Did the War End?

In the final episode of “Did the War End?” the hosts reflect on Russia’s war against Ukraine six months in, discussing recent strikes on military sights in Russia-occupied Crimea and the hope that represents to end the occupation, as well as the biggest lessons they took away from living through war.

After a five-month blockade of Ukrainian ports, the first ships carrying Ukrainian grain have finally started sailing to the rest of the world. Russia has historically used food as a weapon — and this time around, it's no different.

On today's episode, we are joined by two experts to discuss the oncoming food crisis being caused by Russia.

Russia’s war has made Ukraine one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world.

In this episode, we are joined by an expert to take a closer look at what would it take to demine Ukraine.

Often referred to as the first “TikTok war,” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marks the first time a war of this scale has played out as millions of people track every move and development in almost real-time.

In this episode, we are joined by two experts to discuss disinformation, content moderation, and the role of social media in war.

This episode was edited by Anthony Bartaway.

With Russia currently occupying over 20 percent of Ukraine, many Ukrainians are risking their lives to escape to Ukraine-controlled territory.

In this episode, we are joined by the Kyiv Independent’s Head of Investigations Anna Myroniuk, who shares the story of one family’s escape from Kherson Oblast.

This episode was edited by Anthony Bartaway. 

Picture this: You’re scrolling through eBay, ten years from now, maybe looking for some artwork to put up in your new apartment. You come across a painting you like…but it looks familiar. Really familiar. You look a little closer and you realize — you’ve seen this painting before. In a museum, in Ukraine. And you think to yourself…wait – What’s it doing on eBay? In this episode, we hear from two experts about how Ukrainian art has become an important target for Russian occupiers during the war. Tune in to find out what's been stolen, where it’s going…and why.

Since Russia illegally annexed and occupied Crimea in 2014, nearly all forms of dissent on the peninsula have been crushed.

Disinformation has been a part of Russia's geopolitical strategy since the establishment of the Russian Imperial Police in 1881. How has Russia weaponized information, from the 1800s, Soviet times, and all the way to today?

On today’s episode, we discuss the evolution of Russian information warfare alongside Nina Jankowicz, a world-renowned expert on disinformation. Tune in to hear the role disinformation is playing in the Russian-Ukrainian war and what the West and Ukraine can do to fight it.

This episode was edited by Anthony Bartaway. 

Azovstal, a steel plant in now Russian-occupied Mariupol, has become a symbol of Ukraine’s fierce resistance to the Russian invasion. Thousands of Ukrainian fighters defended the plant with little to no resources, refusing to surrender for nearly three months.

In this episode, we hear from John Spencer, a leading expert in urban warfare studies, about what it took for Ukrainian soldiers to defend the plant, despite being drastically outnumbered. We also talk to two family members of Azovstal defenders who are now in Russian captivity about what life was like at the besieged plant.

This episode was edited by Anthony Bartaway.