*Apologies for the minor disruptions in the podcast as we were cut off by power outages in Kyiv.

In light of the annual commemoration of the Holodomor on November 22, 2025 (always the 4th Saturday of November), I spoke with Dr. Iryna Skubii, the Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Her work focuses on the social history of the 1932–1933 famine, the Holodomor.

Listen in to hear:

• Why should we consider the Holodomor a genocide?
• What was it like to live through the Holodomor? 
• How did people survive?
• How did the world find out about the Holodomor from inside Stalin's oppressive Soviet Union?

Dr. Iryna Skubii, is the inaugural Mykola Zerov Fellow in Ukrainian Studies and the Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. She is also a researcher with the Ukrainian Global History Initiative, where her work focuses on the social history of the 1932–1933 famine, the Holodomor. She is a historian of Ukraine and the Soviet Union, specialiazing in environmental history, material culture, and history of famine.

She obtained her PhD in History from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada) and a Candidate of Science Degree in History from V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine). She has taught and held research positions in Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Austria, and Canada. Recognized by the American Association for Ukrainian Studies for the best article in Ukrainian studies, she is working on two books on the famines in the Soviet Union.

You can find her website here: https://irynaskubii.com/

Dr. Skubii's Publications:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00220094231186089
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003205364-13/shrink-eating-carrion-rebecca-manley-iryna-skubii

And useful and scholarly-verified online resources on the history of the Holodomor: https://holodomor.ca/

I find it ironic in the US we have Thanksgiving in the same week, on the 4th Thursday of November, though in the US case marking a holiday of abundance and freedom. In Ukraine’s case, they commemorate the millions of victims of starvation and repression at the hands of Russia, in hopes of finally gaining their freedom.

Please listen to this podcast to remember that this current genocidal war is not the first time Russia has conducted a genocidal campaign against Ukraine. And Ukrainians know it won’t be the last unless the West wakes up and stops Moscow.

It’s a tragedy itself that this tragedy is not well-known in the Western world.

Please reshare to keep up awareness of this tragedy and the suffering and strength of the Ukrainian people amid this ongoing war.

To learn more, visit:

https://ubn.network/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

Is Pokrovsk going to fall, and if so what does it mean for Ukraine?

There have been lots of doomsday scenarios arising about the loss of Pokrovsk and how it could lead to a collapse of the front for Ukraine. But is that true?

Pavlo Narozhnyi, Founder of Reactive Post, an NGO that provides lethal and humanitarian support to the front since the war began in 2014, with a focus on long-range artillery brigades. Pavlo also provides timely insights and advice to political and military leaders in Kyiv based on his understanding of dynamics at the front. He is often interviewed in Western media, including by the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg, as well as by Ukrainian media on a nearly daily basis.

To discuss this - and help dispel some myths - we had back on the show my friend and renowned military analyst Pavlo Narozhnyi, who can provide the latest from the front and offer his prediction about what the pending loss of Pokrovsk means in the months ahead. 

To learn more, visit:

https://ubn.network/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

In this episode, my business partner Andrew Pryma and I felt like we had to break alot of the misconceptions of the economy and business environment in Ukraine and delve into what's really happening on the ground. We speak everyday with the top Western investors in the country so have strong insight into what is actually happening, what they're seeing, how they're feeling, and how they view the future. 

Please have a listen to understand better what's happening on the ground in Ukraine - which companies are investing, which sectors are thriving, which are struggling, what are the long-term opportunities, and what's holding back businesses from investing. 

Andrew Pryma, Founder of Ukraine Business News (UBN) and UBN Network, Andrew is a former investment banker with over 20 years of investment management experience, specializing in energy and real estate development. His previous roles were as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs (NYC) and as a project manager for the largest real estate development firms in the US, including Ryan Homes, Prestige Homes, and Tishman Speyer.

As founder of Ukrtrade Capital, he leads a Ukraine-based team currently working on construction and energy projects. Our plans include the construction of two precast concrete plants, production facilities for construction materials, affordable housing development, and commercial initiatives that use internal energy resources.

Andrew can be contacted at [email protected] for any investment inquiries.

To learn more, visit:

https://ubn.network/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

Yes its extremely annoying, but we'll be ok. 

Trump was supposed to give the Tomahawks, but then Putin calls, and Trump again believes his friend in the Kremlin is interested in peace. And then he pushes harshly on Zelenskyi, again...

And now we're waiting another few weeks, again...

Yes we should be concerned, but don't worry too much. Listen in to my quick thoughts on what happened and where things are going. 

To learn more, visit:

https://ubn.network/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

How do we help those suffering near the frontlines in Ukraine?

People need to be fed, windows need to be repaired, pets need to be saved, environments have to be protected - how to go about doing all this?

Listen in to hear the stories of Greater Good Charities and their critical work in helping the most vulnerable people and animals at the front. 

This podcast is particularly timely considering the expected brutal winter ahead of us - Greater Good Charities has their work cut out for them and they know it. That's why they are already preparing, working hand in hand with larger organizations to feed and clothe the victims of this war. Listen in to understand what they do and how they help those struggling under such tough circumstances.

Greater Good Charities is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization devoted to improving the health and well-being of people, pets, and the planet. In addition to creating and operating a suite of Signature Programs, Greater Good Charities has invested over $575 million in cash grants, in-kind supplies, and programmatic support globally. They have been doing critical work aiding frontline communities in Ukraine. 

To donate, please follow the link here: https://greatergood.org/crisis-in-ukraine-send-aid-now

To learn more, visit:

https://ubn.network/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

“Ukrainians are producing hardware at speed of software”

"We are seeing something remarkable develop in Ukraine: soldier-entrepreneurs"

"What they're doing in procurement is like Amazon!"

Nick Hawtin, Defense Tech Denmark, Nick's work has focused on technology and innovation - and especially on leveraging the interplay between researchers, startups, investors, and corporates in the Nordics for over ten years. He has brought his expertise to Ukraine more recently. He earlier was in the Danish military. 

Listen in to hear how Ukraine is truly revolutionizing warfare and military technology - and not just the products themselves, but the innovation process as well as government procurement. Truly fascinating times here in Ukraine and the center of innovation in the defense tech sphere is occurring here right before our eyes. No one better to speak to about these developments than my guest this week Nick Hawtin, an expert in dual-use technology, hailing from the great nation of Denmark which is the most supportive nation of Ukraine in the world. 

To learn more, visit:

https://ubn.network/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

Alot has happened in recent weeks so I figured to give a quick overview of things and my view as to where things are going. In brief, lots of reasons to be optimistic. But prepared for a brutal winter here in Ukraine...

To learn more, visit:

https://ubn.network/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

Listen to the 2nd part of this episode.

Perry Boyle, Co-founder & CEO of MITS Capital, the no.1 private investor in Ukraine's defense. Following a 35-year career in investment banking and asset management, Perry set up MITS Capital to drive capital into Ukraine's domestic defense sector. Perry serves on several boards and advisory boards in the fields of affordable housing, renewable energy, education, and innovation. 

Denys Gurak, Co-founder & CEO of MITS Capital. In 2014 Denys joined the Ukrainian Defense Industry (a state defense conglomerate) as the Deputy Director-General for foreign economic activity. Denys represented Ukraine as the Head of Ukraine’s delegation to the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG). He is a CEO and Co-Founder at A.D.A.M., a 3d bioprinting company with a primary focus on 3D-printed bones. Besides business matters, Denys is a key member in a number of think tanks and NGOs.

MITS Capital is an investment bank that invests in Ukraine's defense industry. MITS Capital owns the only full-service defense technology accelerator in Ukraine and directly invests in advanced drone technology companies. MITS Lab creates new companies with military technology in Ukraine.

To learn more, visit:

https://ubn.network/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

For the next generation minimum, we will be looking back at these months and years to see how the new world of defense and security developed. And it's all happening in Ukraine - the center of Western defense.

Meet the men at the forefront of this generational development in this podcast. Hear how they got inspired to develop Ukraine's no. 1 private defense investment fund, projects they are working on, their thoughts on current developments with drones and interceptor drones, and where the air war is heading in the near future. 

Perry Boyle, Co-founder & CEO of MITS Capital, the no.1 private investor in Ukraine's defense. Following a 35-year career in investment banking and asset management, Perry set up MITS Capital to drive capital into Ukraine's domestic defense sector. Perry serves on several boards and advisory boards in the fields of affordable housing, renewable energy, education, and innovation. 

Denys Gurak, Co-founder & CEO of MITS Capital. In 2014 Denys joined the Ukrainian Defense Industry (a state defense conglomerate) as the Deputy Director-General for foreign economic activity. Denys represented Ukraine as the Head of Ukraine’s delegation to the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG). He is a CEO and Co-Founder at A.D.A.M., a 3d bioprinting company with a primary focus on 3D-printed bones. Besides business matters, Denys is a key member in a number of think tanks and NGOs.

MITS Capital is an investment bank that invests in Ukraine's defense industry. MITS Capital owns the only full-service defense technology accelerator in Ukraine and directly invests in advanced drone technology companies. MITS Lab creates new companies with military technology in Ukraine.

To learn more, visit:

https://ubn.network/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

An absolute pleasure to do this podcast with my good friend and like-minded individual with a passion for Ukraine, the Greek ambassador to Ukraine, Alexandros (Alex) Dimitrakopoulos. 

Pantelis Alexandros Dimitrakopoulos is the Greek Ambassador to Ukraine. He was appointed to the position and presented his credentials in September 2024. Prior to his appointment in Ukraine, he served in various diplomatic roles, including positions at the Greek embassy in London, the Greek consulate in Istanbul, and with the Greek Chairmanship of the OSCE in Vienna. He also worked at NATO headquarters in Brussels and the NATO Secretary General's office. 

Alex made a very laudable decision to volunteer to come work in war-time Ukraine, understanding the significance of Ukraine and this war to Western civilization at this critical moment. And who better to talk to then a state representative of the very nation where Western civilization began.

Beyond that, we had an insightful discussion on the unique nature of diplomacy in Ukraine amid the war, these turbulent historic times amid the Trump presidency, a resurgent China, and the need to consolidate and strengthen European partnerships. Likewise, listen in to understand Greece's several thousand year history with Ukraine and the pivotal role Greeks in Ukraine have played in Greek history.

And hear why Alex believes Ukraine is "the land of opportunity"!

To learn more, visit:

https://ubn.network/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:

https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/