Weekly Exclusives
Weekly Exclusives - a newsletter that contains author publications, interviews, exclusive comments, photos and videos.
Photos of the week
The head of the White Angels police evacuation group, Hennadoo Yudin, folds the 50-meter flag of Ukraine, which flew over Pokrovsk during the country's main holidays, to take it out for safekeeping, February 7, 2025.
Interview
Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Ukraine's defense intelligence, Lieutenant General
The interview was recorded on February 24, the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Kyrylo Budanov, 39, took helm of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, abbreviated as HUR, in 2020, after serving in an elite unit, where he would take on brazen missions behind enemy lines. Several times, he was wounded in action.
In November 2021, in an interview with Military Times, he outlined in detail Russia's plans to invade Ukraine in January or February 2022.
Budanov is unprecedentedly open for a top intelligence official, regularly offering comments and interviews to journalists. Not at all typical for senior intelligence operatives, such publicity made Mr Budanov widely recognizable and, perhaps, played a significant role in him being among the most publicly trusted figures in Ukraine for the past few years.
Which of the recent HUR missions does he see as most successful?
Why didn’t the Russians “seize Kyiv in three days”? What military, economic, and human resources does the enemy possess at the moment? You can read and watch Kyrylo Budanov shedding light on these and other issues in his interview with Ukrinform.
Pia Kauma, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Pia Kauma, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (Finland), shares the concerns of many European leaders regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's peace initiatives aimed at ending Russia's war against Ukraine. These concerns stem from ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Russia that exclude Ukraine. Kauma firmly believes that no credible peace agreement can be reached without Ukraine's direct involvement. At the same time, she emphasizes the need for Ukraine to have strong support during such negotiations.
In her opinion, Turkey could play a significant role in this process, particularly through its senior diplomat Feridun Sinirlioglu, who has served as OSCE Secretary General since December 2024. Additionally, the OSCE chairing nations -- Finland, which holds the presidency this year, and neutral Switzerland, set to assume leadership in 2026 -- could also contribute meaningfully.
In an interview with Ukrinform, Pia Kauma discussed the prospects for a peaceful resolution, the role of the OSCE and its Parliamentary Assembly, the recent exclusion of Russian representatives from the latter, and the implications of Trump's "America First" policy for European security.
Caspar Veldkamp, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
Just a few days after the appointment of the new government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Caspar Veldkamp, made his first visit to Ukraine as Foreign Minister to personally demonstrate unwavering support for the country, which has suffered from an aggressive and unprovoked attack. During this visit, he announced that the Netherlands would provide Ukraine with EUR 7 million as part of the Comprehensive Assistance Package coordinated by NATO and EUR 20 million to support energy infrastructure.
In an interview with an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague, Veldkamp spoke about the reluctance of the U.S. to involve Europe in peace talks, the Munich Security Conference, the meeting in Paris, the NATO summit in The Hague, and what needs to be done for a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine.
Publications
Ukraine bolstering its warfighting and defense industrial capacities as the war enters into its fourth year
Until February 24, 2022, the main events of the modern Russian-Ukrainian war took place in the east of our country and did not go beyond the scope of a local conflict.
But by launching a full-scale war invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin intended to destroy Ukrainian statehood forever. This treacherous attack, as we see now, three years later, dealt a fatal blow to the world order created after World War II.
Resisting the Russian aggressor, the Ukrainian people demonstrated for the whole world to see the courage, will for resilience, and unity in the face of a cruel enemy with significant numerical superiority in manpower and materiel.
In this article Ukrinform is recalling the crucial milestones of this war as Ukraine marks three years since it began on February 24, 2022.
The cost of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction is preliminary estimated to exceed half a trillion US dollars
The previous day saw the publication of the fourth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4) -- undertaken jointly by the European Commission, the World Bank Group, the Government of Ukraine, and the United Nations, with support from other partners. The 200+ page report takes stock of three years of the ongoing Russian invasion, estimating damage and losses – economic, social and monetary -- along with assessments of recovery and reconstruction needs for 10 years. As of 31 December 2024, the total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine stands at $ 530,26 billion, which exceeds manyfold Ukraine’s annual GDP level. That said, the losses inflicted on some individual sectors of the Ukrainian economy, primarily the energy sector, have increased by tens of billions of dollars over the past year alone. Following are more figures and expert opinions.
Fact Checks
Russian propaganda falsely attributes 'ad' for fake video game featuring Zelensky to Stallone
Russian media outlets, Telegram channels, and bot accounts on social media platforms X and Facebook are circulating a fabricated Instagram story, allegedly from Stallone, best known for Rocky and Rambo. The fake video supposedly features footage from a non-existent video game where a character in boxing gloves "punches" an animated figure resembling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his office.
According to the propagandists, Stallone promoted the "game" and shared a link to it with his followers.
This is a fake because no such game exists. The supposed link in the video leads to the Steam online store, which sells computer games, but the alleged title is nowhere to be found. The fake game does not even have a name.
Stallone never posted such a video. His Instagram follower list includes Zelensky's official account. Had the story been real, the Ukrainian president's team would have responded publicly.
This video was created and doctored by propagandists to resemble an Instagram story.
The Hollywood actor has publicly expressed support for Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression. On March 1, 2022, he posted a photo of a rescued puppy taken in by Ukrainian soldiers, writing: "Bless all of the incredibly brave men, women, and children… This nightmare and vicious tragedy has to stop."
Russia frequently fabricates Instagram stories from celebrities to discredit Ukraine. Ukrinform has previously debunked similar fakes attributed to artist Banksy, musician Moby, and actress Jamie Lee Curtis.
The false Stallone post is yet another attempt to undermine Ukraine's leadership and diminish Zelensky's standing in the West.
Earlier, Ukrinform also exposed a Russian propaganda hoax about "graffiti featuring Zelensky and USAID" in the U.S.
Andriy Olenin
Videos
"War up Close": VR exhibition opens in Ankara, demonstrating the consequences of Russia's crimes in Ukraine
The virtual reality exhibition "War up Close" opened in the Turkish capital on Saturday. Using 360° panoramas, drone photography, and 3D modeling, it transports the viewer to Ukraine, demonstrating "live" crime scenes and the consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine and Ukrainians.
Large-scale rally in Washington in support of Ukraine
A rally in support of Ukraine was held in the US capital, timed to coincide with the third anniversary of the start of Russia's full-scale aggression. Its participants emphasized that supporting Ukraine is not charity, but a strategic investment in the security of the United States itself.
News:
War
Il-76 crash: DNA tests confirm nearly 50 matches of Ukrainian POW remains
Russians unwilling to exchange Azov soldiers, marines – Coordination HQ
Meetings of negotiators on POWs exchange take place in occupied territories, Belarus, and Russia – Coordination HQ
Russia meets 2024 mobilization plan in TOT by 104% - Coordination HQ
Negotiators from Russia interested in repatriating conscripts and Chechens – Coordination Headquarters
Politics
Dutch foreign minister emphasizes support for Ukraine to strengthen its negotiation position
Special Tribunal for Russia could be established in May - Ukraine's permanent representative
Dutch minister about participation in peacekeeping mission: We don’t want to exclude anything in advance
Germany’s next government will continue to provide military and humanitarian support to Ukraine - minister
Head of Bundestag Defense Committee urges new German government to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons
UN vote on war anniversary shows victory for Ukrainian diplomacy – MFA
Economy
Grain varieties nearly lost during Russia’s occupation of Kherson region restored in central Ukraine
Society
Former POW from Kharkiv says he lost 50 kilograms in Russian captivity
Coordination HQ reveals how Russians delay exchange of journalist Viktoria Roshchina
Russia not officially requests Medvedchuk’s exchange, nor interested in Bohuslayev at all – Coordination HQ
See you next Friday!