Although I’m British, I have close ties with Ukraine and have been supporting Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion since February 2022. I spend about a third of my time in the country, mostly in the east close to the front lines. My editorial work supports me: as a freelancer, I can and do work anywhere, including in the passenger seat of an aid lorry or crouched in a shower cubicle while Russia bombs the city.

Interviewing the residents of a deoccupied village in Kharkiv region, September 2024

Where possible I volunteer directly, whether that means unloading an aid van or interpreting for other foreigners in the absence of local English speakers, as I speak Russian and am learning Ukrainian. I also conduct interviews with the people I meet, and try to attract attention and support to the lifesaving work that’s going on under incredibly difficult conditions in cities like Kramatorsk and Zaporizhzhia. For example, after I visited and blogged about a special needs school that had been bombed out, a donor came forward to help them rent a basement location where they could partially reopen – which cost just a few hundred dollars a month. If you are a private or corporate donor seeking to maximise the impact of your help by donating directly to Ukrainians rather than going via a large charity, I can advise.

Returning from a trip delivering hygiene kits to a village near the front line in Donetsk region, October 2024

The other aim of the blog is to simply provide a picture of life on the ground for analysts, campaigners and other Westerners with a serious interest in the region. It’s free to read, though if you do take out a paid subscription all the money I receive goes to Ukrainian grassroots causes.

Notable Pages

Blog Main Page

Interview, with Explosions 

44 Days in a Makeshift Trench

The Union of Kramatorsk Volunteers 

The Problems of Big Aid 

Gallery