Society & Culture

The Ukrainian band TVORCHI will represent the country at Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with their entry Heart of Steel. This is reported by Ukrinform. KRUTЬ won the jury’s vote but the viewers chose TVORCHi as their favorites, ensuring their victory in the national selection, Vidbir. A total of 10 contestants competed tonight: Moisei, OY Sound System, DEMCHUK, Jerry Heil, FIINKA, KRUTЬ, Tember Blanche, Angelina, 2TONE, and TVORCHI. Today's Vidbir was held in a shelter. This year’s contest could be held in Ukraine given last year’s win by Kalush with their Stefania song. At the same time, holding the contest on…

Ukraine returned two more children who had been held by the Russian invaders in the temporarily occupied territories and in the Russian Federation. The Ukrainian Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories said this in a Telegram post, Ukrinform reports. "We fought for the return of 11-year-old Mark and 18-year-old Danylo for almost two months. On October 17, their mother Yulia addressed the Ministry for Reintegration with a request to help evacuate her sons: Mark - from temporarily occupied Torez in Donetsk region, Danylo - from Russia," the ministry said. Yulia was born in Torez. She was a prisoner of…

More than 4,500 objects, including more than 550 apartment blocks, which were damaged as a result of the Russian armed aggression, have been restored in Kyiv region. "Kyiv region. More than 4,500 objects have already been restored in the region. These are residential buildings and apartment blocks, educational and healthcare facilities," Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said at a briefing, Ukrinform reports. Tymoshenko said that more than 550 apartment blocks were restored in the region with the help of state and local budgets, as well as other sources of funding, and more than 250 are still being…

A fake "social advertisement" purporting to be from a European research consortium is circulating across Runet On the pro-Russian propaganda Telegram channel, as well as on Twitter and Reddit, a social ad has been published on behalf of the European research consortium European Social Survey (ESS). The main message of the video is to contrast any aid to Ukraine with the Europeans' own well-being, as if they are mutually exclusive. "What is more important to you? Helping Ukraine or buying Christmas presents for orphans? Paying for guns and ammo or donating to a dog shelter? Enriching Ukrainian politicians or treating…

The European Parliament adopted by a majority of votes the resolution on the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor in Ukraine, recognizing the terrible events of the 1930s as the genocide against the Ukrainian people. As an Ukrinform correspondent reports, the document condemning the man-made famine, Holodomor, in Ukraine was adopted by 507 votes in favour, 12 against with 17 abstentions. “Whereas the Great Famine, or Holodomor, was a deliberate, planned and consistent action carried out by the despotic Bolshevik regime ruling the Soviet Union to break the resistance of the Ukrainian population and subjugate them under an oppressive state… [the…

Ukraine agrees with the UN on further support for internally displaced persons – continuation of financial assistance and creation of living conditions in winter. "Today we discussed our further joint actions to prevent the humanitarian situation from worsening in Ukraine. Along with the critically needed assistance in the energy sector, our priority areas remain the continuation of direct financial assistance to internally displaced persons, which is currently being carried out jointly with UN agencies, further creation of shelters for IDPs, and the creation of living conditions in winter," Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said at a joint briefing with…

The Ukrainian scouts have handed over the Peace Light of Bethlehem to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. The relevant statement was made by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “The Peace Light of Bethlehem is special this year. This is a symbol of the fact that we are not afraid of anyone and will stand for victory, each in one’s place. After me, the fire will be on the frontline – it will give energy to our warriors who defend Ukraine. It is needed there more than anything else,” Zelensky wrote. A reminder that, on…

The European Parliament’s 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded to the brave people of Ukraine, represented by the President of Ukraine, elected leaders and civil society. The relevant statement was made by President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola in her speech at the awarding ceremony, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “Today, we are awarding the European Parliament’s most prestigious prize for freedom and human rights to the brave people of Ukraine, represented by their president, elected leaders and civil society. […] The Ukrainian people are not just fighting a war of independence, but fighting a war…

Putin urged not to believe Konashenkov, and Medvedev complains about Mishustin. The Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security has collected the main fakes and narratives of Russian propaganda for December 9–11 1. More than a third of Russia’s entire budget is allocated for war 2. Why the G7 chose an oil price cap rather than an embargo 3. The Russian Orthodox Church appoints a new arch-strategist 4. Six Putin’s Statements from Medvedev More than a third of Russia’s entire budget is allocated for war On December 9, Putin finally urged Russians not to believe Konashenkov’s reports on the war…

The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security has analyzed the media landscape of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia based on monitoring conducted by the Ukrainian social startup LetsData in partnership with the Detector Media NGO in September and October to find out what the online media of the Baltic countries are saying about Ukraine and how Russian propaganda affects it. Lithuania, Latvia, or Estonia: who covers the events in Ukraine most actively? An analysis of the dynamics of publications from September 17 to October 27 indicates that Lithuanian online media write about Ukraine more than others. Among the three studied…