In this last episode of the season, hosts Romeo Kokriatski and Maria Romanenko discuss Belarus strengthening its border security with Ukraine due to President Lukashenko's ungrounded fears that Ukraine is somehow responsible for the mass anti-government demonstrations in the capital that are well into their second month now.

Maria gives an update into the situation with the Hasidim who, due to the pandemic and in a bid to celebrate Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) in the Ukrainian city of Uman, where the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement is buried, are facing troubles both trying to get into the country and with the locals.

Romeo breaks down the latest developments in the hiring process for a governmental anti-corruption body that saw Ukraine face threats that it may lose its visa-free travel status with the European Union.

Romeo and Maria also discuss the attack on a journalist who believes he was attacked because he wanted to make a joke about "traditional (family) values" and the resignation of a controversial MP who was caught listing out prices for bribes.

Take a listen to the last episode of "Ukraine Without Hype" - for now - and follow the hosts of the podcast on Twitter for future updates!

Romeo Kokriatski @VagrantJourno, Maria Romanenko @Rommari

In this episode of "Ukraine Without Hype," hosts Romeo Kokriatski and Maria Romanenko discuss the abduction of Belarusian opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova, the death of a Ukrainian soldier in the Donbas, and the US sanctioning Ukrainian MP Andriy Derkach, calling him a "Russian agent."

The episode's guest is the Kyiv Post new editor, Matthew Kupfer.

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On this episode of "Ukraine Without Hype", hosts Maria Romanenko and Romeo Kokriatski talk about controversial court decisions in Ukraine, comments made by a recently expelled ex-ruling party MP, fires in eastern Ukraine, and much more.

Our guest this week is Ukraine Business News Editor-in-Chief James Brooke, on Ukraine's progress in reforming its courts and what a recent ruling against Privatbank in favor of its former owners says about the country's commitment to change.

And you can watch the premiere episode of Explain Ukraine with Kari Odermann here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKDHY1XRNGg

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On this episode of "Ukraine Without Hype", hosts Romeo Kokriatski and Maria Romanenko talk about the Lukashenko regime's actions to hold on to power in Belarus, Ukraine closing its borders, a shooting on a Ukrainian highway, and much, much more.

And Maria explains a new documentary released by investigative journalism outfit Slidstvo.info's new film covering the fraud around oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky and Privatbank, and talks to one of the film's journalists, Elena Loginova.

Read our story on how Russia has been pushing disinformation to drive anti-LGBTQ sentiment in Poland:

https://en.hromadske.ua/posts/weapon-of-word-russias-disinformation-in-poland-czechia-estonia-and-us

And our story on a possible Ukrainian intelligence operation that could have caused the arrest of 33 Russian mercenaries in Belarus:

https://en.hromadske.ua/posts/government-coup-failed-operation-or-russian-fake-what-we-know-about-wagner-and-ukraines-role

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On this episode of "Ukraine Without Hype", hosts Maria Romanenko and Romeo Kokriatski discuss the latest developments in Belarus, where protests have been sweeping the country for 12 days now.

They also discuss the recent claims that the story of the 33 Wagner group mercenaries' detention in Belarus was a... special operation by Ukraine's SBU.

Also this week: Russian oppositionist Navalny's alleged poisoning and the torching of a RFE/RL car in Ukraine.

Our special guest is Rikard Jozwiak, Europe editor for RFE/RL.

Watch Hromadske International's explainer on Belarus protests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dDJGeC1vn0

Read our story on how women have become the center force of the Belarus uprising: https://en.hromadske.ua/posts/the-women-behind-the-belarus-uprising

Watch Slidstvo.info's film, Break the Bank, here (in Ukrainian) here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DbHUy1oOnI&feature=youtu.be

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As summer draws to an end, protests in Belarus continue to flourish. And this week, we're discussing Ukraine's reaction to the election results and the protests that followed across Belarus.

Has Ukraine done enough? MP from opposition party Golos, Inna Sovsun, believes that the Ukrainian parliament should come up with a unified position regarding the situation in Belarus. She spoke to us in this podcast.

Also in the podcast: the latest on the coronavirus situation in Ukraine, the torching of former chief-of-staff Andriy Bohdan's Tesla car, and Kyiv's mayor race.

Hromadske's Romeo Kokriatski and Maria Romanenko discuss all of these in the latest episode of "Ukraine Without Hype".

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In this episode of "Ukraine Without Hype", journalists and hosts Maria Romanenko and Romeo Kokriatski discuss the latest changes in the oligarch Kolomoisky saga, the skateboarding success of a Ukrainian, the terror threat that took place at the start of the week, and - finally - the latest in the construction of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Our podcast guest is Anna Mikulska, a fellow in energy at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and senior fellow at Kleinman Center at University of Pennsylvania.

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