mexico into a hub for its espionage operations in a series of articles from the ground. The Kremlin is actively working to expand its influence in the country through media and politics, establishing Latin America as a new geopolitical battleground. Kyiv and Moscow are vying for sway in the region, and are intending to recruit a substantial number of soldiers for their respective armies. (El Periódico)

The Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) protocol, recommended by NATO and taught by Spanish soldiers and other EU countries to Ukrainian recruits, is unsuited for 21st-century war, according to El País Audio's Sunday podcast. A broadcast from Ukraine delved into the challenges of evacuating wounded soldiers and how this crucial task for survival and morale is evolving on the frontline. Surgeons and paramedics highlighted that the protocols from TCCC were "designed for Afghanistan, Iraq... countries where it is much hotter. Here, wounded soldiers get cold much more quickly." They also noted the differences in waiting times, availability of vehicles, and the painkillers used. (El País)

France

Ukraine to escape default after bondholder talks

Negotiations between Kyiv and a large group of sovereign bondholders have resulted in an agreement in principle, details the economical daily Les Echos. Ukraine is set to narrowly escape default, after reaching an agreement with several of its private creditors, representing just over 25 percent of its 20 billion USD bond debt. This decision must still be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the bondholders. These different repayment schedules should allow Kyiv to save more than 11 billion USD over the next three years. (Les Echos)

In the Donbas, an invisible gulf is widening between the Ukrainian military and civilians accused of "waiting for the Russians", writes Le Monde’s special envoy in the region. A small number of residents continue to live at the frontline, according to a military personnel from the 59th Brigade: "90 percent of the civilians still holed up in their bombed-out homes are pro-Russian". He accuses them of collaborating with Moscow, and remembers an old Ukrainian woman who offered members of his brigade traditional pirozhkis spiked with needles at the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion. "We shed our blood to keep this country free, while they want to go back to being slaves," he adds. (Le Monde)

In February 2022, in Kharkiv, twin sisters Maryna and Vladyslava Alexiiva fled in the middle of the night as Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They took with them their bronze medals for synchronised swimming, won in the Tokyo Olympics a year earlier. After six months in Italy, they returned to Ukraine to reunite with their team. From that moment, they trained intensively with one goal: to win the gold medal in Paris in 2024. Two French journalists followed the sisters during their preparations, and produced the documentary 'The mermaids of Ukraine'. (Canal Plus)

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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