Category: Ukraine

Chuck Pfarrer

Chuck’s maps are clear, informative, and up to date. He posts fresh material most days

Chuck is a retired US Army SEAL (amongst other things). He writes and speaks from a position of considerable knowledge on military matters generally. On his X account, he analyses available information about conflicts around the world, at present particularly focussing on events in Ukraine.

Chuck thinks through whatever information he can glean from online sources and conversations with his contacts, and very quickly transfers the information and his conclusions onto excellent maps. He publishes the maps on his X channel. The maps are up-to-date and informative, but sometimes contain minor errors, like misspelled place names. Given the fact that he builds these maps so fast, I think he can be forgiven these minor errors.

Chuck’s maps are clear, informative, and up to date. He posts fresh material most days (but not every day) and in addition to the maps he includes views and opinions of his own, brief reports on events happening on the ground, and comment on what he has read or heard on public news channels.

The Mryia Report podcasts frequently contain input from Chuck, too.

I normally dip in to Chuck’s X account daily to see what he has posted in the previous 24 hours, and I’m usually rewarded by a new map or two, a brief analysis of a recent event or description of a weapon system newly in use.

See also:

Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Every day , they collect and analyse data … , build an overall picture of what is happening … , and make the results available

ISW is a US think tank researching and reporting on conflicts worldwide. They issue daily bulletins on events in Ukraine and Russia as the war develops and continues. I’ve been reading these regular reports for a long time and greatly appreciate them.

There may be much more detail here than most people require; the reports are long and very thorough. One great thing to remember and appreciate is that ISW makes no attempt to predict outcomes of military actions or military planning.

They have no access to classified information, nor do they ask for it. They study publicly available sources only. These include free and commercially available satellite images, for example from NASA infra-red detectors which enable them to identify fires and explosions on the ground. They use videos published on YouTube and elsewhere, images on Facebook, X and so on from which they can sometimes geolocate events from the visible surroundings. They also assess public announcements by government and military spokespeople, media interviews and so forth.

Every day , they collect and analyse data of this kind, build an overall picture of what is happening on the ground, and make the results available in a daily digest with extensive text and maps. It’s an invaluable service.

Check out their website and the page on their Ukraine updates.

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Yaroslava Antipina

Read Yara’s various projects for a refreshing rest from some of the other sources in the list

Yaroslava (Yara for short) lives in Kyiv. Like all the citizens of Ukraine she is living in a country at war – with all that entails. But Yara is not content to just sit idly by while her country and her city cope with missile and drone attacks. She has thoughts, opinions, and a delightful attitude to the arts, craft, music and traditions of her nation.

She writes about all these things and more, she takes and shares photos, usually very good and striking photos of the architecture, people, and the natural world around her. Sometimes she travels.

What I most like about Yara is that despite everything she brings a balanced and kind approach to a situation that is anything but balanced and kind. She provides news roundups, thoughtful comment, and even creative writing.

Find her on X, in greater depth at The Warcoffee Blog, on her daily news roundup War Coffee Daily, and her Public Letter (a new idea that I hope will continue after an initial trial).

Read Yara’s various projects above for a refreshing rest from some of the other sources in the list, sources that necessarily deal with the violence of war, or the more technical aspects of events.

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Links- Russian invasion of Ukraine

Some of the sources include analysis and comment, others do not. Read widely; be aware.

Finding out what is happening on a day-to-day basis isn’t always easy. Many ordinary news sources have biases of one kind or another based on who owns them, funds them, or reads them. This is true for newspapers, TV, and internet sources alike.

The list below is not exhaustive. It contains people and organisations I trust to tell me the truth to the best of their ability, to describe the events and facts as they see them and the consequences that may flow from those events and facts. Some of the sources include analysis and comment, others do not. Read widely; be aware.

The list of links follows, with more explanation at the bottom of the page.

Articles:
Military and meta-military sources:
News sources:
Podcasts:

Ukraine: The Latest

Searches:
Social websites:
Sources from Russians:

Note: These are not ‘official’ sites, I will not include those as I judge them to be biased and unreliable. The links here are to Russian expatriot sources. People and organisations unable to share truth from within the country.

Videos:
Further explanation

I’ve started by providing some bare links, when I can I’ll add details about each source.

If the Russian invasion and its consequences are topics you’re interested in, you may find the list helpful. As time allows, for each person or organisation I’ll explain some of the features and advantages as I see them. I’ll add more items as I discover them and will remove any that I feel are no longer useful. If you are aware of other sources that I should consider, let me know in the comments or via my contact form.

Why am I publishing this list of links? And why now, in late 2023? There are two main factors. First, I believe that this war is a pivotal event historically; future historians will recognise this very clearly. What Ukraine is fighting for is freedom and the right to determine it’s own future. Ukraine is internationally recognised as an independent nation with well-defined borders, has a seat at the UN, enjoys a democratically elected government, and has no ambitions to encroach on its neighbours’ rights or territory. Russia, on the other hand, has shown an aggressive attitude towards its neighbours (not just Ukraine). It holds elections in a mockery of democracy, and its leaders seem to think threats, cheating and lies are acceptable ways to govern and conduct international diplomacy. Russia is the playground bully, pushing around the weaker kids and screaming in rage when opposed. (Russia is not alone in this approach, but is certainly the primary example.)

The second factor is that interest in the war has been fading. Public interest in long term situations is fickle, we focus more on new and recent events. That’s to be expected, it’s human nature. The easier it is to find fresh, up-to-date information, the better. This list is my way of encouraging readers to remember, to remain involved and interested. It’s also an attempt to make the information more accessible.

What is being done to Ukraine by Russia is wrong. What happens next is of critical importance to the entire world. Why? Simply because it will set the course of events going forward.

What can you do?

Do you want to live in the freest possible world where individuals and nations are kind to one another? Or do you prefer to live in a dark and fearful world where individuals and nations harm one another to achieve their aims and objectives? You must choose. The real world is forever a mix of light and dark, good and evil, kindness and cruelty. But all of us can affect the balance just a little by our own voices and actions, and even more by our collective voices and actions.

Be kind, and encourage kindness in others. Resist cruelty whenever you see it. Remain informed and stay alert. Do not be silent, share your thoughts with all who will listen.

A coffee mug from Israel

Shalom is not just peace as in absence of war, quietness, or a chance to think. It means much more than that.

Back in 2007, Donna and I visited Israel. The day we arrived it rained torrentially and our plane had to circle while water was removed from the runway at Tel Aviv airport. But the weather quickly improved and we had a very interesting trip. Much of it I still remember vividly, and the notes I made and the photos I took fill in much more detail.

While we were there, we bought a coffee mug at a tourist site. We still have it, and I enjoy using it now and then. The vivid colours remind me of the bright sunshine and friendly people we met, the colours of items in the market in Jerusalem, the colours of the clothes of the people in the streets.

This mug is special, it carries the word ‘Shalom’ in Hebrew and in English, it means ‘peace’. How I wish for peace in 2023 in Ukraine and around the world. Shalom is not just peace as in absence of war, quietness, or a chance to think. It means much more than that. It means joy, completeness, health in body, mind, and spirit. It means prosperity and a fragrant life.

(I was prompted to write this by Yaroslava Antipina, perhaps to use on her Twitter feed or her blog. Please click the links and leave her some kind thoughts. Thanks!)