The Best Ukraine Social Media Sources
Some of the best coverage of Putin's war in English
Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine, or as I like to call it - Putin’s Folly - is far from over. Even if a cease-fire agreement is reached, Ukraine is in shambles. Cities have been destroyed, civilians uprooted, and families torn apart. It will take time to rebuild.
It will also take time to document the human rights abuses and war crimes that bleed from Putin’s hands.
When this war first started, I turned to cable news here in the United States. I flipped between CNN, Fox News, and Bloomberg. I wanted all perspectives. As you probably know, cable news here is fraught with biases, agendas, and sensationalism. By sweeping the main channels, I hoped to counterbalance the perspectives and get as close as possible to the truth.
The information, however, was inevitably filtered through an American lens. Even when these networks had boots on the ground, with war correspondents reporting live from the scene, Americana seeped into reporting.
So I turned to Twitter. I scoured the Twitterverse for local Ukrainians, many of whom risked their lives to report to the world. There were a few other independent journalists and policy experts I found, all of whom appeared well-versed on the evolving situation and its history.
Below are the best social media sources I’ve found for quality and up-to-date news in Ukraine. For some of my other articles on Ukraine, be sure to check out the following:
To Those Blaming NATO or the United States For Russian Aggression
Why Russia’s Cyber Attack on Ukraine Forebodes What’s to Come
The Kyiv Independent
The best independent Ukrainian journalism I’ve found to date in English. Others seem to agree as its following has increased significantly from a few hundred thousand before the war to approximately 1.3 million as of this writing.
This media outlet was started by journalists who were fired by the Kyiv Post for defending editorial independence. Below is a recent tweet, and their website features quality, well-reported articles.
Olga Tokariuk
A freelance correspondent based in Kyiv. She’s knowledgable, blunt, and clear in her reporting. Her information often appears well before it hits western media. I highly recommend supporting her work.
Terrell Jermaine Starr
This guy defines quality independent journalism. I think he’s American, although I’m not positive, but regardless, his reporting is vivid, real, and raw. He is in the thick of the action and mingles with local Ukrainians as they take up arms against the Russian invaders. Follow him to dive right into the action.
Illia Ponomarenko
Possibly my favorite follow on this list. Illia works for The Kyiv Independent (see above), and features a lot of videos live from the action. He’s based in Kyiv, but from Donbas.
Oleksiy Sorokin
Another journalist from The Kyiv Independent. He also features plenty of videos that capture what’s going on in various regions across Ukraine. Based in Kyiv as well, but with a great grasp of the conflict everywhere.
Michael McFaul
A Political Science professor at Stanford, Michael was formerly in the Obama administration, first as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House (2009-2012), and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014).
He tweets a lot. And given his experience and knowledge of Russia and the region, his tweets are filled with history and detail. His Twitter threads in particular provide great context on the situation as it evolves.
Anastasiia Lapatina
Another fantastic reporter from The Kyiv Independent. Like her colleagues above, she features quality content and reporting. Many of her tweets are filled with humanity and realism, giving her audience a clear sense of how this war is impacting everyday people in Ukraine.
If there are others you would recommend, please comment below. Also, please consider supporting these journalists and policy experts, many of whom are risking their lives to give the world an accurate picture of this conflict as it unfolds.
Here’s to hoping it’s over soon and Ukrainians can return to their normal lives. With their territorial integrity and desire for self-government respected by all.