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Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

@IAPonomarenko • 1,154,170 subscribers

Live straight out of Bucha. Pre-order my new book "The Land of Tears and Hope": https://t.co/djbAoo4F4q

Shorts

Russian field propagandists at the UN shout at Zelensky in Russian: "When are you going to Moscow? When are you going to Moscow?" Zelensky, also in Russian: "[I'll come] by a missile."

Russian field propagandists at the UN shout at Zelensky in Russian: "When are you going to Moscow? When are you going to Moscow?" Zelensky, also in Russian: "[I'll come] by a missile."

1,035,540 просмотров

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s idol and new business partner has killed another 20 people, including three children, in Zaporizhia.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s idol and new business partner has killed another 20 people, including three children, in Zaporizhia.

223,380 просмотров

Meanwhile at Russia's military airfield of Borisoglebsk. Something goes boom.

Meanwhile at Russia's military airfield of Borisoglebsk. Something goes boom.

35,234 просмотров

Vladimir Putin, Oct. 5, 2023: "...if Western defense supplies are terminated tomorrow, Ukraine will have a week left to live as it runs out of ammunition." Any more questions regarding Russia's intentions and negotiability on Ukraine?

Vladimir Putin, Oct. 5, 2023: "...if Western defense supplies are terminated tomorrow, Ukraine will have a week left to live as it runs out of ammunition." Any more questions regarding Russia's intentions and negotiability on Ukraine?

4,396,274 просмотров

Meanwhile in Russia's Sochi

Meanwhile in Russia's Sochi

109,421 просмотров

Just an ordinary little Italian restaurant in Kyiv during an almost complete blackout after Russian strikes. Very dim lights, and some music playing over the hum of a generator. That's life here.

Just an ordinary little Italian restaurant in Kyiv during an almost complete blackout after Russian strikes. Very dim lights, and some music playing over the hum of a generator. That's life here.

26,849 просмотров

Meanwhile in Moscow

Meanwhile in Moscow

298,188 просмотров

So it begins? Electricity infrastructure in Russia’s Belgorod is under heavy attack now, the city is partially blacked out. The promised Ukrainian answer to a new stage of Russia’s campaign to bomb Ukraine into the dark in winter once again?

So it begins? Electricity infrastructure in Russia’s Belgorod is under heavy attack now, the city is partially blacked out. The promised Ukrainian answer to a new stage of Russia’s campaign to bomb Ukraine into the dark in winter once again?

691,888 просмотров

This is Saint Sophia of Kyiv. Perhaps the main national shrine and historical treasure of Ukraine -- and, of course, one of Kyiv’s most important landmarks, which many of you know well. This ancient cathedral has stood on the spot in Kyiv where, according to legend, Yaroslav the Wise, the greatest ruler in the history of this land, won a great victory over nomads and saved the city. It is dedicated to Sophia, Divine Wisdom. It was this wisdom that made prince Yaroslav famous through the ages and helped him prevail in battle -- despite the physical disability that caused him to walk with a limp. For a thousand years, its priceless frescoes and mosaics have looked down from its vaults and arches. Among them is the legendary Oranta, a six-metre-high image of the Virgin Mary with her arms outstretched. It has long been said that as long as she stands in Saint Sophia, Kyiv will stand as well. This is far more than even a remarkable medieval cathedral, it is a symbol. Saint Sophia of Kyiv plays a central role in my book, and its image runs through the entire narrative, literally to the last page. The cathedral has shone in all its glory, fallen into severe neglect and a plundered ruin, and risen again in a new form. It feels as though, throughout these centuries, Ukraine and its people have been much like Saint Sophia itself.

This is Saint Sophia of Kyiv. Perhaps the main national shrine and historical treasure of Ukraine -- and, of course, one of Kyiv’s most important landmarks, which many of you know well. This ancient cathedral has stood on the spot in Kyiv where, according to legend, Yaroslav the Wise, the greatest ruler in the history of this land, won a great victory over nomads and saved the city. It is dedicated to Sophia, Divine Wisdom. It was this wisdom that made prince Yaroslav famous through the ages and helped him prevail in battle -- despite the physical disability that caused him to walk with a limp. For a thousand years, its priceless frescoes and mosaics have looked down from its vaults and arches. Among them is the legendary Oranta, a six-metre-high image of the Virgin Mary with her arms outstretched. It has long been said that as long as she stands in Saint Sophia, Kyiv will stand as well. This is far more than even a remarkable medieval cathedral, it is a symbol. Saint Sophia of Kyiv plays a central role in my book, and its image runs through the entire narrative, literally to the last page. The cathedral has shone in all its glory, fallen into severe neglect and a plundered ruin, and risen again in a new form. It feels as though, throughout these centuries, Ukraine and its people have been much like Saint Sophia itself.

52,594 просмотров

Sumy today. Evil wins when people prefer to look the other way.

Sumy today. Evil wins when people prefer to look the other way.

833,555 просмотров

Meanwhile in Ukraine

Meanwhile in Ukraine

132,903 просмотров

Russia keeps bombing Kharkiv unpunished

Russia keeps bombing Kharkiv unpunished

1,083,768 просмотров

The Russian army has just destroyed a maternity hospital in Zaporizhia. I no longer know what other war crime Russia still needs to commit against Ukraine for the world to see what kind of monster Ukrainians have been standing up to for years in order to save their country.

The Russian army has just destroyed a maternity hospital in Zaporizhia. I no longer know what other war crime Russia still needs to commit against Ukraine for the world to see what kind of monster Ukrainians have been standing up to for years in order to save their country.

335,780 просмотров

One of Ukraine’s biggest malls in Ukraine, right now. I’m pretty confident there's no centralized electricity supply in this part of Kyiv now, but the entire giant venue works absolutely as usual.

One of Ukraine’s biggest malls in Ukraine, right now. I’m pretty confident there's no centralized electricity supply in this part of Kyiv now, but the entire giant venue works absolutely as usual.

347,050 просмотров

Am I imagining things, or is Putin really just hammered here?

Am I imagining things, or is Putin really just hammered here?

178,377 просмотров

Meanwhile in Russia’s Ufa. This oil refinery is located some 1400 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border.

Meanwhile in Russia’s Ufa. This oil refinery is located some 1400 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border.

355,514 просмотров

Meanwhile in Russia’s Stavropol

Meanwhile in Russia’s Stavropol

98,894 просмотров

Last night in Russia’s Novorossiysk. Nonetheless, the grain port was hit hard by Ukraine and halted all operations.

Last night in Russia’s Novorossiysk. Nonetheless, the grain port was hit hard by Ukraine and halted all operations.

66,323 просмотров

Sunflowers mourn this day, too.

Sunflowers mourn this day, too.

68,127 просмотров

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Kharkiv tonight. Russians have committed yet another mass murder. The strike brought down an entire section of the apartment building, burying people alive beneath the rubble of their own homes.

Kharkiv tonight. Russians have committed yet another mass murder. The strike brought down an entire section of the apartment building, burying people alive beneath the rubble of their own homes.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

90,875 просмотров • 5 дней назад

WTF?? This is a Russian mobile air defense group -- I can't believe this is not AI 🫣

WTF?? This is a Russian mobile air defense group -- I can't believe this is not AI 🫣

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

1,427,965 просмотров • 3 месяцев назад

St. Sophia Square this evening. Not much street lighting, but as always, an endless amount of light from within. Kyiv is like a chessboard. Around St. Sophia and St. Michael's, there's little light, but you walk down the ancient streets toward Maidan, and all of Khreshchatyk is brightly lit. Go a little farther, and Shevchenko Boulevard is shining too, while Halytska Square and the area around the Zoo are dark. But the great ancient city is as alive as ever.

St. Sophia Square this evening. Not much street lighting, but as always, an endless amount of light from within. Kyiv is like a chessboard. Around St. Sophia and St. Michael's, there's little light, but you walk down the ancient streets toward Maidan, and all of Khreshchatyk is brightly lit. Go a little farther, and Shevchenko Boulevard is shining too, while Halytska Square and the area around the Zoo are dark. But the great ancient city is as alive as ever.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

39,746 просмотров • 3 дней назад

I got just one question for this video: for the sake of fucking WHAT did this three-men crew of this Russian T-90M evaporate in a second? So that Ukraine would possibly abandon a scorched wood line 5,000 kilometres from their home that would only change hands again the day after? So that Russian Z-channels could present this as the elimination of a Ukrainian Leopard 2 and then of an Israeli Merkava 4? So that Putin spends another day fellating his wretched ego and not admitting the obvious failure of his 600-day “special military operation,” the end goal of which even Putin himself struggles to explain? I wanna know.

I got just one question for this video: for the sake of fucking WHAT did this three-men crew of this Russian T-90M evaporate in a second? So that Ukraine would possibly abandon a scorched wood line 5,000 kilometres from their home that would only change hands again the day after? So that Russian Z-channels could present this as the elimination of a Ukrainian Leopard 2 and then of an Israeli Merkava 4? So that Putin spends another day fellating his wretched ego and not admitting the obvious failure of his 600-day “special military operation,” the end goal of which even Putin himself struggles to explain? I wanna know.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

11,090,427 просмотров • 3 лет назад

Kyiv this evening. No electricity on the famous Andriivskyi Descent, but nevertheless, it feels even more soulful somehow.

Kyiv this evening. No electricity on the famous Andriivskyi Descent, but nevertheless, it feels even more soulful somehow.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

45,502 просмотров • 6 дней назад

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military reports that overnight it delivered a total of around four tons of food by drone to some 100 different locations in the occupied town of Oleshky, in the lower reaches of the Dnipro. The town, which has been under Russian occupation since 2022, is now facing a genuine humanitarian catastrophe. Around 1,500 local residents, including some 40 children, are at an extreme risk of starvation this winter, isolated from the outside world. Russian occupying forces are both blocking any humanitarian aid from reaching the town and preventing the remaining residents from leaving despite their desperate situation. The Russian military has also rejected Ukraine’s proposal for a ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians through an agreed humanitarian corridor. And now, in Europe in 2026, thousands of people trapped under blockade are facing the threat of starving to death.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military reports that overnight it delivered a total of around four tons of food by drone to some 100 different locations in the occupied town of Oleshky, in the lower reaches of the Dnipro. The town, which has been under Russian occupation since 2022, is now facing a genuine humanitarian catastrophe. Around 1,500 local residents, including some 40 children, are at an extreme risk of starvation this winter, isolated from the outside world. Russian occupying forces are both blocking any humanitarian aid from reaching the town and preventing the remaining residents from leaving despite their desperate situation. The Russian military has also rejected Ukraine’s proposal for a ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians through an agreed humanitarian corridor. And now, in Europe in 2026, thousands of people trapped under blockade are facing the threat of starving to death.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

119,998 просмотров • 20 дней назад

Sweet old Kyiv right now. The best place on earth, no matter what.

Sweet old Kyiv right now. The best place on earth, no matter what.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

83,446 просмотров • 14 дней назад

These are the famous Golden Gates from the inside, the surviving remains of the once-mighty fortifications of ancient Kyiv. For almost 1,000 years, this monument has stood on this very spot. Once, it was a magnificent main gateway, crowned by a church above its arch, through which princes, military commanders, and foreign dignitaries would make their ceremonial entrances into Kyiv, proceeding straight toward the city's holiest shrine, Saint Sophia Cathedral, knowing that they were entering a great Christian city. For many long centuries, the Golden Gates lay in ruins and neglect, having never recovered from the tragedy of the Mongol destruction. Today, after so many reconstructions and restorations, they are among Kyiv's greatest historical treasures. My upcoming book has an entire chapter dedicated to Yaroslav the Wise, perhaps the greatest ruler in Ukrainian history. Despite his very slim chances of surviving a fratricidal war for his great father's throne, and despite his physical disability (he walked with a limp), Yaroslav managed to become a great builder of historical marvels, including these very Golden Gates and Saint Sophia Cathedral, a victor on the battlefield, and the father-in-law of kings across Europe, from France and Norway to Hungary. Ukrainian history is simply full of astonishing and epic stories that you’ll definitely want to discover.

These are the famous Golden Gates from the inside, the surviving remains of the once-mighty fortifications of ancient Kyiv. For almost 1,000 years, this monument has stood on this very spot. Once, it was a magnificent main gateway, crowned by a church above its arch, through which princes, military commanders, and foreign dignitaries would make their ceremonial entrances into Kyiv, proceeding straight toward the city's holiest shrine, Saint Sophia Cathedral, knowing that they were entering a great Christian city. For many long centuries, the Golden Gates lay in ruins and neglect, having never recovered from the tragedy of the Mongol destruction. Today, after so many reconstructions and restorations, they are among Kyiv's greatest historical treasures. My upcoming book has an entire chapter dedicated to Yaroslav the Wise, perhaps the greatest ruler in Ukrainian history. Despite his very slim chances of surviving a fratricidal war for his great father's throne, and despite his physical disability (he walked with a limp), Yaroslav managed to become a great builder of historical marvels, including these very Golden Gates and Saint Sophia Cathedral, a victor on the battlefield, and the father-in-law of kings across Europe, from France and Norway to Hungary. Ukrainian history is simply full of astonishing and epic stories that you’ll definitely want to discover.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

42,437 просмотров • 7 дней назад

Happy belated German Unity Day, dear Germany! 🇩🇪 We remember and appreciate how Germany helps save our country every single day. Especially when the temptation to make a raw deal with the devil, to look the other way, to choose appeasing a criminal and an aggressor over helping a defender fighting heroically for their country is so great, and when there are so much lies and deception. And never doubt for a second that the wise and generous good you have done for us will be returned when the time comes.

Happy belated German Unity Day, dear Germany! 🇩🇪 We remember and appreciate how Germany helps save our country every single day. Especially when the temptation to make a raw deal with the devil, to look the other way, to choose appeasing a criminal and an aggressor over helping a defender fighting heroically for their country is so great, and when there are so much lies and deception. And never doubt for a second that the wise and generous good you have done for us will be returned when the time comes.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

62,252 просмотров • 12 дней назад

Good old Kyiv right now

Good old Kyiv right now

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

35,371 просмотров • 7 дней назад

Well, there you have it: Putin has crawled out of his bunker and is reviewing a parade in honour of “Russian Navy Day” -- on foot, alongside a handful of sailors in costume, somewhere in a backyard in St Petersburg, with a printed photo of a submarine stuck on the wall behind them, because apparently it’s too scary to do anything more. You could hardly find a better illustration of the “naval greatness” of modern Russia. Strangely left out of frame are the burning oil refineries and ports, the Black Sea Fleet that has barely dared to stick its nose out to sea for the fourth year running, its flagship lying on the seabed since 2022, and even the fact that internet service was shut down across St Petersburg today just in case Ukrainian drones might frighten the tsar.

Well, there you have it: Putin has crawled out of his bunker and is reviewing a parade in honour of “Russian Navy Day” -- on foot, alongside a handful of sailors in costume, somewhere in a backyard in St Petersburg, with a printed photo of a submarine stuck on the wall behind them, because apparently it’s too scary to do anything more. You could hardly find a better illustration of the “naval greatness” of modern Russia. Strangely left out of frame are the burning oil refineries and ports, the Black Sea Fleet that has barely dared to stick its nose out to sea for the fourth year running, its flagship lying on the seabed since 2022, and even the fact that internet service was shut down across St Petersburg today just in case Ukrainian drones might frighten the tsar.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

296,313 просмотров • 2 месяцев назад

Just look at this boundless horror. This is only one tiny patch of the frontline, the area of responsibility of the 4th Battalion “The Power of Freedom” of Rubizh. Across the scorched earth and among the ruins lie piles of decomposing bodies of Russian soldiers who, for weeks and months, kept pushing into this place, trying to infiltrate through the Ukrainian defenses, only to fall down here and remain forever among so many others just like them. “The Road of Death,” they call it. On the Ukrainian side, there is the heroic defense of their homeland against an overwhelmingly superior, terrifying, insane force. But on the Russian side, what is there? What for? Why? In the name of what? For money that any able-bodied person with two hands and a conscience could have earned through honest work? So that one dictator, driven out of his mind by limitless power, can go on practically touching himself with pleasure at press conferences while boasting about his imaginary grand victories?

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Just look at this boundless horror. This is only one tiny patch of the frontline, the area of responsibility of the 4th Battalion “The Power of Freedom” of Rubizh. Across the scorched earth and among the ruins lie piles of decomposing bodies of Russian soldiers who, for weeks and months, kept pushing into this place, trying to infiltrate through the Ukrainian defenses, only to fall down here and remain forever among so many others just like them. “The Road of Death,” they call it. On the Ukrainian side, there is the heroic defense of their homeland against an overwhelmingly superior, terrifying, insane force. But on the Russian side, what is there? What for? Why? In the name of what? For money that any able-bodied person with two hands and a conscience could have earned through honest work? So that one dictator, driven out of his mind by limitless power, can go on practically touching himself with pleasure at press conferences while boasting about his imaginary grand victories?

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

160,201 просмотров • 1 месяц назад

The Helmet of Remembrance

The Helmet of Remembrance

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

808,670 просмотров • 8 месяцев назад

In the city of Korosten 🇺🇦 Look at the faces of all those men from this town who went to fight and gave their lives for this country and the entire free world.

In the city of Korosten 🇺🇦 Look at the faces of all those men from this town who went to fight and gave their lives for this country and the entire free world.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

226,426 просмотров • 2 месяцев назад

Vokzalna Street in Bucha as we saw it in the early days of April 2022. The tweet below shows what this very street looks like today 👇

Vokzalna Street in Bucha as we saw it in the early days of April 2022. The tweet below shows what this very street looks like today 👇

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

3,064,343 просмотров • 2 лет назад

Friends, these are especially difficult times for Ukrainian businesses. Today, for example, several Ukrainian publishers and bookstore chains announced that their warehouses had been destroyed by missile strikes from fascist Russia. Unfortunately, among them was my favorite bookstore-cafe in Kyiv, ReadEat. The guys there asked readers on social media today to support them and help their business survive this. So I made a point of coming to their store on Antonovycha Street today, and despite everything, they are still here: a place where you can buy a wonderful Ukrainian book or a vinyl record, and enjoy coffee and desserts in a cozy atmosphere to the sound of a piano. So if you’re in Ukraine, I encourage you to support any Ukrainian bookstore or publisher you can, and help this wonderful culture of bookstore cafes survive, we are so proud of in Kyiv and across our country.

Friends, these are especially difficult times for Ukrainian businesses. Today, for example, several Ukrainian publishers and bookstore chains announced that their warehouses had been destroyed by missile strikes from fascist Russia. Unfortunately, among them was my favorite bookstore-cafe in Kyiv, ReadEat. The guys there asked readers on social media today to support them and help their business survive this. So I made a point of coming to their store on Antonovycha Street today, and despite everything, they are still here: a place where you can buy a wonderful Ukrainian book or a vinyl record, and enjoy coffee and desserts in a cozy atmosphere to the sound of a piano. So if you’re in Ukraine, I encourage you to support any Ukrainian bookstore or publisher you can, and help this wonderful culture of bookstore cafes survive, we are so proud of in Kyiv and across our country.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

148,396 просмотров • 1 месяц назад

Today is the day of remembrance for the tragedy of Babyn Yar in Kyiv. In late September 1941, on the orders of the Nazi occupation authorities, all Jews in Kyiv were ordered to gather in the Lukyanivka area under threat of execution. Within just two days, more than 30,000 of them were brutally shot and thrown into the ravine of Babyn Yar, which was then on the outskirts of the city. Only a handful of survivors managed to escape death through extraordinary circumstances. In total, more than 100,000 people were killed at that terrible site during the war: Jews, Roma, children, prisoners of war, and Ukrainian nationalists. Even after death, the Nazis did not leave their victims in Babyn Yar in peace. As they prepared to retreat from Kyiv, they forced prisoners from the nearby Syrets concentration camp, themselves condemned to death, to exhume and burn the bodies in enormous pyres -- and then face the same fate. Very few managed to break their chains, escape and survive. Take a look at Babyn Yar Memorial Park in Kyiv (video is from September 2024). Life has prevailed there, but memory lives on.

Today is the day of remembrance for the tragedy of Babyn Yar in Kyiv. In late September 1941, on the orders of the Nazi occupation authorities, all Jews in Kyiv were ordered to gather in the Lukyanivka area under threat of execution. Within just two days, more than 30,000 of them were brutally shot and thrown into the ravine of Babyn Yar, which was then on the outskirts of the city. Only a handful of survivors managed to escape death through extraordinary circumstances. In total, more than 100,000 people were killed at that terrible site during the war: Jews, Roma, children, prisoners of war, and Ukrainian nationalists. Even after death, the Nazis did not leave their victims in Babyn Yar in peace. As they prepared to retreat from Kyiv, they forced prisoners from the nearby Syrets concentration camp, themselves condemned to death, to exhume and burn the bodies in enormous pyres -- and then face the same fate. Very few managed to break their chains, escape and survive. Take a look at Babyn Yar Memorial Park in Kyiv (video is from September 2024). Life has prevailed there, but memory lives on.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

50,882 просмотров • 18 дней назад

Meanwhile in Ukraine's Mykolaiv: they are reopening McDonalds. There’s really nothing to laugh about here. For this war-weary city that has spent four years living just 60 km from the front line, under shelling and strikes, a McDonald’s open again is a giant piece of normal life returning to its people. Especially for kids.

Meanwhile in Ukraine's Mykolaiv: they are reopening McDonalds. There’s really nothing to laugh about here. For this war-weary city that has spent four years living just 60 km from the front line, under shelling and strikes, a McDonald’s open again is a giant piece of normal life returning to its people. Especially for kids.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

498,111 просмотров • 6 месяцев назад

WATCH THIS. Just watch this…

WATCH THIS. Just watch this…

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

2,191,623 просмотров • 2 лет назад

The Russian military executed 16 (!!!) surrendered Ukrainian soldiers at sight. This is the worst incident of POW execution known so far in this war. It happened near Pokrovsk. Look at what the Russians did - they lined the surrendered Ukrainians up, shot them all down, and then finished off those dying on the ground. When some sneaky character says 'Ukrainians just need to surrender," -- this is the answer regarding what will happen if Ukraine "just surrenders" to Russia, which is absolutely out of its damn mind and sick with absolute sadism.

The Russian military executed 16 (!!!) surrendered Ukrainian soldiers at sight. This is the worst incident of POW execution known so far in this war. It happened near Pokrovsk. Look at what the Russians did - they lined the surrendered Ukrainians up, shot them all down, and then finished off those dying on the ground. When some sneaky character says 'Ukrainians just need to surrender," -- this is the answer regarding what will happen if Ukraine "just surrenders" to Russia, which is absolutely out of its damn mind and sick with absolute sadism.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦

1,566,406 просмотров • 2 лет назад