February 27, 2022

Our Top Sources for Ukraine News


Our Top Sources for Ukraine News
It's a confusing world out there. The Russian Life files

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine this past week, we've been trying to keep tabs on the situation. After all, many of us have friends and family on either side, and we're hungry for information and updates. However, there's a lot of rumors and misinformation out there, and good sources are hard to find.

Here are our go-to spots.

Russian sources: Generally, we'd encourage our readers not to trust much of the Russian-language media. Journalistic censorship has seen a massive spike in the last few days, and anything not Putin-friendly simply will not appear. This applies especially to the major news organizations that are typically reliable: Izvestia is calling the military operation the "defense of Donbass," and Vesti.ru dubbed Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky the "President of War" and Biden's February 24 response "anti-Russian hysteria." Add to this the fact that many Russian government websites are down, and you'll be hard-pressed to find reliable info, especially stuff that isn't unbiased.

That said, we've been pleased with UkrainianWall.com, which provides Russian-language reports on what's happening.

Ukrainian sources: These are much more reliable than Russian sources, but should still be taken with a grain of salt. These are much more on-the-ground, since they're providing up-to-date news for Ukrainians.

Facty.ua ("Facts")

Vesti.ua ("Guide")

Ukrainskaya Pravda ("Ukrainian Truth")

English-language sources: We're assuming that you have some level of understanding of general Russian geopolitics, as we've found many Western sources to be too general. The below websites are both reliable and detailed.

CNN's live updates usually focus on international political and economic concerns, but are useful regardless, condensed into a scrollable feed.

Radio Free Europe is a pro-democracy and anti-war stalwart, and, although sometimes their articles get a little opinionated, their photographic and journalistic coverage from a human rights perspective is invaluable.

The Moscow Times is the major English-language paper in Moscow and is popular with expats. Their coverage has been remarkably balanced, and their live feed has covered multiple fascinating details.

We here at Russian Life will be keeping an eye on the situation with our signature penchant for the offbeat, but for constant updates, the above, we hope, will be helpful.

You Might Also Like

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955