What research tells us about the Ukrainian army - with Oleksiy Moskalenko

How can we understand what’s happening inside the Ukrainian army? How do soldiers feel? What challenges do they face? What parts of military life do they believe aren’t working? Traditional sociology doesn’t always provide the answers. But another discipline — anthropology, also called ethnography — offers a different approach. This method involves deep immersion into the everyday lives of soldiers. A more recent innovation, called mobile ethnography, takes this further — allowing researchers to stay connected with soldiers even when they’re not physically present. We wanted to learn more about what such a deep dive can reveal about the Ukrainian army. *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Oleksiy Moskalenko, an analyst at the Initiatives Centre of Come Back Alive (Povernys zhyvym) — one of Ukraine’s most prominent charitable foundations, supporting the military and veterans since 2014. *** Come Back Alive foundation: https://savelife.in.ua/en/ The Foundation’s Initiatives Centre: https://cbacenter.ngo/en From Civilian to Soldier: A Study: https://cbacenter.ngo/en/page/how-civilians-become-soldiers-come-back-alive-initiatives-center-studies-basic-military-training-in-ukraine *** Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. *** SUPPORT US: You can support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld Your contributions are essential, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also help fund our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we support both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal: [email protected] *** CONTENTS: 00:00 - Intro. Support UkraineWorld on patreon.com/ukraineworld 01:51 - What is "Mobile Ethnography"? How a Civilian Foundation Studies the Ukrainian Army's Reality 15:14 - What Do Soldiers Really Struggle With? 17:55 - Risk Management for Civilians: How Understanding Army Life Can Prepare You? 20:49 - What "Sovietness" Really Means: Deconstructing the Biggest Complaint in the Ukrainian Army 35:12 - Ukraine's Existential Question: Can You Value Life and Still Win a War? 38:04 - From Civilian to Soldier: How Ukraine's Army is Changing from the Inside Out 43:03 - The "After-War" Problem: Why Ukraine Needs Help NOW