Originally from Dublin, Dan is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and University College London with an interest in the politics, history and culture of Russia and the former Soviet Union. He currently resides in London.
Follow Dan on twitter at @Danielabkennedy
Latest posts by Daniel Alan Kennedy
A Look Back at ‘Eastern Ukraine Unfiltered’
With hindsight, the title of this interview series is a bit of a misnomer. The truth is, of course, that everyone has a filter.
Eastern Ukraine Unfiltered, By the Numbers
RuNet Echo has interviewed and profiled 12 bloggers, citizen journalists, and social media users in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea. Here's how that breaks down.
Lugansk News Today: One Man's SEO Battle with Russia Today
Lugansk News Today has been blogging about Eastern Ukraine in English since August, to inform people about events in his hometown, and to knock RT off the Google top results.
Aleksandr Makarenko: Digital Quartermaster for Ukraine's Army
The Ukrainian army and pro-Kyiv forces, underfunded by the state, have relied heavily on support from ordinary Ukrainians like Aleksandr Makarenko, who has raised over $75,000 on social media.
In Crimea, No Room for Blogger Liza Bogutskaya And Her Pro-Ukrainian Views
Liza Bogutskaya's outspokenness against what she sees as Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea has made her a favorite of pro-Ukrainians online and an enemy of the Russian state administering Crimea.
The Ukrainian Officer Tweeting from the Frontlines of the War in Donbas
Sergei Misyura, whose twitter account has over 15,000 followers, spent four months with the 72nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, fighting in the 'Anti-Terrorist Operation' (ATO) in Luhansk region.
Skeptical Crimean Blogger Now Writes “Only About Politics”
Previously filled with interesting or amusing content, with only occasional forays into the world of politics, now Sedelnikov's blog is entirely devoted to covering the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
From Cats to Military Parades: Photoblogger in Sevastopol Reflects Crimea's Patriotic Euphoria
These days, Crimean photoblogger Natalya Golovan is more likely to document a military ceremony or a celebratory fireworks display than the cats she photographed before.
Twitter Popularity Brings No Joy to Self-Dubbed “Shitty Slovyansk” Blogger
The information war and the real one have almost become synonymous for a Ukrainian Twitter blogger from Slovyansk, and he is sick of both.
Crimea's One-Woman Resistance to Russian Occupation
Daria Karpenko says she is determined to stay in Crimea and report the realities of life on the ground, but she fears for her country and her family.
There's a Woman in Crimea Showing the Men How Blogging Is Done
Political discussions on the Russian-speaking Internet tend to be dominated by male voices. Politichanka, however is an exception to this general trend.
The Angriest Man in Odessa is on the Front Lines of Ukraine's Information War
Odessa's vigorously anti-Moscow LiveJournal star, Zloy_Odessit, has his work cut out for him. Indeed, open dialogue with pro-Russian bloggers is still a long way off.
Camera Phones vs. Kalashnikovs in Ukraine's Separtist-held Luhansk
How "streamer" journalism both empowers and endangers civic reporters in eastern Ukraine.
The Mouthpiece of Totalitarian Propaganda — Crimea's Colonel Cassad
Colonel Cassad has little love for Vladimir Putin. Despite this his blog has become massively popular among Putin's supporters. It has also earned him the ire of Ukraine's intelligence services.
Russia Today's YouTube Glitch Spurs Censorship Fears
Russia's liberals seemed to be torn between their principles and a clear opportunity for schadenfreude at a Kremlin-friendly station being blocked.
Russian Politicians Stick to Their Guns as Ukraine Burns
For Russia's politicians, the battle lines over Ukraine have already been drawn, and now there can be no compromise.
Russia's Foreign Ministry Opines on “Queers”
While the translation is labelled as "unofficial," Russia watchers were somewhat taken aback that a homophobic slur could end up on a government website.
Russians on the Return of Sherlock
Of all of the writers to have captured the Russian imagination, there is perhaps none greater than Arthur Conan Doyle, the Scottish creator of the "Sherlock Holmes" stories.
“Good Tsar” Putin Pardons Khodorkovsky
The news that Khodorkovsky had potentially admitted guilt and would be imminently released sent the RuNet into a fit of speculation.
Russian State News Agency Gets a Loyalist Upgrade
One of Russia's best known news agencies, RIA Novosti, won't survive the winter. Employees of the state-owned international news agency awoke to discover a new presidential order "liquidating" their organization.
Russian Social Conservatives & Economic Liberals Want to Cut Abortion Funding
Russians have consistently opposed measures aimed at restricting access to abortion. Despite this, there are indications the Russian government is moving to introduce restrictions on the practice.
