Stories about Ukraine from February, 2015
Remembering Ukraine's ‘Heavenly Hundred’
"It's dangerous and frightening, and today one must be [in the east], like one had to be in Kyiv a year ago. Maidan has moved. It's now at the frontline."
‘Ministry of Truth’ Recruits Ukrainians for ‘Internet Army’
Ukrainian Ministry of Information Policy has launched a website to recruit Ukrainian social media users for a government-run "Internet Army."
Here Is What You Can Do in Kyiv if You Have One Dollar
What can a dollar buy you in Kyiv, Ukraine? Quite a few things, actually! An enterprising social media user collected the most interesting ideas in a blog post.
Meet Russia's New Activists, the Anti-Maidan Movement
When Moscow witnessed mass protests in the winter of 2011-2012, organizations like Nashi and Young Guard exerted little or no influence on events. Will Anti-Maidan be different?
Twitter Chatter About Putin and Poroshenko: The Language Breakdown
Tweets in Russian account for over half of the 6,342,294 tweets in our dataset. English, Spanish, Ukrainian, and French are the other common languages in tweets about Putin and Poroshenko.
The Russian Military Commander Allegedly Leading Ukraine's Separatists
OSCE photos on Twitter indicate Lentsov was about 35 miles from Debaltseve on February 16, where he met with separatists in an official capacity as head of the Russian Representation.
Trolling Russia's Hearts and Minds
Last week, users of the image-board 2ch.hk launched a campaign to test Russians’ gullibility, when it comes to information about the Donbas separatists’ “fallen heroes.”
Ukrainian MP Pushes for Carbon Copy Of Russian Blogger Law, Meets Resistance
A member of the Ukrainian parliament suggested bloggers in Ukraine should be required to verify information in their posts and disclose their personal data to the authorities.
Russia Says You Can't Mention Ukrainian Nationalists, Unless You Say They're Bad
One permitted way to mention such organizations it to do so "in a negative light, ascribing them characteristics like 'radical,' 'extremist,' or 'nationalist.'"
The Minsk Summit 2.0
Social media users in Russia and around the world closely followed the diplomatic summit in Minsk through the night on Wednesday.
How the War in Ukraine Tears Apart Families and Friends Online
Bitterness is in the air, and bitterness affects personal relationships—so I wasn’t surprised when Eleonora told me how a formerly friendly Kiev colleague wished death upon her on Facebook.
Ukraine Arrests Journalist on Treason Charges for Calls to Boycott Mobilization
Ukrainian journalist Ruslan Kotsaba called for boycotting the latest wave of military mobilization in Ukraine—and now faces treason charges. Is he really a traitor? Internet opinion is divided.
#FreeSavchenko: Ukranian Pilot's Hunger Strike in Russian Prison Hits Ninth Week
International campaigns for the release of Nadiya Savchenko continue. Russian authorities don't seem to have plans to release her. Neither does Savchenko have plans to end her hunger strike.
Crimean IT Industry Wilts Under Western Sanctions
Western sanctions come at a high cost to IT-professionals and citizens in disputed Crimea, as companies like Apple and Google are blocking access to their services.
