Iuliia Mendel
@IuliiaMendel • 170,977 subscribers
Ex-spokesperson for President Zelenskyy. Insider view. Writing a bold new exposé on the real story behind the scenes in Ukraine.
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While Volodymyr Zelenskyy brands me and Tucker Carlson as “crazy” and “silly” (a telling display of leadership), ordinary Ukrainians are taking to social media to voice: - deep distrust of the authorities and of the casualty figures they publish; - accusations of inadequate air defence and of prolonging the war; - condemnation of forced mobilisation; - concern over the sharply rising number of people reported missing; - despair at closed ports and businesses, and the shortage of customers and workers; - calls for peace. Criticism is intensifying by the day. The shift in public mood is dramatic—especially against the backdrop of warnings about a humanitarian catastrophe next winter and the government’s clear reluctance to negotiate peace. No amount of praise from Western media will change the reality that the country is dying. People cannot be persuaded that relentless state pressure and manoeuvres to avoid negotiations are the right course when their own lives are on the line.
Iuliia Mendel26,435 просмотров • 18 часов назад
Putin has radically reimagined the meaning of this parade. Once a commemoration of victory over fascism in World War II, it is no longer about the past. Today, it stands as a symbol of his vision for the future. Troops from China, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and other nations — countries with little historical connection to WWII — now march in Moscow together. For Putin, the parade is no longer about remembrance. This is a display of unity among autocratic regimes, bound by rigid hierarchies and a shared defiance of modern democratic values. #Russia
Iuliia Mendel1,954,137 просмотров • 1 год назад
⚡️⚡️⚡️I am accused of being “pro-Russian” the moment I state basic facts about the war or express disagreement with Zelenskyy's policies of endless escalation. Often it’s bots, but sometimes also people from the comfortable West who genuinely believe they understand Ukraine and this war better than I do — someone who has covered the conflict since the very beginning in 2014, visited Donbas multiple times alongside Zelenskyy, participated in negotiations, helped craft communications for the President, and remained in the country when the full-scale invasion began in 2022. I was shelled, narrowly survived, traveled across the country helping civilians in need, and reported intensively as a journalist. Yet now some dare to label me pro-Russian simply because I refuse to support the primitive populism that allows Zelenskyy to prolong the war, profit from it, and cling to power. So let me be perfectly clear: Everyone who hurls this accusation is acting against my country. Everyone who buys into Zelenskyy’s illogical drama, who is willing to fight Russia with Ukrainian blood while ignoring the suffering of ordinary people — you are acting against Ukraine. By shamelessly supporting Zelenskyy’s policies, you are defending the current status quo and this means: Ukraine reduced to a permanently bleeding nation where people merely survive under constant Russian shelling and Kyiv’s increasingly authoritarian rule; Massive human rights violations, with men hunted on the streets, forcibly conscripted, beaten, tortured, and sometimes killed in recruitment centers; Rampant corruption — almost every close partner, friend, or high-ranking official around Zelenskyy has faced accusations of money laundering or other graft, while companies run by his inner circle receive billions in Western tax money; Putin started this war, but Zelenskyy figured out how to profit on it greatly; Crushing poverty, including average pensions of just $180 per month; A catastrophic demographic crisis — last year, three times more Ukrainians died than were born; Educational collapse, with at least one-third of Ukrainian children receiving no proper schooling and many fourth-graders unable to read; Brain drain, mass emigration, societal depression, and generational trauma that will take decades to heal. Some people are so eager to see Russia burn and so enchanted by Zelenskyy’s primitive role-playing that they choose to remain blind to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Ukraine. To me, that makes you anti-Ukrainian. If you truly want to fight Russia, go to the frontlines. Stop censoring Ukrainians who call for peace. Sitting comfortably in the West and attacking those who demand an end to the slaughter does not make you a hero — it makes you miserable and hypocritical. Remember this the next time your fingers itch to type another offensive comment.
Iuliia Mendel78,981 просмотров • 20 дней назад
"It's time to agree for Trump's conditions," - another Ukrainian is pleading for peace. PLEASE, HELP SHARE Ukrainians' plea for PEACE! More and more Ukrainians are openly saying what everyone’s thinking: we desperately need peace. The current policy is unsustainable. This Sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine just called out Fedorov for selling people a populist, brain-dead fantasy — that magical drones will win the war and no one will have to go to the front lines anymore. "People are exhausted. People are terrified. Ukraine has become the worst country in the world to live in. Enough. It’s time to fix this before there’s nothing left to save." - he wrote. Listen by yourself!
Iuliia Mendel11,841 просмотров • 2 дней назад
Multiple Ukrainian bloggers do not recognise the protests for Fedorov as natural protests to help Ukraine. Many repeat that the most important thing is to make peace, not to change the names in the government, some point out that Fedorov has been in power for over seven years and there is war and poverty of unimaginable scale. Just saying that we need to pay attention to those opinions that are not covered by mainstream media too.
Iuliia Mendel18,285 просмотров • 6 дней назад
Forced mobilization is one of the most disturbing and dehumanizing developments Ukraine has faced since gaining independence. Yet it receives strikingly little attention from mainstream international media. In reality, it is the issue of forced mobilization that has generated the deepest public outrage and sparked the largest spontaneous protests in Kyiv and Lviv. These were genuine grassroots demonstrations, not the carefully staged events organized by Western-funded NGOs that receive far more coverage. The real protests were largely overlooked by major outlets, but they signaled a growing discontent that is unlikely to fade. As long as the practice continues, further protests are inevitable. Many Ukrainians feel they are now forced to defend their country not only from Russian aggression, but also from an increasingly autocratic regime under Zelenskyy. Videos of recent forced mobilization raids in Kyiv and Kharkiv:
Iuliia Mendel13,309 просмотров • 4 дней назад
In Ukraine, there are two camps. One stands for peace, the other for war. And it’s time we spoke about this openly. I believe the latter are fewer in number, yet far louder than anyone else. Of course — behind them stand enormous funds for propaganda and a license for impunity. They have thousands of talking heads, useful idiots, and people paralyzed by despair. They are ready to intimidate, harass, unleash bots, turn half the nation into “enemies of the people,” lecture and moralize, and teach you that your sons must die for the state. They insist that if you want the war to end, there’s something wrong with you — you’re naïve, stupid, or even insane. They claim there is no corruption, that all Ukrainians must remain poor, and that the conscription officers — which hunt men like animals and are notorious for torture and human rights abuses — are mere “Russian propaganda.” They say peace is impossible solely because of Putin, that the best hero is a dead hero, and that everyone shown on television is telling the truth. And then there’s the eternal message: “Just endure a little longer.” A few more months and we’ll win. Another six months and Russia will run out of resources. One more year and the war will be over. Every autocracy has had its propaganda. And every one operated on the same principle: silence, destroy, and hound the critics — while filling the media with the “right” people and the “right” messages. This summer, the last attempt this year to end the war will be made. It will be presented as American pressure, a betrayal of the Ukrainian people, especially Zelenskyy, or collaboration with Russia. They notice only the negative, and only when it’s time to shift blame onto someone else. As you may have noticed, according to Zelenskyy, everyone is guilty. Biden is guilty for talking about war and sowing panic. The West is guilty for not giving weapons on time. Trump is guilty for negotiating with Putin and trying to bring everyone to the table. Ukrainian men are guilty for not wanting to go to the front. Refugees are guilty for leaving and thus not being patriots. Critics are guilty because Ukraine is losing because of them. Deputy ministers, ministers, and long-time partners are guilty as they were caught in corruption. The only ones who are never guilty… are two specific people. I won’t name them. So this time, once again, everyone will be blamed. Zelenskyy will face a choice: either drag the war out further, or once again play the role of the unfortunate victim who, under pressure, is forced to do the unforgivable. We are offered various options to end the war, but our leadership rejects them all. The price of continuing the war is always the same — more rivers of Ukrainian blood, another horrific winter without electricity or heating, and hundreds of thousands more refugees. If this summer there is no peace agreement — any agreement at all — even a shaky ceasefire or a halt to large-scale shelling, the war will drag on at least until March. Because the United States, the only viable mediator and influential player, will be preoccupied with mid-term elections, then winter holidays, and then there will be the fifth anniversary of the war… Once again, we will be told to “endure a little longer,” and once again we will be fed stories about how Russia is about to collapse any day now. The people writing these messages are not stupid. They simply believe that we — all of us — are.
Iuliia Mendel102,340 просмотров • 1 месяц назад
Ukrainian special forces and police just pulled off an incredible rescue: six civilians were evacuated from the hellish frontline in Kupiansk, guided every step of the way by drone operators from above. Under constant threat, the group walked over 20 km on foot through dangerous territory — following light signals and directions from UAVs that lit the path and kept watch. Coordinated by the Special Purpose Police Regiment, air recon pilots, and the 425th Brigade soldiers, they reached safety where armored transport whisked them to Shevchenkove, met by volunteers. "Behind every kilometer: fear, exhaustion, and hope. Six saved lives made every step worth it."
Iuliia Mendel265,844 просмотров • 4 месяцев назад
Ukraine has never been able to shoot down Russia’s gliding bombs that devastate frontline cities. Now, NATO contractors have developed new tech to counter KABs and Shahed drones — using interceptor and swarm drones powered by AI. Tested successfully in Ukraine, the system heads for final trials in France. If approved, it could receive coalition funding for production — a breakthrough that could finally protect civilians from attacks that once seemed unstoppable. #DefenseTech #StopRussia
Iuliia Mendel492,133 просмотров • 9 месяцев назад
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Today, the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy looks like this. Russia is mercilessly shelling it, turning another regional center into ruins — just like Donetsk, then Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv. 7 apartment buildings, 4 cars, a gas station, car dealership, restaurant, and garage cooperative were damaged. 5 dead, at least 31 people injured, including 3 children. Meanwhile, Russian advances continue in Donbas and Kharkiv region, with horrific losses along the front. I still don’t understand how anyone can call this a “winning strategy.” This entire PR-offensive was designed only to justify allocation of more money for the war ahead of the NATO summit. As soon as it ended, the real picture emerged. What this theater desperately lacks is a real leader willing to end the war. While “patriots” keep pushing marketing slogans and ignoring the mounting deaths and destruction in pursuit of an unattainable total military victory.
Iuliia Mendel30,021 просмотров • 14 дней назад
Seven billion dollars could have flowed into a Ukrainian drone company backed by friends of Volodymyr Zelensky. Of that amount, 20 percent—nearly one and a half billion dollars—was reportedly set to be pure profit for the insiders: Zelensky’s inner circle and the ministers he personally appointed. This is the very same company that Zelensky himself has been hawking nonstop—personally flying it around to foreign investors as Ukraine’s great success story. The details come from secret audio recordings made by Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Bureau and leaked to an independent investigative journalist. Right now in Ukraine, politicians are openly talking about impeaching Zelensky. Tomorrow, a sitting member of parliament is going to read even more of these recordings publicly. I’m told some of the voices captured may include the First Lady herself. Other tapes casually refer to “Vova”—Zelensky’s nickname—as both a participant in the deal and the owner of one of four massive luxury mansions being built in Ukraine’s richest suburb outside Kyiv, each worth millions. Here’s the kicker: Out of 90 billion euros the European Union is lending to Ukraine, the first tranche is earmarked for “drone production.” They call it “defending the country.” Guess which company is first in line to get the money? On the recordings, a former Defense Minister is heard openly discussing how to steer a billion dollars from Western partners straight into the company of Zelensky’s friends. But let’s be honest: this isn’t really about defense. Drones aren’t just shields—they’re weapons. This is about offense. This is about keeping the war going. While ordinary Ukrainians continue to die under shelling, flee a collapsing economy, and watch our country disintegrate, the president’s inner circle is getting filthy rich. This bloody war is now entering its fifth year. And the people closest to Zelensky are profiting handsomely from it. Ukrainian activists, members of parliament, and independent media have been screaming this out loud. The only ones who refuse to report it? Western mainstream media. Instead of any serious scrutiny of corruption, you get glowing tributes to Ukraine’s “drone sector,” endless praise for “democracy’s great leader Zelensky,” and stories about exporting surplus weapons. So I’m asking my former colleagues in the media directly: Is this what journalism is now? Covering up massive corruption at the highest levels? Is this what “standing with the people” looks like? My country is dying. My people are dying—so that one man and his friends can get obscenely wealthy. If you’re in Ukraine, you already know there is nothing democratic about Zelensky’s government. This war is the only thing keeping him in power and money. The moment peace comes, it all evaporates. This isn’t about one man playing Winston Churchill. This is about the destruction of an entire nation. You may not be able to publish this by quoting your Ukrainian colleagues yet. But tomorrow, when a member of parliament—the highest elected office in the country—publicly reads these records, there will be no more excuses. The gap between what Western media tells you and what is actually happening in Ukraine has grown too wide. It’s time to close it.
Iuliia Mendel149,806 просмотров • 2 месяцев назад
A few days ago, a Ukrainian court sentenced a single Ukrainian mother, 42, to 5 years in prison for "justification of Russian aggression," based on a linguistic examination. The woman says she stands against the war and critisizes Zelenskyy's corruption. The mainstream media largely ignored the story, but the woman’s lawyer wrote: “I still cannot recover from today’s verdict against my client — a mother of a 5-year-old child. I have been practicing law since 1991, and in all my life I have never seen such a blatantly unjust sentence. The circumstances are shocking... After today’s verdict, I will be glad to see Zelenskyy in the dock. And that day will come. What kind of regime has he built inside the country? Even under Yanukovych, I never witnessed such horror.” The woman is now urgently appealing and is asking for public attention and support. Few weeks ago, my friend has got a call from her daughter's school, the teachers asked her to delete a video of her daughter where the teenager was saying she wanted peace. The family took a decision not to delete the video and the girl got lower score for exams. What shall I add?
Iuliia Mendel65,985 просмотров • 1 месяц назад
The Russian army conducts “drone safaris” against the most defenseless — those who lack the health or money to escape the frontline. I would like to ask Vladimir Putin directly: Is this your “fight against NATO”? At the same time, Ukraine’s leadership is deriving enormous benefits from this war and shows no real interest in ending it. The only true victims of this horrific and senseless war are the Ukrainian people. Thank you Tucker Carlson
Iuliia Mendel110,588 просмотров • 2 месяцев назад
The war in Ukraine has got a new character. But it goes unnoticed by mainstream media. Ukrainians are fighting the government that is breaking the society. And it is going to get worse. Literally every Ukrainian blogger is talking about the situation in Lviv.
Iuliia Mendel26,127 просмотров • 15 дней назад
Ukrainians in Ukraine sometimes feel like hunted animals. Here's a story that broke yesterday and was only resolved thanks to the intervention of journalists. A 14-year-old girl from Zaporizhzhia lost her mother, and then conscription officers took her father through deception. They told him they just needed to check his documents and refused to release him. It was only when journalists got involved that he was freed. He had no legal right to be sent to the front — he is the sole guardian of his underage daughter. She stood her ground and fought for him. Tell me: in what country can this vile, dehumanizing treatment of its own citizens be called freedom, democracy, or a struggle for dignity?
Iuliia Mendel63,386 просмотров • 1 месяц назад
💔 "There’s no mom!" "Don't say that about Mom..." "She's gone! She's not here anymore!" Heartbreaking words from children after yesterday’s Russian missile attack in Odesa. A mother of three was killed while rushing her sons to a shelter. The boys were also wounded. This war keeps taking mothers from their children. And it will continue while the West stands for the grand idea of destroying Russia with Ukrainian blood and find "better" peace conditions. INSANE!!!
Iuliia Mendel13,809 просмотров • 7 дней назад
What you see every day on European television is a carefully edited story: Ukraine is “winning,” the West is “united,” and everything is under control. I wish that were true. The reality inside my country is very different. Entire cities and towns have been reduced to rubble. Hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainian men have been killed or maimed. Families are exhausted, the economy is in ruins, and the next winter can again come with blackouts and empty shelves. People are not “resilient heroes” in some Hollywood script — they are simply desperate. Many no longer believe the war will end on the terms we were promised two years ago. And yet, when you listen to Brussels or read the big European newspapers, you hear only applause for the status quo. More sanctions. More weapons. More “strategic patience.” They call it solidarity. One has to ask — with all due respect — is it really solidarity, or is it something more cynical? European leaders talk about “defending democracy” while quietly admitting in private that they have no plan for victory and no real intention of paying the full price themselves. Their media shows endless images of Ukrainian suffering but almost never asks the uncomfortable question: how many more lives must be lost before someone in the EU admits that the current strategy is not working? This is not just hypocritical. It is dangerous. By keeping the conflict frozen in this half-supported, half-abandoned state, we are not only destroying Ukraine — we are exhausting Europe’s own economies, pushing global food and energy prices higher, and steadily raising the risk that one miscalculation turns a regional war into something far wider. The status quo is not neutral. It is a slow-motion catastrophe dressed up as moral virtue. I am not asking for surrender. I am asking for honesty. Europeans deserve to know the real price being paid. Ukrainians deserve leaders who tell them the truth instead of yesterday’s slogans. And the world deserves a conversation that is no longer filtered through political correctness.
Iuliia Mendel125,115 просмотров • 3 месяцев назад
Ukraine and Germany are discussing mechanisms for returning Ukrainian men of mobilization age back home, stated Ukraine’s Ambassador to Germany. He wants to understand in what way Ukraine can facilitate their return. Apparently, the ambassador hasn’t been in Ukraine for a long time and is having internet problems. Here’s the mechanism Ukraine encourages men of mobilization age to go to the front. What will the return mechanism be? Will men be grabbed right on the streets of Germany, or already at the border crossing? By the way, the ambassador himself is a man of mobilization age. When this war is over -- many would need to see the ugliness of what they serve today.
Iuliia Mendel28,745 просмотров • 22 дней назад