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Simon Ostrovsky

@SimonOstrovsky • 93,166 subscribers

PBS @NewsHour Special Correspondent. 2025 Emmy nominee, 2025 Religion News Association award-winner.

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In the same press conference where Vance admits “I’m here to help [Orban] in this campaign cycle,” he accuses Ukraine of having “tried to put their thumb on the scale” of the Hungarian election. Talk about rules for thee but not for me…

In the same press conference where Vance admits “I’m here to help [Orban] in this campaign cycle,” he accuses Ukraine of having “tried to put their thumb on the scale” of the Hungarian election. Talk about rules for thee but not for me…

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I look at a lot of horrific videos from the war in Ukraine as part of my job, but sometimes I still can’t understand what I’m seeing. For my latest PBS News piece Seth G. Jones and Alexandra Arkhipova explain why so many Russian soldiers can be seen limping into battle on crutches
7:40

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I look at a lot of horrific videos from the war in Ukraine as part of my job, but sometimes I still can’t understand what I’m seeing. For my latest PBS News piece Seth G. Jones and Alexandra Arkhipova explain why so many Russian soldiers can be seen limping into battle on crutches

Simon Ostrovsky

227,964 views • 3 months ago

Russia's fastest growing group is Muslims, Orthodox Christianity is at a 20 year low, only one percent of Russians even attended Christmas mass (compared to 50 percent in the United States), yet many Americans are falling for the fiction that Russia is a Christian super power. Watch our PBS News analysis of how Russia is wooing conservative America by portraying itself as a bastion of "traditional values."
7:44
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Russia's fastest growing group is Muslims, Orthodox Christianity is at a 20 year low, only one percent of Russians even attended Christmas mass (compared to 50 percent in the United States), yet many Americans are falling for the fiction that Russia is a Christian super power. Watch our PBS News analysis of how Russia is wooing conservative America by portraying itself as a bastion of "traditional values."

Simon Ostrovsky

425,926 views • 10 months ago

As the US pulls back its support of Ukraine, Russia’s allies are doubling down on Moscow. What do America’s adversaries stand to gain from their growing partnership with Russia? A serious edge in a future war, security experts told me for my latest PBS News story from Ukraine.
7:43
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As the US pulls back its support of Ukraine, Russia’s allies are doubling down on Moscow. What do America’s adversaries stand to gain from their growing partnership with Russia? A serious edge in a future war, security experts told me for my latest PBS News story from Ukraine.

Simon Ostrovsky

131,994 views • 3 months ago

You know how you know Russia doesn’t believe its own propaganda about being forced into a war with Ukraine? It never did a general mobilization. If society felt it had been attacked Putin would have no problem calling up conscripts to the front. It will be a disaster if he does.
2:20
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You know how you know Russia doesn’t believe its own propaganda about being forced into a war with Ukraine? It never did a general mobilization. If society felt it had been attacked Putin would have no problem calling up conscripts to the front. It will be a disaster if he does.

Simon Ostrovsky

14,138 views • 10 days ago

When we arrived in Bucha just a day after it was liberated in April of 2022 this is what we found: 8 men executed in an alley with their hands tied behind their backs. Ukrainians have no other choice but to keep fighting because this is what will happen across the nation if they capitulate to Russia. If American abandons Ukraine it will soldier on because a ceasefire with Russia with no security guarantees is no ceasefire at all.
0:33

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When we arrived in Bucha just a day after it was liberated in April of 2022 this is what we found: 8 men executed in an alley with their hands tied behind their backs. Ukrainians have no other choice but to keep fighting because this is what will happen across the nation if they capitulate to Russia. If American abandons Ukraine it will soldier on because a ceasefire with Russia with no security guarantees is no ceasefire at all.

Simon Ostrovsky

456,902 views • 1 year ago

The Trump administration is moving on a region long dominated by Moscow while Russia has its hands full in Ukraine. This clip from my @newshour story explains why Russia has been losing ground in the strategic Caucasus.
1:46
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The Trump administration is moving on a region long dominated by Moscow while Russia has its hands full in Ukraine. This clip from my @newshour story explains why Russia has been losing ground in the strategic Caucasus.

Simon Ostrovsky

156,099 views • 6 months ago

Russia likes to portray itself as a bastion of traditional family values, but in all the metrics that matter it is behind the US and Ukraine in religiosity. Find out where it’s lagging in the full video with James Kirchick on my YouTube channel @ SOSTROVSKY
1:06
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Russia likes to portray itself as a bastion of traditional family values, but in all the metrics that matter it is behind the US and Ukraine in religiosity. Find out where it’s lagging in the full video with James Kirchick on my YouTube channel @ SOSTROVSKY

Simon Ostrovsky

14,920 views • 13 days ago

It took the Trumps to lose Albania, one of the most pro-American countries. They’re also protesting against the corruption in their own country that created the conditions for the private island project, but it’s a striking reversal to hear negative comments about the US at all.
2:37
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It took the Trumps to lose Albania, one of the most pro-American countries. They’re also protesting against the corruption in their own country that created the conditions for the private island project, but it’s a striking reversal to hear negative comments about the US at all.

Simon Ostrovsky

27,120 views • 28 days ago

How did the Democratic and Republican parties switch sides on Russia and why have some members of the GOP become so anti-Ukraine? See the full-length interview with writer and author James Kirchick on my YouTube channel @ SOSTROVSKY
1:49
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How did the Democratic and Republican parties switch sides on Russia and why have some members of the GOP become so anti-Ukraine? See the full-length interview with writer and author James Kirchick on my YouTube channel @ SOSTROVSKY

Simon Ostrovsky

11,812 views • 11 days ago

I’m excited to announce a new feature-length documentary project I’m working on with my co-director Alexandra Poolos about Russia’s efforts to eradicate Evangelical Christians from the map of Ukraine to impose Russian Orthodoxy as the state religion. Please support this film by donating
5:14
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I’m excited to announce a new feature-length documentary project I’m working on with my co-director Alexandra Poolos about Russia’s efforts to eradicate Evangelical Christians from the map of Ukraine to impose Russian Orthodoxy as the state religion. Please support this film by donating

Simon Ostrovsky

244,344 views • 1 year ago

It’s not every day that an interview is interrupted by a Russian missile strike, but I guess I couldn’t have asked for a better illustration of the point I was trying to make. The Biden administration has shown little boldness in its dealings with countries helping Russia re-arm.
1:25
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It’s not every day that an interview is interrupted by a Russian missile strike, but I guess I couldn’t have asked for a better illustration of the point I was trying to make. The Biden administration has shown little boldness in its dealings with countries helping Russia re-arm.

Simon Ostrovsky

210,333 views • 1 year ago

Ivanka Trump kicked a hornets nest that was already swirling when she decided to brag about her plans for a private island in Albania on David Senra’s podcast. In my latest episode of Outtakes, Albanian experts tell us why the protest is growing. Watch on YouTube @ SOSTROVSKY.
1:24
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Ivanka Trump kicked a hornets nest that was already swirling when she decided to brag about her plans for a private island in Albania on David Senra’s podcast. In my latest episode of Outtakes, Albanian experts tell us why the protest is growing. Watch on YouTube @ SOSTROVSKY.

Simon Ostrovsky

11,555 views • 18 days ago

“Arm Britain, prolong the war,” “Hitler has not attacked us, why attack Hitler?” “Europe for Europeans, America for Americans.” I’ll bet these American Nazis thought they were pretty smart too parading around with their “common sense” slogans just months before Pearl Harbor.
0:23
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“Arm Britain, prolong the war,” “Hitler has not attacked us, why attack Hitler?” “Europe for Europeans, America for Americans.” I’ll bet these American Nazis thought they were pretty smart too parading around with their “common sense” slogans just months before Pearl Harbor.

Simon Ostrovsky

178,618 views • 1 year ago

On the PBS NewsHour tonight: Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s plans for Albania. Tune in!
0:27
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On the PBS NewsHour tonight: Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s plans for Albania. Tune in!

Simon Ostrovsky

16,903 views • 1 month ago

Will Russia lose Armenia if the current PM Pashinyan is reelected this weekend? He's campaigned for peace with Azerbaijan, opening the border with Turkey while also naming a key future transport route after Trump to flatter the man in the White House and gain his backing.
1:50
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Will Russia lose Armenia if the current PM Pashinyan is reelected this weekend? He's campaigned for peace with Azerbaijan, opening the border with Turkey while also naming a key future transport route after Trump to flatter the man in the White House and gain his backing.

Simon Ostrovsky

18,246 views • 1 month ago

Our PBS News story about how Russia wants US conservatives to think its a spiritual superpower just won a 2026 Religion News Association award. The truth is Americans (and Ukrainians) are for more church-going.
1:25
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Our PBS News story about how Russia wants US conservatives to think its a spiritual superpower just won a 2026 Religion News Association award. The truth is Americans (and Ukrainians) are for more church-going.

Simon Ostrovsky

21,943 views • 1 month ago

Armenia's foreign ministry told me the number of Russian border guards in their country "should be decreased" as Armenia increases its role in manning its own border. A draw down would represent yet another setback for Russia's standing in the Caucasus since the Karabakh war.
1:49
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Armenia's foreign ministry told me the number of Russian border guards in their country "should be decreased" as Armenia increases its role in manning its own border. A draw down would represent yet another setback for Russia's standing in the Caucasus since the Karabakh war.

Simon Ostrovsky

53,968 views • 6 months ago

Last year we reported how Christian pastor Mark Sergeev and his family were forced from their home in southern Ukraine when Russia raided their evangelical church and turned it into state property. Now Russia has destroyed his new home outside Kyiv in an aerial attack. His children barely escaped with their lives.
0:46
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Last year we reported how Christian pastor Mark Sergeev and his family were forced from their home in southern Ukraine when Russia raided their evangelical church and turned it into state property. Now Russia has destroyed his new home outside Kyiv in an aerial attack. His children barely escaped with their lives.

Simon Ostrovsky

63,458 views • 9 months ago

Ukraine’s allies have a temporary opportunity to do immense damage to Russia’s war effort by redoubling pressure on its economy and re-arming Ukraine. Watch my exclusive PBS News interview with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
0:34
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Ukraine’s allies have a temporary opportunity to do immense damage to Russia’s war effort by redoubling pressure on its economy and re-arming Ukraine. Watch my exclusive PBS News interview with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

Simon Ostrovsky

12,233 views • 1 month ago

Check out our latest teaser for a forthcoming documentary film about Russia's attacks on Evangelical Christians in Ukraine. Russia has long branded Evangelicals as extremists or described established denominations like Baptists or Adventists as cults to justify its suppression of Christian groups that refuse to adhere to Russian Orthodoxy. In this sample scene we explore a dark chapter of the Ukraine war when Russia falsely accused a church group of horrific crimes in order to justify taking their children away. Help our film crew go back to Ukraine to complete this documentary project and get the story of these war crimes out to a wider American audience by donating here:
3:00
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Check out our latest teaser for a forthcoming documentary film about Russia's attacks on Evangelical Christians in Ukraine. Russia has long branded Evangelicals as extremists or described established denominations like Baptists or Adventists as cults to justify its suppression of Christian groups that refuse to adhere to Russian Orthodoxy. In this sample scene we explore a dark chapter of the Ukraine war when Russia falsely accused a church group of horrific crimes in order to justify taking their children away. Help our film crew go back to Ukraine to complete this documentary project and get the story of these war crimes out to a wider American audience by donating here:

Simon Ostrovsky

40,854 views • 1 year ago