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.

Russia’s full-scale invasion led many Ukrainian artists, especially those abroad, to express through music, literature and other media what this aggression means for civil society and about Ukrainian culture. In the article of the week, translated by n-ost, DJs Daria Kolomiiets and Anastasia Bobrovska talk through how they use their performances to promote Ukrainian music and denounce the Russian invasion, despite the risk of losing listeners searching only for a good time.

War affects all walks of life, including athletes. A documentary broadcasted by French TV recounts how they train, in an atmosphere of Russian missile attacks and power cuts, for the upcoming Olympics in Paris. In the last months Russia’s targeting of Ukrainian energy infrastructure seems to have become more precise: a piece from Italy reports on the impact. Not only are human beings affected by war: the Hungarian press covers the consequences for marine life.

At international level, military support was a central issue in last week’s NATO summit in Washington DC. Bulgaria has not yet committed to long-term support, while the Italian government is divided on the issue. EU countries’ contributions to military aid are crucial for Kyiv, such as a quick-to-make and low cost drone used by Ukraine, which was designed by Spanish engineers. However, Russia is targeting the purveyors of such assistance. According to US intelligence, Russia planned to kill the CEO of Germany’s largest arms company, German media reports. 

Lastly, it has been nine months since we launched this newsletter and we are interested in your opinion. Your feedback would be extremely helpful to ensure we maintain high-quality information. A survey is available at this link, which should take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. 

Thank you for your time and have a good read.

Marika Ikonomu
Editor of this week's edition

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian musicians have used every opportunity to spread the word about the war and, if possible, to fundraise for the army.

In March 2022 world music band DakhaBrakha and freak-cabaret Dakh Daughters added photos, videos and stories from the war to their international live shows. In May of the same year, ethno-hip-hop band Kalush Orchestra used their Eurovision song contest triumph to ask for support for the defenders of Mariupol’s steelworks Azovstal.

In a piece translated by n-ost this week, journalist Olha Dudenko talks to Ukrainian DJs Daria Kolomiiets and Anastasia Bobrovska, who use their performances to promote Ukrainian music and give their audiences more context on the history of Ukraine’s culture. Both artists feel there is a risk of losing some listeners, as people come to the sets to party. But, as Kolomiiets said:

"I’m one of those female DJs who frequently talk to their audience during the set. When performing, I have flags with messages like ‘Russia is a terrorist state’ or ‘War is not over, stand with Ukraine’, and they are a means of communicating about this war that Russia has foisted upon us. I know this isn’t purely classical DJing on my part, as people coming to my sets specifically expect to listen to my music. Still, I sometimes punctuate what I’m doing with my comments. For instance, when I take my record of [Ukrainian singer] Volodymyr Ivasiuk [who was found dead at 30 years old hanging from a tree outside Lviv in 1979] out of its sleeve, I make a point of sharing his story of being killed by the KGB."

This piece was originally published by Wonderzine, a Ukrainian independent online-media focusing on women’s rights and experiences.

Translated by Tetiana Evloeva.

France

Following Ukrainian Olympiads training during wartime 

What remains of the Olympic dream when the entire nation is at war? The documentary ‘Ukrainian Flame’ (La flamme ukrainienne), broadcasted on 12 July by the French public channel France 3 dives into Ukrainian sport and the personal life of its athletes. From Kyiv to Zaporizhzhia, via Dnipro and Irpin, the characters living in a country at war stick to their training sessions, despite Russian missile attacks and power cuts. The goal is Paris 2024. Volodymyr, Marya, Alina and Iryna are Ukrainian champions in gymnastics, fencing, athletics, wrestling and kayaking. The documentary should also be screened in Kyiv this summer. (France 3)

The paediatric hospital in Kyiv was not bombed by a Ukrainian missile, explains the debunking team of The Observers for France 24, after a wave of videos published by pro-Russian social media accounts spread this theory, following the 8 July attack. The journalists analysed the videos shared and explained how these do not prove the missile was Ukrainian. On the contrary, they tend to help identify the missile as one type used by the Russian army, a KH-101, which matches the assessment of the first investigation by the UN. (France 24)

Kyiv has an efficient process to prevent the circulation of western weapons outside of military use, writes a journalist at Le Figaro, citing the recent publication of the NGO Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC). The report shows that Russia’s war in Ukraine, like all conflicts, has led to a proliferation of illegal weapons on Ukrainian territory, but these are mostly Soviet weapons, mislaid by Russian soldiers and picked up on the battlefield by civilians or members of the Ukrainian army. Most of the few western weapons that have disappeared on the battlefield have been seized by Russian soldiers. (Le Figaro)

Germany 

Russian plan to kill German arms company CEO "foiled" 

Russia planned to kill Armin Papperger, CEO of Germany's largest arms company Rheinmetall, according to US intelligence, writes Süddeutsche. The USA and Germany "are said to have foiled Russian plans to attack Papperger at the beginning of the year," due to Rheinmetall’s support for Ukraine, with CNN citing five officials from both countries confirming the threat. The Federal ministry of the Interior emphasised these risks, stating "security authorities are very vigilant" and are cooperating with international partners. Since the start of Russia's aggression, German authorities have been warning about increasing "sabotage, espionage and attempts at intimidation" including the attempted kidnap or assassination of a Ukrainian man, mentioned in last week’s newsletter (Süddeutsche).

Conservative far-left politician Sahra Wagenknecht suggested "Ukrainians may be lying" about the Russian attack on a children's hospital on 8 July in Kyiv, implying that intercepted debris, not a Russian missile, caused the damage, in comments on a talk show on national channel ZDF. FAZ comments that her statements closely align with "the version of events that has been circulating in Russian media". While other guests on the show, such as defence expert Claudia Major and Die Grüne (Green party) politician Omid Nouripour, opposed Wagenknecht's stance, a popular post on X questions why the public broadcaster is "giving such dangerous people" a platform. (FAZ)

Berlin police have banned speeches in the Ukrainian language at a demonstration following Russia's attack on the children’s hospital in Kyiv. On X, the police stated that speeches and statements must be in German or English "to protect freedom of assembly and ensure compliance with associated rules." A protest participant criticised this position, saying "freedom of assembly also protects the right to decide on the type and manner of expressing opinions - and thus also on the language used," claiming the police’s portrayal was "inaccurate". (Zeit)

Hungary

Hungary accuses local media of "Western pro-war propaganda"

Hungary’s new state-run civil society and media surveillance department, the Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO), has released a list of media outlets that it claims spread Western "pro-war propaganda" or "the Russian state narrative". In its first report, plain news reports were identified as "pro-war propaganda." (Hvg) Telex points out that the SPO found no Russian propaganda in the Hungarian state and pro-government media, even though these outlets have "frequently cited Russian propaganda websites". For example, the pro-government portal Origo wrote - on the basis of a report by Russia's state-run agency RIA Novosti - that "there is proof" that Ukraine is using banned chemicals on the frontline, without providing any evidence. (Telex English)

Telex summarises the reactions in the media to Viktor Orbán’s "peace mission" to Russia. EU ambassadors discussed the issue and "25 out of 26 are dissatisfied or angry" that the Hungarian prime minister gave the impression he was visiting Moscow on behalf of the EU presidency, while the Hungarian diplomatic representative argued that the PM had negotiated on a bilateral basis and the purpose of his meetings was to find out the feasibility of a ceasefire, according to Hungarian and foreign press reports. (Telex English) A Ukrainian researcher on Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, Dmytro Tuzhansky, called the visit "bluff and provocation" in an interview. (Átlátszó)

Russia’s war against Ukraine is causing serious damage to nature, including marine life, according to Ivan Ruzev, researcher at the Tuzla National Nature Park in Ukraine. After long research, he believes that many more dolphins have been killed in sea-based operations than official figures suggest, shows a short film by Emma Strauss. The reason could be the sonars used for reconnaissance, which could cause severe acoustic trauma to dolphins and lead to death. He and his team plan to create a dolphin rehabilitation centre in Tuzla Park. (Válaszonline)

Italy

Cracks in the Meloni-led government over aid to Kyiv

Right-wing party and governing coalition partner Lega’s siege of the government on weapons and military expenditure for Ukraine, is intensifying and PM Giorgia Meloni has to solve this discord, a piece in La Stampa highlights. To maintain harmony in her coalition, Meloni, after the NATO summit, reiterated that the Italian military systems supply is to be used by Kyiv exclusively for defence, and not to strike Russia. Asked if these diverging views regarding Ukraine could lead to a government crisis, Meloni ensured that the ruling majority is united. But Lega’s policy is close to its partners in the newborn European parliamentary group Patriots for Europe. (La Stampa)

On the bulletproof vest of 48-year-old Marco Rodari are written the words of his profession and job name: ‘Clown Il Pimpa’. Rodari has been to Ukraine nine times since March 2022, trying to bring some joy to war-torn areas, recounts a piece in L’Espresso. As a clown he also travelled to Gaza, Syria, Iraq, entertaining children with his red nose and a briefcase full of magic. In Izjum he helped rebuild a library, where he created a children’s section. "All it takes is a little game, sometimes even a pebble to hide and make reappear, and the horror all around seems to fade away," he says. (L’Espresso)

Russia has targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, but has increased its precision in the last few months, explains a piece in OBCT. Fifty percent of the energy system in Ukraine relies on nuclear power, the production of which has been heavily impacted by attacks. Despite Ukraine’s connection to the European grid, significant energy shortages persist. Last year, the whole Ukraine blacked out and, since last May, planned power cuts have been in force throughout Ukraine, causing a strain on the daily life of civilians. The situation, according to OBCT, risks becoming unbearable during the coming winter. (OBCT) 

Spain

Pro-Russians launch campaign claiming young Spaniards will be sent to Ukraine frontline

Nineteen members of the Omega group, a Ukrainian intelligence unit specialising in counter-terrorism, have completed their instruction in northern Spain with the rural police tactical unit of the Spanish Civil Guard, the Rapid Action Group (GAR). The main training areas included close-quarters combat, urban combat, tactical medicine, cybersecurity, and electronic warfare operations, reports the regional media La Rioja. This elite unit of the Guardia Civil is regarded as one of the best in the world. Originally formed to combat ETA terrorism in the late 20th century, the GAR has also conducted missions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Colombia and the Sahel, focusing on countering jihadism. (La Rioja)

Pro-Russian sympathisers are attempting to spread fear in Madrid by distributing fake obituaries, reports El Confidencial Digital. Calling themselves 'The Z Club', they place small leaflets on cars ridiculing Volodymyr Zelensky as a drug abuser and include fake obituaries of Spanish citizens, claiming that the military defence of Ukraine will result in young Spaniards being sent to the frontlines to die in the war. This campaign blames NATO for starting the conflict and has been widely disseminated through Russian propaganda channels in Spanish. (El Confidencial Digital)

Spanish engineers have designed a low-cost drone known as Lord, which is now used by Kyiv in the Russia-Ukraine war. A piece in El Español explains how the drone can be produced quickly and is made using readily available components. The company making the drone, Destinus, says the product has a small radar footprint, weighs eight kilograms, and has a flight range of up to 2,000 kilometres. Shipments began in 2023, though this information had not been publicly disclosed until now. The company also announced that two new models will be available in September. (El Español)

Bulgaria

Ukrainian refugees unsatisfied with state support

Ukrainian refugees who have found asylum in Bulgaria are among the least satisfied with the support they are receiving among seven European countries surveyed, according to a recent UNHCR report. Only 69 percent of refugees are satisfied with the social support they receive in the country, compared to 98 percent of those in Moldova. Today, around 52,700 Ukrainian refugees live in Bulgaria, and in 2023 the government spent 28 million euros to ensure hotel accommodation for a few thousand of this number. More than 14,000 Ukrainian citizens in the country are not waiting for social assistance, and have found regular jobs, especially in Burgas, Sofia and Varna. (Mediapool)

Bulgaria is among the few NATO member countries that have not yet signed the ‘Ukraine Compact’, a pact where the signatories commit to the long-term support of Ukraine's freedom, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The document, which emerged during the Washington DC summit on 9-11 July, was signed by 23 NATO countries, Japan and the EU leaders. Before the start of the summit, caretaker Bulgarian prime minister Dimitar Glavchev had reiterated that "Ukraine knows that it can count on us in this war", but Bulgaria was holding back from signing up to this commitment, at least for the moment. (Euractiv)

The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Epifanij, has asked the new Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil to condemn the Russian crimes committed in Ukraine. Daniil, elected head of the Bulgarian church at the end of June, is known for a position on Ukraine which is close to those of the Russian church, which denies the autonomy of the Ukrainian church, and has declared in the past that Ukraine also bears part of the responsibility for the full-scale Russian invasion. Daniil's predecessor, Neofit, had condemned Russia's recent military actions, albeit indirectly, shortly before his death. (Svobodna Evropa)

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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