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«We still have not replaced the panoramic windows shattered by a shockwave»: Kharkiv coffee shop still pouring coffee in the city’s centre despite hardships
The «LyaTyuSho» cafe-souvenir shop in Kharkiv has been open for over five years now. What used to be large panoramic windows is now replaced with plywood. This Spring Kharkiv has once again faced massive shellings. There have already been two intense strikes next to the coffee shop - literally 20 metres away
«LyaTyuSho» is located at the very centre of Kharkiv. Photo: private archive
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Fewer clients, increase in prices, new personnel due to migration, unexpected bills caused by constant power cuts (such as buying a generator or throwing away products gone bad because of unpowered refrigerators) - these are the least of the problems that the coffee shop’s owners Daria and Mykhailo Lazaryevs have to put up with:
- Many people left because of the uneasy circumstances, and it took its toll on the amount of clients. This is certainly difficult from a business point of view because we have rent and obligations to the collective, people need to be paid. But people left and there are fewer guests and smaller income, accordingly.
It is not about the income but blandly about covering the costs
It is difficult to carry out any activity today without positive thinking, which is why «LyaTyuSho» often holds various events - workshops, mini-fairs - where they collect donations for the needs of units fighting on the Kharkiv front, as well as for animal shelters. They also organise online consultations with a psychologist for visitors who follow the café's social media pages.
The story of «LyaTyuSho» began as a souvenir shop. Daria Lazaryeva explains that there were few places in the city where one could buy souvenirs. So, they set up a shop that sold postcards, pins, mugs, T-shirts, tote bags, and other small items. Later, they decided to establish a café here as well, so that tourists and local residents would visit. However, the souvenirs remained:
- We found a space and saw that it could also accommodate a cosy café. We wanted the people of Kharkiv to visit us too.
When we were thinking about the name, we wanted something local, something Kharkiv-like. «Lya», «Tyu» and «Sho» are popular exclamations among the residents of Slobozhanshchyna.
- Our philosophy is the development of domestic tourism. We are located in the historical centre of the city, so we wanted people to be able to learn something about it here, buy souvenirs, and get a guide to Kharkiv. And this idea still excites us. Recently, there have even been more tourists in the city. Now, there is a lot of press, foreigners, but they do not come because they want to enjoy our city. But this idea - to show Kharkiv - still inspires us, - says Darya Lazaryeva.
But to run a business in the conditions that Kharkiv is currently facing, you need to be flexible, Daria emphasises:
- You have to adapt quickly and respond promptly to everything. Last year, we bought a generator, and after that winter, we thought everything would settle down and there would not be any more problems. Unfortunately, that was not the case. For over a month now, Kharkiv has been experiencing constant power cuts, sometimes even outside of the scheduled times. You can not plan anything. The lack of electricity affects literally every process, from people not being able to get to work on time because the electric transport is not working, to constantly having to throw out spoiled food because the power goes out at night and the refrigerators stop working. Financially, this is, of course, very difficult. Emotionally, too.
For me, the people of Kharkiv are the strongest and unbreakable people emotionally and physically
Daria adds that she often has to «turn off the boss mode» because when explosions are echoing in the city, it is completely inappropriate to ask why the day’s earnings are lower - everyone understands the circumstances under which they are working and living.
The situation in the city is constantly changing. Many families have been forced to leave due to the increasing number of shellings. Despite this, the establishment managed to keep prices stable for as long as possible, only raising them relatively recently. What helps is that «LyaTyuSho» collaborates with Ukrainian producers:
- Working with Ukrainian producers is part of our philosophy of support and creating an ecosystem. We do not purchase products from abroad.
And when the Russians bombed the Kofein cafés in Kharkiv on May 6 2024, we encouraged people to support them and bought coffee beans there ourselves. We tried to support our colleagues this way
At the start of the full-scale invasion, 70 per cent of the staff had to be replaced due to the forced departure of employees. Those who remained in Kharkiv are now adapting to the new conditions, so even «work parties» have become thematic. For example, the entire team learned how to apply tourniquets and provide first aid.
Building any business plans in Kharkiv these days is a thankless task because nothing can be predicted, the businesswoman admits:
- Of course, all statistics have dropped, and it’s noticeable. It is difficult to plan anything right now. Over these three years of war, the statistics will vary greatly. In the first year after the full-scale invasion, there were hardly any people, everything collapsed. But if you look at the Autumn of 2023, there was an incredible surge in people returning. Overall, you make monthly plans for income and expenses, but it is all just «a shot in the dark» because, with every explosion, you realise there will be fewer people.
Despite this, «LyaTyuSho» donates a portion of its monthly profits to support the military and those affected by the war. The café also offers a «suspended coffee» service for soldiers (someone buys a coffee but does not drink it, instead «suspending» it for a soldier to enjoy later).
Journalist, worked as a director and Chief Editor at IA «VSN», a reporter at IA «Volyn’ News». Graduate of Kyiv Economy School Journalism Centre’s «Economics, markets and data analysis» course. Master of Ukrainian philology.
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The Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs (UUE) - one of Ukraine's biggest business associations- opened its first European office with headquarters in Warsaw on June 17th. This is a significant event for both Ukraine and Europe: it manifests not only the endurance and ambitions of Ukrainian businesses in times of deep crisis but also the readiness for integration into the European commonwealth. Among the main challenges of the agency are advocacy and support for Ukrainian business in Europe, making connections with international partners and attracting investments into the Ukrainian economy.
The Union's CEO, Kateryna Glazkova, often visits Poland and not only due to business matters: her children have been living here for over a year - 16-year-old Pavlo and 5-year-old Mark. She confesses she is a very anxious mother, and if her sons were in constant danger in Ukraine she would not be able to concentrate on her work goals. «I understand how hard it is for both those who stayed and those who left because I find myself on "both ends" every two weeks: at one time I am in Ukraine and the other abroad. I am much more effective at work now that I am sure my children are safe», - my interviewee shares.
We met in one of the Ukrainian restaurants near the Ukrainian embassy in Warsaw that made it to the list of the best establishments in the Polish capital a few years ago.
Irena Tymotiievych: Lady Kateryna, it is quite significant that in the time of the full-scale war, it is you who is representing a major part of the Ukrainian business in Europe. I think the role of a Ukrainian woman, especially a woman in business, is gaining a completely different meaning right now.
Kateryna Glazkova: A colossal meaning. In times of war, additional responsibility is placed upon a woman’s shoulders. Women learn male professions, and companies are more eager to hire them because the risk of mobilisation is lower. As we are literally losing men - more and more women will be taking key positions not only in the country but also within the area of international relations.
On the other hand, it could give us a certain drive forward. More often than not we, women, underestimate ourselves and do not believe in our own power. For example, in 2020, when our organisation tried to «portray» the Ukrainian entrepreneur and conducted appropriate research, we concluded that the owners of large Ukrainian companies were mostly men. And women, for the most part, own small businesses that often have a «glass ceiling» of development. Now is the moment when there is an opportunity and need to straighten our wings. Moreover, there are plenty of grants, support and educational programs for women entrepreneurs both in Ukraine and abroad. It is worth taking advantage of them.
You have been involved with entrepreneurship for many years now. How is it - being a woman in the Ukrainian business?
Personally, I am quite comfortable in the Ukrainian business, despite it being mostly «male-dominated». Maybe I just got lucky or perhaps it is a personality matter. Entrepreneurs’ energy inspires me. They think differently and do not fall into disbelief: there are no problems - only goals. The word «impossible» does not exist to me, - that is what I learned from them. It can be «very difficult», can be «we have tried a hundred times but did not succeed», but «impossible» - is not an option for me and my team. If we, Ukrainians, categorised things as impossible, we would not have endured this fight for so long.
Without the economy, the war can not be won
The question puzzling the whole international community regarding Ukrainian business today - how is it possible that in the third year of the full-scale invasion, it does not only function but also demonstrates good positive dynamics: it enters new markets and implements innovative solutions?
We simply do not have a choice. Ukrainian business has unprecedented resilience. It is hard to explain to people who never lived in wartime what it means in practice.
In ten years of war and over two years of the full-scale invasion our entrepreneurs have learned to perform quite successfully, despite the constant shellings, blackouts, border blockades and employee mobilisation. And I am sure that cases of Ukrainian companies will soon be taught in international business schools.
In two years of the great war, the sole members of the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs have invested 630 million euros into business development in Ukraine: reconstruction of destroyed facilities and warehouses, launching new products, entering international markets and implementing technologies.
This is our country and we believe in it.
Just like our defenders protecting the country’s borders on the frontlines, each of us at our positions has to do everything we can, and even more for victory. Ukrainian business is also performing its duty. Because without the economy - the war can not be won.
Notably, the UUE analytics centre conducted major research in 2021, not long before the full-scale invasion, regarding the attitude of various segments of the society towards stakeholders: the government, president, business, business organisations and oligarchs. The trust level in small and medium businesses in Ukraine was the largest after the Armed Forces - over 80 per cent. And if we combine the large businesses and business associations - it is an unprecedented percentage for Ukraine. For comparison, the government was only at the eighth place in the trust level ratings.
What is the cause of this?
In the country’s most difficult times, the entrepreneurs were the first to help. In times of Maidan, businesses gathered teams of young men and helped with food and money. During the pandemic, they bought equipment for hospitals, organised headquarters and delivered food to the elderly, who could not go outside.
And when the full-scale invasion happened - they evacuated people, provided them with shelter, brought them back from the occupied territories and fed them. Entrepreneurs gave away the supplies from their warehouses to guys and girls in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, sometimes even risking their own lives. At the moment the only source of financing for the army in Ukraine is the taxes, and each one of us who pays them is helping to win this war.
We have not done analogical research at this time, but the business has lived up to the community’s trust.
Are we talking about small and medium businesses right now?
About any businesses. Large included.
UUE - is also a representation of the state of the business. Our organisation has been active since 2016. Among its founders are both small and large companies like, for example, Nova Post, Rozetka and UBC Group. Now the Union consists of over 1200 companies from all regions of Ukraine. We function on the member fees that depend on the company’s size.
In February 2022, we had a two-month decline for obvious reasons, there were no incoming fees: in such times, the Union membership fee is not the first priority financially. Additionally, the members of our collective were busy taking care of their families' safety in the first days of the war. And then they would get in touch with other organisation members to help each other out. They formed new priorities and reacted to new inquiries. I am proud of my team.
When we received the first annual membership fee from a small company in April 2022, we thought: «Finally, fresh optimists have appeared among us». Those five thousand hryvnias [approximately 120 US dollars, - Edit.] became a kind of symbol of trust and hope, that everything will be okay. And in the last two and a half years we have not only restored ourselves but also grown. We have a 35 per cent increase in members, there are new applications each week.
Ukrainian business - is about a high level of creativity. On one hand, there is strategy, but on the other - you always have to be ready for changes if a new challenge appears
There are no problems - only goals
Regarding the challenges. What does Ukrainian business live with now and how does it cope with it?
Firstly, there are obviously questions of safety. Safety of the workers, equipment and facilities. Larger companies invest wild sums of money into this. For example, after the enemy destroyed the Nova Post warehouse in the Kharkiv region - the company fully rebuilt it taking into account an improved safety system. This cost over 34,5 million hryvnias.
Secondly, the decrease in Ukraine’s purchasing power. The Ukrainian market has become too small, and because of that, companies are forced to move to international markets, even if they had not planned to do so.
At the same time, some sectors are growing. These are, primarily, the defence industry, goods transportation, medicine, suppliers of electrical/gas equipment that ensures energy autonomy, fossil fuel industry (for example, as of May 2024, «Ukrgazvydobuvannya» has increased natural gas production by 10 per cent) and the supply of energy resources, online trade, and the sale of agricultural products. If we look at growth by types of activity through the revenues to the State Budget of Ukraine for May 2024, we see that wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, extractive industry and quarrying, processing, transport, warehousing, postal, and courier activities are growing.
The third challenge is the lack of people. There was a colossal problem with personnel even before the large-scale invasion, and during the war, it is a deep crisis that businesses can not solve on their own. Mobilisation, migration, a sharp decline in birth rates, and the loss of the working-age population require an effective strategy on the state level.
Money. They are always needed for development. And now they are needed for the sole purpose of survival. Generally, there is support, there are many grant programs from our partners, and we are thankful for that. But the queue for receiving available finances has become much larger.
How about the issue of inclusivity? According to the latest announced data, in two years of the full-scale invasion, the number of people with disabilities in Ukraine has increased by 300 thousand. How are companies adapting to these realities?
This is a new challenge that has not yet caught up with us but is already emerging. We are all just at the beginning of the path. For example, the UUE is currently looking for a lawyer in the team - a specialist who will work specifically with veterans' requests. For employees to return to their workplaces, it is necessary to go through all the required procedures, obtain a combatant status document, etc. We want to simplify these processes.
Meanwhile, the network of laboratories of the CSD Lab company, which is our member, is working to make each of its services accessible to people with mobility impairments - both for employees and clients. Some locations are planning to be re-equipped, and new laboratories are being built according to new standards.
There are many examples like that.
Entrepreneurs are very quick to react to all changes and implement innovative solutions.
Ukraine is already becoming a competitor and supplier of innovative solutions for many developed countries. In particular, the field of military-technical solutions has grown several times, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation has identified this direction as a priority for the coming years. How are companies showing themselves in this area?
For example, two of our members - IT companies STFalcon and Ajax - created and launched the mobile application Air Alert at the beginning of March 2022. It signals the missile danger in different regions of Ukraine. Currently, 6 million people in Ukraine have downloaded this application, including me. This year, Ajax also began producing surveillance cameras. This is an opportunity to occupy a niche that has always been dominated by Chinese manufacturers, but the market is now changing due to sanctions imposed against certain Chinese companies.
The products of other members, such as K.tex, a manufacturer of non-woven materials, are now used for sewing military uniforms and even for reinforcing defensive lines and critical infrastructure. Another example is Milliform, which relocated its production from Kharkiv to the Lviv region in 2022 and, by 2023, launched its own production of cosmetic containers with investments of about 600 thousand dollars.
This is also an answer to the question I am often asked abroad: Why should someone invest in Ukraine right now, despite the high risks? It is because the Ukrainian business does not wait for the war to end. Now, the air raid alerts and shellings are seen like the weather, which you have no control over.
I always say in cold business language: whoever came first - gains the profit. Consider it right now, look for partners among Ukrainian companies right away
According to President Zelenskyy, Russia has destroyed 80 per cent of Ukraine's thermal and a third of its hydroelectric generation capacity. How do you plan to address the energy supply issue?
Energy supply problems are not new, we stocked up on equipment and seemed ready for another winter. However, we did not expect the destruction to be so extensive.
To ensure uninterrupted production, some large companies have begun importing energy from the EU. For instance, the Nova group (which includes Nova Post) has founded its own electricity production company. Currently, the UUE is lobbying for legislative changes in Ukraine that will allow for the liberalisation of the electricity generation and supply market, which will promote the development of small-scale generation. It is much harder to destroy hundreds of thousands of small stations than one large one, which a significant number of consumers and critical infrastructure depend on.
We see a strategic path in developing distributed generation based on natural gas, renewable energy sources using modern mobile energy storage systems, and smart grids.
Distributed generation is favourable for investment, its cost is relatively low, and it takes less time to launch them into operation
Playing by new rules
One of the factors deterring investors from coming to Ukraine is the widespread perception of Ukrainian business as oligarchic. How strong is the influence of the oligarchic system on the economy and business in Ukraine now?
Ukraine has started playing by new rules. The elites are also changing. The influence of the former oligarchs on political institutions and specific politicians has significantly decreased. In agriculture, oligarchs are very conditional. There are questions regarding the finances’ origins, but now these are market companies traded on international exchanges.
At the same time, the influence of the private non-oligarchic sector is growing significantly. UUE is an organisation that fundamentally does not accept businesses connected with oligarchic capital. After the start of the war, we also began checking for connections with beneficiaries from Russia and Belarus. We take court decisions into account if there are questions about specific companies. In Ukraine, some data has been classified due to the war, but overall, the amount of open data in our country is one of the leading examples in Europe.
"The areas of our constant focus are the tax system, customs regulation, international trade regulation, public procurement, labour legislation, and the digitalisation of public services"
I have no illusions that all the oligarchs have gone under the radar - definitely not. But representatives of our association, founders, and members of the board of directors, are now part of many quasi-governmental institutions and influence decision-making. These are people who earned their money through their own efforts, hard work, and ideas
For example, there is the Business Support Council during wartime under the President of Ukraine. It consists of seven people, six of whom are entrepreneurs from the UUE.
There are concerns that a new class of oligarchs may form in Ukraine during the war. Are there such risks?
There are always risks. No country is perfect, and ours is no exception. The media, civil society, and the private sector have a huge role to play here: to do everything possible to prevent this from happening. There are many high-profile stories about corruption scandals in Ukraine in the media space right now, but there is also a positive side to this: it is a sign that corruption is being fought. Corruption was greater in silence. And if there had been no progress, negotiations with us about joining the EU would not have begun, as this was one of the three main points for starting the negotiations.
When the official negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the EU began on June 25, you wrote on your Facebook page: «I hope that in the process of these negotiations we will not compromise our interests, and the opinion of Ukrainian business will carry significant weight». What interests are you referring to, and what role does your business association want to play in this process?
For the business sector, joining the EU is a colossal stress, especially for SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises, - Edit.], since companies have to comply with certain norms and standards: from environmental norms to minimum wages. But production processes cannot change overnight. In the negotiation processes on the government level, transition periods must be established in addition to the terms of trade. To avoid an unfortunate situation where we agreed to everything at once to quickly join the EU, but then were unable to fulfill the obligations on time.
Our business is competitive, but many companies need help to become so. For example, pharmaceutical companies need to re-equip. Large companies can afford to spend money on this, while small ones can not. Then it is also a matter of financial support. Within the framework of the single European market, some French company with extensive experience, support, and development over all these years, and without the war - without everything that Ukrainian business is currently experiencing - will definitely be more competitive than a Ukrainian one.
These aspects need to be considered so as not to «kill» the Ukrainian business. In this, I see our important role. On the other hand, we will encourage international companies to invest in Ukraine. We will not be able to manage without investments.
One of the most painful issues in the economic dialogue between Poland and Ukraine is agriculture. In your opinion, how should the Ukrainian business build a dialogue to avoid situations like the farmer protests we observed at the Polish-Ukrainian border?
We do not have large agricultural companies here in the UUE, as most do not meet our criteria. But why is this question directed at businesses and not politicians? Business simply does its job. If it produces good, competitive products, there are buyers. And in Poland, someone buys them, that's the market. If a business produces a bad product or imports it illegally, there are law enforcement and customs authorities, and court decisions hold the business accountable.
The incidents that occurred at the border - are beyond business logic, they are primarily political stories.
While Polish farmers protest against Ukrainian products, dumping the grain that people often collect at the risk of their lives, grain from Russia and Belarus flows into Poland. UUE, along with colleagues from leading Polish associations Leviathan and the Ukrainian-Polish Chamber of Commerce, raised this issue at the EU level and appealed to Brussels. Russia is trading grain here that it stole from Ukraine
I would very much like to convey this to Polish society.
From the perspective of economic relations between Poland and Ukraine, it is no secret that last year the export of goods from Poland to Ukraine was at a record high - 51,6 billion zlotys (12 billion euros). Poland's trade surplus with Ukraine reached 6,8 billion euros, a historical record. Meanwhile, imports from Ukraine to Poland have significantly dropped, especially after the embargo on agricultural products was imposed.
As for business matters, let's look at what some Ukrainian companies did when the transport collapse happened. Entrepreneurs calculated and decided that waiting at the Polish border was more expensive than redirecting logistics to Romania. And there, the port of Constanța accepted everything without issue. This is also a telling situation.
According to the latest statistics, every tenth business in Poland is Ukrainian. From my observations, it seems that Ukrainian entrepreneurs often target not so much the Polish markets as the «Ukrainian markets» in Poland. Some UUE members already have businesses here, how is the integration going?
Cooperation with Ukrainians is indeed smoother. Finding a Polish client or becoming a supplier for a Polish company is very difficult. There is a certain scepticism and media narratives that «this is temporary», «the war will end, and Ukrainians will return home». There is also the perception that Ukrainians are «unreliable partners» who work to «low standards», despite many examples proving the opposite. We opened an office here because we realised we need to build closer ties. We are conducting educational work on both sides to establish personal connections among entrepreneurs and build trust.
In this context, it is also worth mentioning the recent results of a study by Deloitte, according to which Ukrainians who arrived after February 24, 2022, added 0.7-1.1 per cent to the Polish economy's GDP (in absolute figures, this is 6-9 billion dollars). In the long term, this effect will increase to 0.9-1.35 per cent.
I am convinced that the share of Ukrainian business will increase, and competition with it will grow.
Following the announcements about the next year’s support reduction, Germany sent additional weaponry to Ukraine, among them are new Anti-aircraft weapons, UAVs, rifles and ammunition. But the amount of funds Germany will dedicate to Kyiv’s defence needs in 2025 remains unknown until Autumn.
What is the current mood within the government and the Bundestag? Will the support change, and could the successful raid in Kursk have an impact? Furthermore, how might the latest findings from the investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline explosions affect relations with Ukraine? These and other questions were addressed in an exclusive interview with Sestry by Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the largest opposition faction, the CDU/CSU, in the German parliament.
Aid to Ukraine vs «Nord Stream»
Maryna Stepanenko: The German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAS) reports that Germany will limit its aid to Ukraine in the near future. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already called this information manipulative, stating that negotiations regarding the budget for next year are still ongoing in your country. Last time, after lengthy negotiations, the funding level for 2024 was raised from 4 to almost 8 billion euros. What about next year? What is the current mood and thinking in the Bundestag?
Roderich Kiesewetter: The Bundestag and the government have differing views. The government would like to limit aid to Ukraine, with plans to cut it in half in 2025 and finance it outside the federal budget. This is not just indicated by the government itself, but also by the German Chancellor's Office.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence are advocating for increased support, but Scholz's office has instructed the Ministry of Finance to freeze it. We have an annual budget of around half a billion euros, and debates are focused on the 17 billion that are missing from the federal budget for next year.
And now, to compensate for those funds, the support for Ukraine has to be reduced, especially the military support
This reflects a lack of priorities and a clear position. The problem is that the government, particularly the Chancellor's Office, wants to cut aid to Ukraine for internal reasons. To justify this decision, one could tie it to the leaked information that Ukraine might have destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines. If this is the case, it is not even a punishment but a strange framing of incorrect, reckless information from certain investigative journalists. This does not seem like a coincidence.
It seems intentional that, in the same week when two different groups of investigative journalists try to blame Ukraine for the destruction of the Nord Stream, which could be a covert action by Russia, budget cuts that harm Ukraine are being discussed.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) investigation into the September 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines suggests the alleged involvement of Ukrainian officials - President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then-head of the Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. What are your thoughts on this?
The WSJ article came out in competition with a piece by the German publication Spiegel, which was released a day earlier. Both publications seem to be steering toward the conclusion that Ukrainian officials gave the order to destroy Nord Stream.
The WSJ investigation is indeed puzzling because it claims that Russia was earning billions of euros from Nord Stream, which is not true. Since July 2022, not a single gallon of gas has flowed through the pipeline, and even in the preceding months, only 40 per cent of the promised supply was delivered. So, if Ukraine had destroyed it, they would have essentially been «killing a dead horse». Why would they expend their efforts on that?
Secondly, if Zelenskyy was unable to communicate with the team that received the order to destroy the Nord Stream, why was this team reachable via satellite phone? That also does not add up. Thirdly, there is mention of a person referred to as Volodymyr Z. (in German publications - Wolodymyr Z. or Wladimir S., depending on the transliteration - Author) with a Ukrainian passport, but no one mentions that he could have had other passports, like Diana B. (another suspect according to the investigators' version - Author). She was the owner of the company that rented the yacht «Andromeda», but she also held a Russian passport. She lived in Crimea and is now in Krasnodar, so she is Russian, not Ukrainian. Furthermore, there are no witnesses, there are only secret sources. In my opinion, the WSJ story is inconsistent and implausible.
I do not believe this because if Ukraine had done something like this, it would have become public knowledge and would have caused harm to Kyiv. Therefore, I can not imagine that the Ukrainian government destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines or ordered such an action
The former head of German intelligence, August Hanning, previously suggested that Poland could be involved in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. In response to the ongoing investigation, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk advised all initiators and patrons of the blown-up pipelines to «apologise and keep quiet». How do you assess such a statement?
Hanning does not question the findings of these questionable investigative groups, which annoys me, but it does not surprise me. Many former high-ranking officials in Germany have very close ties with Russia and a longstanding pro-Russian tradition, which we need to take into account. Russia uses pro-Russian voices in science, media, economics, and politics for its information warfare and can use them for deeper psychological operations. These individuals may appear authoritative but, in reality, become tools of a hybrid war in favour of Russia.
There is a group in Germany trying to make Ukraine the scapegoat to justify halting support. I can not explain Tusk's role, and we must be very careful not to resort to insinuations or accusations
I know that the German federal prosecutor is very upset about this story because it jeopardises his own investigation - the leak likely came from politically responsible people in the Chancellor's Office. He can not work as he should because those who destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines are now warned. And that is where the danger lies now.
If these individuals are in Russia, they are breathing a sigh of relief since Germany believes that Ukraine destroyed the pipelines. Therefore, we must be very cautious with Hanning's statements, Tusk's remarks, and, in general, with any hasty accusations.
Friends of Russia in Germany
The German prosecutor's office has issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian suspected of sabotaging the Nord Stream pipelines. Two other suspects are also believed to be Ukrainian. Beyond military support, could this impact other areas of cooperation between Germany and Ukraine?
Those who spread these likely fake news stories about the Nord Stream pipelines aim to end German support for Ukraine, undermine trust, and force Ukraine into capitulation. However, they disregard Ukraine's will and strength and fail to consider the Ukrainian population, which does not want to live under a frozen conflict or Russian occupation.
Ukrainians would leave their country if Kyiv were forced into a ceasefire. This is because, on the other side of the border in Russia, brutal violence is being committed against civilians. Ukraine, therefore, does not want to be forced into a ceasefire, as some in Germany, like the Chancellor and others, might prefer. We must be very careful to ensure that no forces on the ground undermine Germany's willingness to support Ukraine.
We have upcoming local elections in Thuringia, Saxony (on September 1), and Brandenburg (on September 22). In these three federal states, there are forces influenced by Russia: the Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) and the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which are partially funded or influenced by Russia. Thus, we must be very cautious about any context that benefits the Russian Federation. There is no direct funding, but people from these parties receive money for their personal interests and work within the parties.
There is indeed competition within our country between those who want to see the strengthening of an international order based on the rule of law and those who support the principle of «might makes right» - the power of Russia - and who see Ukraine as a necessary sacrifice for peace with Russia
But they do not realise that Russia does not want peace. Russia considers Ukraine a legitimate part of itself. Therefore, the Russians will continue the war against Ukraine and their hybrid war against Moldova and the Baltic countries. There will be no peace. This is the imperial mindset of Russia, which is not understood by those who wish to stop supporting Ukraine.
Returning to the budget and aid, if German lawmakers allocate no more than 4 billion euros to Ukraine in 2025, what will this mean for Ukraine's defence capabilities?
First of all, Germany is not the only supporter and not the strongest one. Other countries that provide more aid relative to their GDP are Denmark, Norway, Poland, the Baltic states, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom. So, there are other, much more reliable partners.
Secondly, 4 billion euros are already planned. They will be invested in spare parts, ammunition, air defence, and so on. But there is no room for additional support from the regular budget. Therefore, it is crucial for Germany to provide Ukraine with additional assistance ranging from 4 to 10 billion euros next year. The government claims that the interest rate on frozen Russian assets should serve Ukraine's interests.
However, there is still no unified position on this in the European Union. This issue is absolutely unclear and depends, for example, on Hungary's support
In any case, the entirety of frozen Russian assets already belongs to Ukraine. This does not replace the necessary support from Germany and other countries. Therefore, the German government's argument is a kind of distraction, an excuse, and an evasion of responsibility.
On February 16, the German Chancellor, together with President Zelenskyy, signed a security agreement. On that date, he committed to supporting Ukraine for as long as needed, within its 1991 borders. But that signature is not worth the ink it is written with if Germany does not increase its support, and the security agreement holds no real value.
Kursk offensive and German Taurus
In February, in one of your interviews, you said, «the war must be brought to Russian territory», and that «Russian military facilities and headquarters must be destroyed». Six months later, the Ukrainian Armed Forces began an operation in the Kursk region. What was your first reaction?
It was a sigh of relief because, in February, I demanded that we allow Ukraine to transfer the war to Russian territory, cut off Russian strongholds and supply chains, and strike Russian positions, ammunition depots, and those responsible for the war - their ministries, command centres, and logistics zones. For this, I was criticised by my party colleagues and some media. Now, I feel vindicated.
Such operations make sense from a military strategy standpoint, are permitted under international law, and, if successful, provide operational advantages. I am a former military officer. Before entering our parliament, I worked for almost 30 years in international organisations, NATO, the European Union, and the Armed Forces. I have a good understanding of what war entails and what is necessary to deter it and conduct successful operations.
On the other hand, as our defence minister said, it is quite normal for a country under attack to conduct war on the aggressor's territory. This is an entirely normal phenomenon in the world - our defence minister said last April on a talk show. But when I mentioned it in February of this year, people responded that this was warmongering. I argued that it was a necessity, and that is indeed the case.
Ukraine's operation in Kursk seems both correct and effective. We will see how sustainable its success will be, but for now, it is a significant victory for Ukraine. This is the right response to those who still believe in appeasement with Russia
Germany does not question the legality of the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region and does not object to the use of German weapons on Russian territory. However, does the Kursk offensive change the opinions of German politicians about supplying Ukraine with long-range TAURUS missiles?
Unfortunately, no, because in the Social Democratic Party, the faction leader and a very important high-ranking politician in the Chancellor's Office oppose allowing Ukraine to destroy Russian communications, supply chains, etc. This is a deadlock.
My party, the CDU/CSU, strongly supports the transfer of TAURUS missiles, but Chancellor Scholz's office is blocking this. The defence minister wants to proceed with the supply, and the foreign minister supports it as well, but there is no political will because a unanimous government vote is required, and the Social Democratic Party is blocking this issue.
It is necessary, now more than ever, to supply several hundred high-precision, long-range strike systems, such as the TAURUS missiles. We also need to enable our defence industry to produce more tanks, more ammunition and more artillery.
However, this reflects a lack of political will and a deficiency in strategic culture and thinking. It is a spirit of appeasement, reminiscent of Chamberlain in 1938, rather than the approach of Churchill. We have yet to experience a «Churchill moment» in Germany. I am working on changing that
Pressure on Putin
In your opinion, how might the Ukrainian raid impact the situation inside Russia?
In the past, we have seen that when Putin has been under pressure, as during the Wagner Group mutiny, he has shown a preference for negotiations. At that time, he instructed Lukashenko of Belarus to help defuse the tense situation. Lukashenko persuaded Prigozhin to stop and go into exile in Belarus, but Putin later had him killed. So, when Putin is under pressure, he tends to negotiate or make concessions.
The Ukrainian raid provides an opportunity to not only create a buffer zone but also gain leverage in negotiations. For example, if there are future negotiations where Russia is required to withdraw from all of Ukraine, they might be allowed to retain the Kursk region in exchange. This could strengthen Kyiv's negotiating position, but pressure on the Donbas continues to mount. We will see whether the offensive in the Kursk region will ease the situation on other parts of the front, forcing Russia to retreat and redeploy its troops.
Ukraine is losing territory and hundreds of soldiers every day, so Western support needs to increase. In this regard, Germany is sending a very negative signal
Negative for Ukraine because Putin sees that Germany is weak in the knees. It is also problematic for the United States, as those who support isolationists, including Trump, could argue: «Why should we support Ukraine when the Germans are stepping back?» The narrative becomes, «This is Europe's issue, not that of the United States».
It would be a major failure for Germany if we were to lose the United States' support during the upcoming election campaign. That is why we need to invest more and do more. Ukraine must hold its ground and even expand its territory, it should continue the war on Russian soil to be in a better position if forced into negotiations. Ukraine needs to destroy Russian military targets such as missile launchers, airfields, and ammonia depots to limit and, hopefully, stop Russian attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure and civilian populations.
I see that there are people in the German government who would like to lift the artificial restriction that the United States and Germany have placed on Ukraine's use of Western weapons on Russian territory. We need countries like the Baltic States, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Scandinavian nations, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and others to increase pressure on Putin, as well as to press Germany to do more. At the moment, Germany is increasingly isolating itself in Europe as a country that does not act according to its economic power. We need to do more and motivate other countries to do the same.
After all, when it comes to rebuilding Ukraine, why should Germany benefit from it? The countries that have genuinely supported Ukraine should be the ones involved in Ukraine's post-war revival.
«We should all fear a weak and unprepared Germany»
Michael Giss, the Commander of the Bundeswehr's Hamburg Regional Command, recently stated that Germany must be prepared for a potential Russian attack within the next five years, given its role as a key NATO transport hub. What is Berlin currently doing to strengthen its defence capabilities?
That is an excellent question. Firstly, it is important to note that we are not talking about five years but rather two to three years. Russia is aware that the West is increasing its pace and losing time and resources. Therefore, they will intensify pressure through disinformation, sabotage and preparation for war over the next two to three years to outpace Europe's efforts.
Secondly, Germany experienced its Zeitenwende in 2022 (referring to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's address to the Bundestag on February 27 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where Scholz described the attack as a «historic turning point»). However, that was just a speech - it is already history.
The Defence Minister is not receiving the necessary funding. All his requests have been curtailed. He is getting less money than needed to offset inflation and increase soldiers' pay. As a result, the German Armed Forces lack the support needed to improve their position. This situation is expected to worsen in the next two to three years.
By the late 2020s, when the German Armed Forces are truly at the limits of their capabilities, we will need much more fresh funding. We are talking about an additional 300 billion euros by the end of this decade to modernise our military, but they are only receiving between 5 to 10 billion euros - a small fraction of what is required.
This will reduce the capabilities of the Armed Forces and lower the morale of German soldiers. It is a victory for pacifists and the Social Democratic Party, who are deliberately weakening our military. We have Pistorius, the best Defence Minister in the last 20 years, yet he is not getting the necessary funds. He is a Social Democrat, but even he is not receiving the money needed, which isolates him. And that is very unfortunate.
One day, we may wake up to even greater pressure from Russian propaganda and increased Russian aggression. If we do not recover, we could face a situation akin to the second Jena and Auerstedt (the destruction of the Prussian army by Napoleon in 1806 - Author). Therefore, we need to raise this issue within Germany, but our friends and partners must also step up the pressure.
We need a strong Germany, as Radosław Sikorski said 12-13 years ago: «I fear a weak Germany much more than a strong one»
We should all fear a weak and unprepared Germany because that would be an invitation for Putin.
This project is co-financed by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation as part of the «Support Ukraine» program, implemented by the «Education for Democracy» Foundation
<add-big-frame>After many months of preparation and pilot training, the mighty roar of F-16 engines can finally be heard over Ukraine. The first shipment of 10 American-made fighters is already performing combat missions, and their presence can be felt on the frontlines. <add-big-frame>
<add-big-frame>Our modern fleet is expected to be joined by 20 new planes by the end of the year. While Ukrainian pilots are training, Kyiv could ask NATO member states about recruiting retired pilots. <add-big-frame>
<add-big-frame>«The deadliest F-16 pilot» of the American Air Force, retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Air Force Dan Hampton, also known as Two Dogs, is among those wanting to help Ukraine resist Russian aggression. He spoke about his ambitions to fight and how F-16 will turn the tables of this war in an exclusive interview with Sestry. <add-big-frame>
Marina Stepanenko: Mr Hampton, the first F-16s have finally arrived in Ukraine - how do you assess the journey from a categorical «no» to a definitive «yes»?
Dan Hampton: I think snails move faster, but you know, that does not matter anymore. I wish this had happened a year and a half or two years ago, but now that they are here, the focus should be on using them as effectively as possible to win the war.
Mr Hampton, you are one of the most decorated fighter pilots since the Vietnam War. Over your 20-year career, you completed 151 combat missions in the Middle East during both Gulf Wars. From your professional perspective, what should be the main priorities for the 10 aircraft we currently have? How should we use them?
Of course, it depends on your Air Force and your government, but I am confident they will agree that the first priority should be clearing the skies over Ukraine of Russian aircraft. Once you have air superiority and control your skies, you can move freely on the ground and do whatever you need to do. The Ukrainian Air Force has done a great job and shown immense bravery over the past few years, but I think the F-16s have arrived just in time.
If Ukraine can secure its airspace, it will have many opportunities to carry out other necessary operations to drive the Russians out
By the end of the year, the number of F-16s in our arsenal is expected to increase to 30. In your opinion, what opportunities will this open up for us?
The real advantage of the F-16, and what truly frightens the Russians, is that this aircraft can perform so many different tasks, and the pilots are trained to execute a wide variety of missions - whether it is close air support, air combat, or taking out surface-to-air missile systems - anything. So, the more aircraft you have, the more flexibility you will have to carry out multiple missions simultaneously, depending on the need.
Overall, Ukraine is expected to receive 79 F-16 fighters. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously stated that to counter Russia in the sky effectively, we need at least 128 aircraft. So, my question is: will the promised number of F-16s be enough to impact the dynamics of the conflict and strengthen the military capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces?
Absolutely. I mean, 30 aircraft would be a very strong start. That is roughly the size of one United States Air Force fighter squadron. So, if you end up with 79 or 80 aircraft, that is almost three squadrons. You could position them in different parts of the country, allowing them to conduct various types of missions. This would give you significant flexibility to support Ukrainian ground forces and push the Russians back across the border.
In Russia, they are trying to downplay the capabilities and potential impact of the F-16s on the battlefield. Yet, recent attacks suggest that the Russians are also targeting American F-16s by striking airfields. What does this behaviour and these actions from the aggressor indicate?
Desperation. They are trying to downplay the role of the F-16 because they have not been able to control the skies over Ukraine for over two years. And they know it. They know they can not advance on the ground without air superiority. They tried to achieve this in the first 10 days of the war, but the Ukrainians completely shattered them. So, of course, they are going to say things like that. But who believes what the Russians say, right? I mean, they make everything up. They lie. It is propaganda.
If I were there with my colleagues, flying and fighting alongside the Ukrainians, they would not need to find me. I would find them myself. And I am confident your pilots feel the same way. So, it does not matter what the Russians say
United States Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, has stated that he plans to ask President Joe Biden for permission to allow retired pilots to fly on Ukraine's behalf. You have previously mentioned that if you could, you would come to Ukraine and fight on our side. Do you still have that desire?
Absolutely. We are working on it. It is challenging for former officers, but I believe we will make it happen. There is a big difference between a volunteer with a rifle joining the ground forces and a former military officer flying to fight for Ukraine. So, these are political issues that, I hope - really hope - will be resolved very, very soon.
How do you feel about the idea of basing Ukrainian F-16s abroad for security reasons, for example, in Poland? There, you have good runways and maintenance capabilities. After all, Russia has kept its aircraft in Belarus and launched attacks from there.
It is no different. You know, everyone makes a big deal about not using Western weapons to strike Russian territory. But they constantly do it to Ukraine, don’t they? The Russians are using lousy North Korean ammunition, foolish drones from Iran, and other weapons. And, you know, it does not matter.
Regarding the use of Poland, it is a political issue. And since Poland is part of NATO, it makes the situation a bit more complicated. I do not have a definitive answer for you. I think Ukraine aims to have several well-protected airbases within its borders, where these aircraft can be serviced, repaired if necessary, and continue flying.
I do not think Ukraine wants to rely on anyone else, and you should not have to. And if everything goes as it should, you will not need to rely on others. You will get all the help and equipment you need, the political issues will be resolved, and you will win the war.
Do you foresee any logistical challenges in deploying and maintaining the F-16s in Ukraine?
You know, I can not give you a definite answer because I have not seen where these planes are based or what agreements have been made. I know that your government and military are smart enough to think through all of this, and they have had enough time to prepare for the arrival of the F-16s. So, I have to believe that everything necessary to keep these aircraft flying and fighting has already been established.
The United States will provide the F-16s with domestically produced missiles and other advanced weaponry, including the latest version of the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile and the AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile. Can you tell us what this weaponry is capable of?
This is a very good decision because you definitely need this weaponry, and it makes the F-16s significantly more dangerous for the Russians. The AIM-120 AMRAAM is an active radar-guided missile, which means that the aircraft launching it does not need to keep the enemy on its radar. It can fire the missile, which has its own radar inside, and it will head towards the target and destroy it. This allows the launching aircraft to target multiple enemy planes at the same time, and the missile will do the rest.
As for the AIM-9X, it is an infrared missile with a high range. You do not necessarily need to aim directly at the target. You could be sideways to the target, and the AIM-9 will find the heat source and take it out.
So that is good. This is top-notch weaponry used by our Air Force, and I am glad we are providing it to the Ukrainian Air Force
Despite the extensive support of F-16 weaponry, the United States still prohibits strikes deep into Russian territory from these jets. What could change Washington's stance on this matter?
That is a very good question. I do not understand politicians, so I can not figure out what they are thinking. I believe it is foolish to give someone a weapon and then tell them they can only use it up to a certain point.
And if Washington is trying to maintain some sort of friendship with Moscow for whatever reason, I do not see the point. I do not care what Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin think about Western weapons reaching Ukraine. After all, they are attacking Ukraine with their own weapons and those they are receiving from other countries, aren’t they?
So, what is the difference if the situation were reversed? Russia is not going to do anything reckless, like attacking NATO or the United States Even Putin would not go that far
I would like our government to be less timid and say, «Hey, this is your weapon, use it as you see fit». What are we going to do, take it back? I do not think so. So, I believe that once you have the necessary weapons, if the situation allows it, you will be able to use them as you deem appropriate.
What do you think should be the first target if we get the green light from Washington?
Airfields from which they launch those drones at your cities, and where they base their fighters and reconnaissance planes - that is what I would target. I would destroy the airfields and take out as many of their aircraft on the ground as possible. Again, I do not have the same information that your Air Force and government do.
I am confident that right now, they are doing what is best for Ukraine, and in the future, things will only get better
How effective do you think the training of Ukrainian pilots has been, considering that its duration had to be shortened to record lengths?
Yes, that is true. It was shortened. But your pilots were not complete novices. They all flew MiGs or Sukhois and were already fighter pilots. So, it is just a matter of teaching them to operate a new aircraft, learn new tactics and adapt to new equipment. The F-16 is very different from the aircraft they have flown before, but they were more than capable of mastering it.
I believe they were very impressed with the capabilities of the F-16, and they approached it with great enthusiasm and were very pleased to be learning to fly it. And from everything I have heard from my colleagues who trained your pilots, they handled the task very well.
Was the prior experience of flying MiGs or Sukhois more of a hindrance or a helpful skill during training on the F-16?
A bit of both. I have also transitioned from one aircraft to another, and I am sure they had a similar experience. You develop habits from your previous aircraft because all fighters are different. It is not like renting a car. You can not just jump in and fly. They are all different, and you need to learn each one.
And sometimes, especially if you have spent a lot of time on a previous aircraft, you have to unlearn certain habits and develop new ones. So, in that sense, it was a challenge, but no more so than for anyone else. What really helped them is that they are used to flying at speeds of 400 or 500 miles per hour (643 to 804 kilometres per hour), thanks to their previous experience.
They are accustomed to thinking very quickly and operating a jet aircraft. So, these are all good qualities that carry over from one aircraft to another
Can you share how the F-16 has performed in other wars or against similar adversaries in the past?
I participated in both Gulf Wars (the armed conflict from 1990 to 1991, where Iraq faced a coalition led by the United States. - Author), and while those were not Russians, they were using Russian equipment and were trained by Russians. In both cases, after the first 24 to 36 hours, the enemy air force stopped taking to the skies and engaging with us because those who did never made it back home.
I do not take them lightly. I do not underestimate them, but I do not overestimate them either. They have very significant weaknesses, and we are aware of them. We have the tactics and weapons that we have passed on to your pilots to be able to combat them quite effectively.
If you compare all the weapons for the F-16 that have been provided or promised to us with the best Russian weaponry, who would have the advantage, in your opinion?
The F-16 has the edge. It has a much better radar and can deploy a wider array of weapons that we have, much more effectively than the Russians can. So, I am confident that your pilots have been trained on all of this. They know the systems, they know the weapons, and I am sure they will use them correctly. And Ukraine will be proud of them.
In 2022, Russia employed S-300 missile systems to strike ground targets in Ukraine. Now, Russian arms manufacturers have once again upgraded this surface-to-air missile defence system for ground offensive operations. Among your achievements is the destruction of 21 such installations. Ukrainian forces may also need to target Russian air defence systems from the sky. What are the biggest challenges in such operations?
This is a very complex question. The mission of hunting down and destroying surface-to-air missile systems is the most dangerous in any air force, in any theatre of operations. It is far more risky than close air combat or shooting down enemy fighters in the air.
The Russians, to their credit, have always had good systems, and they have many of them. One of the primary challenges in any of these situations is pinpointing their exact location. We have assets in space and other places that can locate them.
I hope that all this information will be passed on to the Ukrainian Air Force so they can use it to do what needs to be done to eliminate these air defence systems.
This project is co-funded by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation as part of the «Support Ukraine» program, implemented by the «Education for Democracy» Foundation
Superhumans, «supers» - that’s what patients are called in the Superhumans rehabilitation centre. This modern clinic specialises in prosthetics, rehabilitation, reconstructive surgery, and psychological support for injured military personnel and civilians. All services are provided to patients free of charge. The facility operates on donations, including from Ukrainian benefactors. Sestry spoke with the CEO of the Superhumans Center, Olga Rudnieva, about the facility's capabilities, current challenges, and the prospects for prosthetics and reconstruction development in Ukraine.
For us, there are no problems. There are challenges.
Nataliia Zhukovska: Olga, the Superhumans Center can host up to 70 monthly patients. How are you managing with today’s influx of patients?
Olga Rudneva: According to our plan, we were supposed to have up to 50 monthly prosthetic, rehabilitation, and psychological support patients. But we understand that the queue is quite large, and it’s not getting any smaller. Currently, there are over 800 patients on our waiting list. Therefore we’ve raised the monthly amount of patients to 70.
I think we could take in even a hundred patients but it would be financially difficult. After all, this is quite an expensive undertaking.
For example, fifty patients cost over a million dollars just for prosthetic components. And that’s assuming we supply all of them with only basic mechanical prosthetics. However, many people receive things like myoelectric hands and electronic knees at our facility, which are several times more expensive. Additionally, we already have a ward fund in the reconstructive surgery department. We perform facial reconstructions, which are quite complex procedures lasting up to 15 hours, involving flap transplants - a complex of tissues consisting of skin, muscle, and bone fragments with mandatory preservation of blood vessels. The recovery is rather slow, for these are patients with difficult cases. We also perform hearing restoration surgeries. Recently we’ve also started working on eyes, - specifically eye implants. And there are patients, on whom we perform reamputation surgeries due to complications like fragment expulsions, osteophytes, or neuromas. Accordingly, we could add another 45-50 monthly patients. In total, we have 100-110 patients simultaneously at Superhumans each month.
And who’s aiding Superhumans financially?
We don’t use state funds at all. We’ve had this strategy and philosophy since the start. We believe that the state should spend its money on defence, while additional resources can be attracted from donors for humanitarian projects.
Our biggest benefactor - American philanthrop Howard Buffett, who covered yearly prosthetics costs for 500 people.
And this is a significant support for us. We also engage in fundraising. We have a wide circle of benefactors from Ukraine and around the world. We are constantly working on attracting additional resources for various areas - psychological support, prosthetics, and reconstructive surgery.
What are the three biggest problems that the Superhumans Centre encounters today?
There are no problems for us. There are challenges that we address. These challenges can be sorted by areas. People are a major challenge - we require high-quality specialists. Teamwork is a challenge as well since Ukrainian doctors aren’t used to working in teams, and our patients are part of this team. Another challenge is Ukraine’s accessibility. Because when a patient leaves our facility, he enters the real world again. If he encounters difficulties with integration and mobility, it threatens his mental state, and in time he could return to us once again.
And we do not want patients to return for psychological rehabilitation. It's important for us that they integrate into civilian life as quickly as possible.
The challenges include scaling the Superhumans model across Ukraine. The next two centres are set to open in Odesa and Dnipro. When it comes to purely medical challenges, we deal with difficult amputation cases. There’s also infection control because our patients often arrive with numerous infections. Before reaching us, they may have been in 6-7 different hospitals and have picked up infections during evacuation. Many of the injuries are from landmines and explosives, with numerous complications. There are many challenges, but none are insoluble.
You are against Ukrainians receiving prosthetics abroad. Why is that?
We must develop our own expertise in Ukraine, and prepare our specialists to become independent of western medical support. It won’t last forever. Unfortunately, as of today, we’re facing a large number of upper limb amputations, double and even triple amputations that are difficult to work with. Despite that, why should we send our most complicated patients abroad? To educate foreign specialists?
We have everything to completely ensure the installation of prosthetics for our people here, in Ukraine.
Secondly, a prosthetist and a patient are linked for life. Weight changes, changes in the patient's needs regarding the prosthesis - all of these require adjustments, servicing, and fine-tuning. It's simpler to do this in Ukraine. Returning abroad for these adjustments is very costly. It's unlikely for a person to collect the necessary funds to modify, for example, a prosthetic socket or reprogram something in their knee. Consequently, the overwhelming majority of people who were initially fitted with prosthetics abroad end up getting re-fitted in Ukraine over time. And the third factor is the language barrier. We have quite a few patients who received high-quality prosthetics abroad but came to Ukraine for rehabilitation because they didn't receive psychological support abroad due to language barriers or insufficient rehabilitation. These issues highlight the inefficiency of prosthetics abroad. Therefore, we must do everything to provide all these services locally.
How would you rate the current prosthetics level in Ukraine? What has changed in the last few years?
Our prosthetics level is quite high. Foreign experts, who used to come to teach us, now say: «There’s nothing more we can teach you. We should come and learn from you». The number of complex cases we've seen in Ukraine and at Superhumans over the past year matches all of the ones that Walter Reed (an American military hospital - author.) has encountered throughout its history of working with veterans' prosthetics in the U.S. Therefore, we already have the experience. Our prosthesits are constantly learning and have practical skills. This is not only true for Superhumans. Overall, there are a lot of skilled specialists in Ukraine.
The only issue is that we lack upper limb prosthetists. We constantly invite foreign experts to come and help us fit prosthetics for our patients.
But all in all, Ukraine has the experience, and the prosthetists. There just needs to be more of them. And we’re educating them right now, specifically at Lviv Polytechnic on our base and the UNBROKEN base, meaning that these people will soon become available on the job market and will be highly qualified.
Reconstructive surgery - it’s expensive and difficult
In war, people not only lose their limbs but also suffer facial injuries. At the end of February, the Superhumans Center started operating a reconstructive surgery department. How developed is this field in Ukraine?
We perform a considerable number of facial reconstructions and surgical interventions. However, the problem is that these are mostly carried out by doctors specialising in maxillofacial trauma, whereas general surgeons are needed. This is because the procedures involve implants and grafting skin from various body and facial parts. Together with the Ministry of Health, we have started a reform in training and preparing such specialists. We indeed lack experience in this area. Moreover, there are few schools worldwide that train specialists in this field. Together with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, we are collaborating with France in this direction. Additionally, we need to prepare people who specialize in postoperative care, as patients will require long-term recovery and special care to minimise rejection, infection, and complications.
Is there a sufficient amount of specialists in the field of reconstructive facial surgery? Where do you look for them?
Today, we have joint teams operating - Ukrainian specialists together with their French or Czech colleagues. Each case is documented, broadcast live from the operating room, and discussed with experts. Every surgery is described as a case study and made available to the market so other surgeons can view it and ask questions. Additionally, American and Canadian missions come to help with facial reconstructive surgery. Thanks to the international medical partnership initiated by the First Lady, we have gained access to the world's best surgeons.
Our team of doctors includes those who performed the world's first face transplant operation.
They are interested in our complex cases, and we require their experience. Besides, reconstructive surgery is expensive, as the implants themselves are costly.
People with facial injuries are difficult patients from the perspective of not only physical but psychological recovery. Do they work with psychologists? Is there enough of them?
The first step for a patient at the centre is a meeting with a psychologist and an assessment of their psychological state. Regardless of the newcomer’s condition, their first meeting is with a psychologist who evaluates their mental state. The psychologist is the person who accompanies the patient throughout the entire treatment period. It is quite challenging for the patient to go through the recovery period, which sometimes lasts 3-5 years. Until the person is satisfied with the result, a psychologist has to be by their side, accompanying them through all these interventions.
We wouldn’t have initiated the treatment if we were lacking such specialists
This is not the case where we can figure out in the process that we’re lacking, for example, three specialists. They’re not trained in one night. Therefore, we form a team from the get-go. For instance, the Superhumans Center in Odesa is set to open in February but team-forming and preparation will start in September. In Dnipro, the centre should open in September 2025 but the teams have already started preparing. Hence, the team preparation period for launching a new centre or service is quite time-consuming.
We work with every investor and explain where their money will go
During your work trips abroad, you always encourage the West to engage more actively in supporting Ukraine. What particular aid and support would you like to see from them in the foreseeable future?
We always ask for weapons. This will help us end the war sooner. We understand that the sooner this happens, the less work we will have. We also ask for support for humanitarian projects, especially in education and healthcare. We believe these two areas are crucial for the country to function after the victory. Therefore, we constantly encourage foreign donors to pay attention to them and support us. Whether we are heard depends solely on us - on how we convey our thoughts. If we don't receive funding, it is our problem. It means we are not communicating effectively. After all, there are many problems in the world. We are not the only country at war.
And it is our job to ask for help, to encourage and invite additional resources here
And I believe everyone is doing that - from the President to a mother in Kharkiv who helps his husband on the frontline.
Olga, you once said that you dreamed of meeting Richard Branson and Bono face to face. And you did. You felt inspired by Hillary Clinton - and she invited you to her podcast. What rendezvous do you dream of today?
I think I’ve accomplished everything I dreamed of. There are certain plans for people we’re interested in working with. We would like them to engage in supporting Ukraine more actively. Accordingly, all of them are on our list.
You see, these meetings are not just for Olga Rudneva to somehow satisfy her ego. They’re about what these people can do for Ukraine
They can join support, provide additional funds, resources for certain projects. Therefore, we choose such people ourselves, people who are important for us to work with, and to be led into Ukraine as support. In my personal list, there are people like Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bezos, and Melinda Gates. These are people who are still not involved in supporting Ukraine on the scale that we would prefer.
We have all been traumatised by the war
Olga, what do you learn from the Superhumans?
In our interactions with patients, we continuously improve our services. We follow their needs and adapt accordingly. The centre evolves, as does our vision of what it should be. This ranges from rebuilding the entire country in terms of accessibility to changing attitudes toward certain things. When you communicate with someone who has lost two, three, or even four limbs and see what they can achieve, it's a profound source of insights. It's a constant learning process. We enhance our personal and team qualities through these interactions. We remodel the centre to make it more convenient for them, ensuring the service is of higher quality and seamless.
Personally, they taught me endurance, and the ability to have less, but do more.
Tha is probably what they teach us every day. They taught us to dream and understand that it's not really about legs and arms, but about where we are going and why we need these limbs. The overwhelming majority of people have four limbs, and the most they use them for is to write angry comments on Facebook. That's the only thing they produce for the outside world. This raises the question of whether they really need their legs and arms to share negative content online. We have our "supers" who don't have four limbs.
They win marathons, climb mountains, learn to write, write books, learn to write with their other hand
You see these people and realise - yes, hands are really needed, and not just as hands, but hands for something meaningful. This understanding of «why?» actually came from our «supers». And there is an incredible gratitude for the standard set of limbs you feel every day because you can save a tremendous amount of energy and do things much faster. You understand that beside you is someone who does no less than you but spends much more effort and health to accomplish something. This gratitude is immense. People come to us with new stories every time. And this interaction is invaluable.
What do Superhumans’ patients dream of and what are they afraid of the most?
This is very individual. It’s hard to generalise this. Of course, everyone dreams of victory, and also - of finding their place in life. We try to help people achieve their dream, which can be divided into goals.
Every day, a person has to know why they get up in the morning and put on their prosthetics.
This is very important because without all this, the rehabilitation process can be prolonged for months, and that's not right. We help our «supers» find a purpose. And they are actually afraid of things that might seem trivial. Their biggest fear is telling their mothers that they have lost a limb. The guys fear that their wives will come, open the door to the ward, see the missing arm or leg, and say, «I told you so». They fear they won't be able to integrate into civilian life. They worry that people will point at them on the street, that they won't be able to connect with people who have never been to war. They fear they might lose their temper because they know they also represent the veteran community. They fear losing friends who are still fighting and not having enough resources to help their comrades who are still at war. Their fears are very much in the context of today. They are more afraid of the social aspects they might face because of their disability.
How do you help yourself when it gets hard emotionally and where do you look for motivation?
It does not get emotionally difficult for me. I don't experience periods of depression or despair. When you realise what you're doing, for whom, and why, you don't need to look for motivation. The difficulty lies purely in logistics - juggling different tasks. For instance, you might have Hillary Clinton on call while a patient requires immediate help, and at the same time, you need to decide who will take out the trash, which somehow falls onto you. It's challenging to manage different tasks simultaneously. You're a living person, and you must distribute the 24 hours you have each day effectively. But emotionally, it's not difficult for me. Despair and depression consume resources that are already very limited. I can't afford to spend them on such trivialities. Resources are limited in time, emotions, and even my knowledge. Therefore, I have to use them as efficiently as possible.
Yes, I hear different human stories every day, but I don't consider, for example, the story of someone losing four limbs as negative. The person is alive, standing in front of me. I understand what I can do for them. If they want to, they will have a wonderful life. Of course, if I were burying my comrades every day or on the frontlines unable to provide help, and people were dying in my arms, I would be emotionally devastated. But I don't see that.
I work with people who survived. These stories are borderline fantasy. These are survivors that have a future.
And if they came to us, they are dreaming of recovery and life. When I see someone in a wheelchair, I already envision them standing on their feet, holding a cup for the first time. I don't see a person without limbs. So, there's nothing for me to worry about. Nothing destroys me because I work with hope every day. And it's not mythical. We've already helped 550 patients who left us on their own two feet. They have lives that go on, families, and they dream and have children. The stories of our «supers» are stories of victory, even if they are incredibly challenging.
Does society have to be prepared for interaction with veterans? What should Ukrainians realise during this war?
All of us are traumatised in different ways, as a consequence of the war. To some, this means a lost home, a lost life, to others, it means losing their loved ones, some are veterans themselves, and some lived abroad and are returning to Ukraine. We all have different traumas and experiences of war. And we have to intertwine these experiences and learn to live together. And this is not a question of whether we have to learn to live with veterans. We need to learn to live with one another overall, to interact with the understanding that anyone standing in front of us has some kind of war trauma. Just like us. To treat each other with respect and understanding. After that, it’s a technical question. What trauma does the person in front of me have and what have they been through? They could’ve gone through the war, been wounded three thousand times, and be less traumatised than someone who’s lived abroad the entire time and came back with immense guilt.
We are all different. There is no special device that we could use to measure each other’s trauma
Our stress resilience and response to trauma is also different. Consequently, it's hard to determine whose trauma is deeper or more damaging to the state and to the individual. Therefore, we need to prepare to live with a range of war experiences within the same country. I believe that this is going to be our greatest challenge yet.
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