Karolina Hird
@karolinahird.bsky.social
Currently studying war @thestudyofwar.bsky.social. Focusing on Russia’s occupation of Ukraine and all things human rights in TOT. Opinions mine, although I’m “not an expert or analyst” according to the Kremlin, so be warned!!
Pinned
Karolina Hird
@karolinahird.bsky.social
· Mar 24
My latest for @thestudyofwar.bsky.social is out today, examining Russia's continued efforts to deport Ukrainian children. Especially salient given this new UN OHCHR report detailing the impacts of over 3 years of war and occupation on the lives of Ukrainian children.
www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul...
www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Karolina Hird
NEW: Russia is training Ukrainian children to become drone operators for future service in the Russian military or employment in the Russian defense industrial base.
Read more in the July 3 Russian Occupation Update from @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Read more in the July 3 Russian Occupation Update from @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
July 3, 2025 at 3:31 PM
NEW: Russia is training Ukrainian children to become drone operators for future service in the Russian military or employment in the Russian defense industrial base.
Read more in the July 3 Russian Occupation Update from @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Read more in the July 3 Russian Occupation Update from @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
1/ Russia is effectively banning Ukrainian-language education in schools in occupied Ukraine starting September 1. Here's a quick🧵 on how Russia uses constraints on Ukrainian language access as a tool of coercive control in occupied Ukraine.
June 26, 2025 at 4:00 PM
1/ Russia is effectively banning Ukrainian-language education in schools in occupied Ukraine starting September 1. Here's a quick🧵 on how Russia uses constraints on Ukrainian language access as a tool of coercive control in occupied Ukraine.
Reposted by Karolina Hird
“When Russia says they’re ‘deporting’ someone, they’re not deporting them back to Ukraine.”
My story on how Putin’s latest attempt to force Russian passports on Ukrainians paves the way for more war crimes in the occupied territories. meduza.io/en/feature/2... @meduza.io
My story on how Putin’s latest attempt to force Russian passports on Ukrainians paves the way for more war crimes in the occupied territories. meduza.io/en/feature/2... @meduza.io
‘A false semblance of choice’ Putin’s latest passportization deadline dials up the pressure on civilians in Ukraine’s occupied territories — Meduza
Ukrainians living under occupation have long faced pressure to assume Russian citizenship. But in March, Vladimir Putin turned things up a notch. In a decree aimed at boosting the Kremlin’s campaign t...
meduza.io
June 19, 2025 at 7:35 PM
“When Russia says they’re ‘deporting’ someone, they’re not deporting them back to Ukraine.”
My story on how Putin’s latest attempt to force Russian passports on Ukrainians paves the way for more war crimes in the occupied territories. meduza.io/en/feature/2... @meduza.io
My story on how Putin’s latest attempt to force Russian passports on Ukrainians paves the way for more war crimes in the occupied territories. meduza.io/en/feature/2... @meduza.io
Reposted by Karolina Hird
Occupation authorities plan to build and repair over 600 miles of roads in Crimea — a project experts and Ukrainian officials say is meant to bolster military logistics and facilitate the illegal extraction of resources from occupied territory.
meduza.io/en/feature/2...
meduza.io/en/feature/2...
‘Neocolonial piracy’ In occupied Crimea, Russia is building roads to move weapons and stolen resources — Meduza
Over the next five years, the Russian authorities plan to build and repair more than 600 miles of roads in annexed Crimea. But it’s unlikely the goal is simply to improve life for locals. Experts and…
meduza.io
June 16, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Occupation authorities plan to build and repair over 600 miles of roads in Crimea — a project experts and Ukrainian officials say is meant to bolster military logistics and facilitate the illegal extraction of resources from occupied territory.
meduza.io/en/feature/2...
meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Reposted by Karolina Hird
NEW: Kremlin-appointed Russian Commissioner on Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova tacitly acknowledged that Russia has illegally deported Ukrainian children. Lvova-Belova’s statements further confirm the illegality of Russia’s behavior vis-à-vis Ukrainian children. isw.pub/OccupationUpdate060925
June 10, 2025 at 2:35 PM
NEW: Kremlin-appointed Russian Commissioner on Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova tacitly acknowledged that Russia has illegally deported Ukrainian children. Lvova-Belova’s statements further confirm the illegality of Russia’s behavior vis-à-vis Ukrainian children. isw.pub/OccupationUpdate060925
Lots of infrastructure developments in today’s Occupation Update.
Russian infrastructure projects in TOT serve as powerful indicators of Russia’s plans to physically integrate Ukrainian assets into Russia, generating economic benefits for the Russian state + complicating reintegration efforts.
Russian infrastructure projects in TOT serve as powerful indicators of Russia’s plans to physically integrate Ukrainian assets into Russia, generating economic benefits for the Russian state + complicating reintegration efforts.
3/ Russia is taking steps to further consolidate its control over the energy grid in occupied Ukraine, supporting Russian efforts to integrate the energy system in occupied Ukraine with the Russian energy system.
Read more from ISW's @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Read more from ISW's @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Institute for the Study of War
Russian occupation officials continue to articulate plans for the forced removal and deportation of Ukrainian children over the course of Summer 2025.
isw.pub
June 4, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Lots of infrastructure developments in today’s Occupation Update.
Russian infrastructure projects in TOT serve as powerful indicators of Russia’s plans to physically integrate Ukrainian assets into Russia, generating economic benefits for the Russian state + complicating reintegration efforts.
Russian infrastructure projects in TOT serve as powerful indicators of Russia’s plans to physically integrate Ukrainian assets into Russia, generating economic benefits for the Russian state + complicating reintegration efforts.
Reposted by Karolina Hird
Russian armed forces have committed crimes against humanity by deliberately targeting civilians with drones in Ukraine's Kherson Oblast, according to a new report by the United Nation's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.
UN commission says Russian drone attacks against Kherson amount to crimes against humanity
From July 2024, nearly 150 civilians have been killed and hundreds more wounded in drone strikes on Kherson city and 16 surrounding localities, according to the United Nation's Independent Internation...
kyivindependent.com
May 28, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Russian armed forces have committed crimes against humanity by deliberately targeting civilians with drones in Ukraine's Kherson Oblast, according to a new report by the United Nation's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.
Reposted by Karolina Hird
“There’s a very clear and concerted effort to deport Ukrainian children and adopt them into Russian families and erase their Ukrainian identities."
ISW's @karolinahird.bsky.social speaks with @thetimes.com about Russian efforts to destroy Ukrainian identity:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mIZ...
ISW's @karolinahird.bsky.social speaks with @thetimes.com about Russian efforts to destroy Ukrainian identity:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mIZ...
Putin's Plan To Destroy Ukraine's Identity I Times Explains
YouTube video by Times Originals
www.youtube.com
May 16, 2025 at 4:25 PM
“There’s a very clear and concerted effort to deport Ukrainian children and adopt them into Russian families and erase their Ukrainian identities."
ISW's @karolinahird.bsky.social speaks with @thetimes.com about Russian efforts to destroy Ukrainian identity:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mIZ...
ISW's @karolinahird.bsky.social speaks with @thetimes.com about Russian efforts to destroy Ukrainian identity:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mIZ...
Reposted by Karolina Hird
NEW: An international coalition comprised of Ukraine and its partners agreed to establish a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute the Russian crimes of aggression against Ukraine. (🧵1/3)
Read more in the latest Russian Occupation Update: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Read more in the latest Russian Occupation Update: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
May 12, 2025 at 6:26 PM
NEW: An international coalition comprised of Ukraine and its partners agreed to establish a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute the Russian crimes of aggression against Ukraine. (🧵1/3)
Read more in the latest Russian Occupation Update: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Read more in the latest Russian Occupation Update: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Awesome to see @www.csce.gov calling out Russia's widescale deportation of Ukrainian children.
We over at @thestudyofwar.bsky.social have been doing our best to keep this in the public eye, so please check out more of our work on the ISW website:
www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
We over at @thestudyofwar.bsky.social have been doing our best to keep this in the public eye, so please check out more of our work on the ISW website:
www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
May 9, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Awesome to see @www.csce.gov calling out Russia's widescale deportation of Ukrainian children.
We over at @thestudyofwar.bsky.social have been doing our best to keep this in the public eye, so please check out more of our work on the ISW website:
www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
We over at @thestudyofwar.bsky.social have been doing our best to keep this in the public eye, so please check out more of our work on the ISW website:
www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
Reposted by Karolina Hird
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has identified over 19,500 children who have been forcibly deported to Russia, Belarus, or occupied territories, where they are subjected to intense propaganda designed to erase their Ukrainian identity.
As Russia trains abducted children for war, Ukraine fights uphill battle to bring them home
Around the world, abducting a child is a serious crime punishable by years behind bars.
But when the kidnapper is Russia, justice remains a distant hope. So does the child’s return home.
Since the s...
kyivindependent.com
May 8, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has identified over 19,500 children who have been forcibly deported to Russia, Belarus, or occupied territories, where they are subjected to intense propaganda designed to erase their Ukrainian identity.
Reposted by Karolina Hird
NEW: A source at State shared with me a memo from the DoD Joint Staff dated 4/15 confirming that the combatant commands support the Women, Peace, and Security program and collectively recommended to continue its implementation, contrary to Sec Hegseth claim that "troops HATE it"
April 30, 2025 at 5:47 PM
NEW: A source at State shared with me a memo from the DoD Joint Staff dated 4/15 confirming that the combatant commands support the Women, Peace, and Security program and collectively recommended to continue its implementation, contrary to Sec Hegseth claim that "troops HATE it"
Reposted by Karolina Hird
NEW: Russia is once again preparing to escalate the forced removal and deportation of Ukrainian children during the upcoming summer months. (1/3)
Russian Occupation Update, April 28, 2025: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Russian Occupation Update, April 28, 2025: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
April 29, 2025 at 2:45 PM
NEW: Russia is once again preparing to escalate the forced removal and deportation of Ukrainian children during the upcoming summer months. (1/3)
Russian Occupation Update, April 28, 2025: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Russian Occupation Update, April 28, 2025: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
This absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, become normalized. This is the reality of Russia's occupation of Ukraine- don't ever look away.
Before the Russian authorities returned the body of 27-year-old Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna to Ukraine last week, several organs, including her eyes and brain, had been removed, according to a new investigation.
meduza.io/en/feature/2...
meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Body of Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity repatriated with organs removed and other signs of torture — Meduza
Before Russian authorities returned the body of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna to Ukraine last week, several organs, including her eyes and brain, had been removed, according to a new joint…
meduza.io
April 29, 2025 at 1:21 PM
This absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, become normalized. This is the reality of Russia's occupation of Ukraine- don't ever look away.
Reposted by Karolina Hird
3/ Russia is actively recruiting teachers from throughout the Russian Federation to teach in occupied Luhansk Oblast as part of the “Zemskyi Uchitel” (“Rural Teacher”) program.
Read more from @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Read more from @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Institute for the Study of War
Russia is extracting economic benefits from occupied Ukraine by exploiting Ukrainian infrastructure and logistics networks. The Russian Federal Agency for Railway Transport (Roszheldor) announced on A...
isw.pub
April 24, 2025 at 3:09 PM
3/ Russia is actively recruiting teachers from throughout the Russian Federation to teach in occupied Luhansk Oblast as part of the “Zemskyi Uchitel” (“Rural Teacher”) program.
Read more from @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Read more from @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Reposted by Karolina Hird
Please, Do Not Betray My Crimea | "Crimea is not just a lump of land, it is the home to many hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians. In exile or under occupation, it is a part of our soul." Elina Beketova
Please, Do Not Betray My Crimea
Crimea is not just a lump of land, it is the home to many hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians under occupation.
cepa.org
April 23, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Please, Do Not Betray My Crimea | "Crimea is not just a lump of land, it is the home to many hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians. In exile or under occupation, it is a part of our soul." Elina Beketova
Just a friendly reminder that 1) Crimea is Ukraine, and 2) the millions of people living under Russian rule in Crimea will basically be condemned to suffer indefinitely if Russia gets a carte blanche on its occupation from the US administration.
And there it is. Trump comes out in favor of codifying Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and blames Zelenskyy for Putin’s aggression.
April 23, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Just a friendly reminder that 1) Crimea is Ukraine, and 2) the millions of people living under Russian rule in Crimea will basically be condemned to suffer indefinitely if Russia gets a carte blanche on its occupation from the US administration.
Reposted by Karolina Hird
Dear Steve Witkoff:
An elementary lesson on Ukrainian demographics.
The fact that someone, or the majority of people in a region, speaks the Russian language natively doesn’t mean they want to be part of Russia.
It doesn’t mean they are not bombed by Russia.
An elementary lesson on Ukrainian demographics.
The fact that someone, or the majority of people in a region, speaks the Russian language natively doesn’t mean they want to be part of Russia.
It doesn’t mean they are not bombed by Russia.
April 18, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Dear Steve Witkoff:
An elementary lesson on Ukrainian demographics.
The fact that someone, or the majority of people in a region, speaks the Russian language natively doesn’t mean they want to be part of Russia.
It doesn’t mean they are not bombed by Russia.
An elementary lesson on Ukrainian demographics.
The fact that someone, or the majority of people in a region, speaks the Russian language natively doesn’t mean they want to be part of Russia.
It doesn’t mean they are not bombed by Russia.
Reposted by Karolina Hird
NEW | The Rapid Support Forces has committed war crimes as it has intensified efforts to consolidate control over western Sudan.
RSF atrocities include attacks on the Zamzam refugee camp and are possibly constituent acts of ethnic cleansing or genocide. www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/afr...
RSF atrocities include attacks on the Zamzam refugee camp and are possibly constituent acts of ethnic cleansing or genocide. www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/afr...
April 17, 2025 at 6:06 PM
NEW | The Rapid Support Forces has committed war crimes as it has intensified efforts to consolidate control over western Sudan.
RSF atrocities include attacks on the Zamzam refugee camp and are possibly constituent acts of ethnic cleansing or genocide. www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/afr...
RSF atrocities include attacks on the Zamzam refugee camp and are possibly constituent acts of ethnic cleansing or genocide. www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/afr...
1/ Today's occupation update focuses heavily on Russia's efforts to deport Ukrainian children and teens to Russia and expose them to Russification programs. I discuss how programs such as "University Shifts" and "Cultural Map 4+85" are just a small part of a much larger ecosystem ⬇️
NEW: Russian officials continue to advertise programs that deport and Russify Ukrainian children and teenagers.
Read more in the April 17 Russian Occupation Update from @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
Read more in the April 17 Russian Occupation Update from @karolinahird.bsky.social: isw.pub/OccupationUp...
April 17, 2025 at 3:02 PM
1/ Today's occupation update focuses heavily on Russia's efforts to deport Ukrainian children and teens to Russia and expose them to Russification programs. I discuss how programs such as "University Shifts" and "Cultural Map 4+85" are just a small part of a much larger ecosystem ⬇️
Reposted by Karolina Hird
⚡️US shuts down office combating Russian disinformation, Rubio says.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on April 16 the closure of the State Department’s office responsible for countering foreign disinformation, citing concerns about free speech and the rights of American citizens.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on April 16 the closure of the State Department’s office responsible for countering foreign disinformation, citing concerns about free speech and the rights of American citizens.
US shuts down office combating Russian disinformation, Rubio says
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on April 16 the closure of the State Department’s office responsible for countering foreign disinformation, citing concerns about free speech and the rights of...
kyivindependent.com
April 16, 2025 at 7:17 PM
⚡️US shuts down office combating Russian disinformation, Rubio says.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on April 16 the closure of the State Department’s office responsible for countering foreign disinformation, citing concerns about free speech and the rights of American citizens.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on April 16 the closure of the State Department’s office responsible for countering foreign disinformation, citing concerns about free speech and the rights of American citizens.
Reposted by Karolina Hird
NEW | External meddling in Sudan shows no signs of stopping amid the country’s now two-year civil war.
US partners such as the UAE, as well as US adversaries such as Iran and Russia, threaten US interests in the Red Sea by fueling the war. (1/6)
US partners such as the UAE, as well as US adversaries such as Iran and Russia, threaten US interests in the Red Sea by fueling the war. (1/6)
April 15, 2025 at 3:40 PM
NEW | External meddling in Sudan shows no signs of stopping amid the country’s now two-year civil war.
US partners such as the UAE, as well as US adversaries such as Iran and Russia, threaten US interests in the Red Sea by fueling the war. (1/6)
US partners such as the UAE, as well as US adversaries such as Iran and Russia, threaten US interests in the Red Sea by fueling the war. (1/6)
Reposted by Karolina Hird
"the president defied a Supreme Court ruling to return a man mistakenly sent to a gulag... and spoke of sending Americans to foreign concentration camps.
This is the beginning of an American policy of state terror, and it has to be identified as such to be stopped"
snyder.substack.com/p/state-terror
This is the beginning of an American policy of state terror, and it has to be identified as such to be stopped"
snyder.substack.com/p/state-terror
State Terror
A brief guide for Americans
snyder.substack.com
April 15, 2025 at 3:02 PM
"the president defied a Supreme Court ruling to return a man mistakenly sent to a gulag... and spoke of sending Americans to foreign concentration camps.
This is the beginning of an American policy of state terror, and it has to be identified as such to be stopped"
snyder.substack.com/p/state-terror
This is the beginning of an American policy of state terror, and it has to be identified as such to be stopped"
snyder.substack.com/p/state-terror
Reposted by Karolina Hird
NEW: Russian Occupation Update, April 8, 2025
The Kremlin is using the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to consolidate social control over occupied areas of Ukraine and destroy any semblance of religious freedom. isw.pub/RussianOccup...
MORE 🔽🧵(1/3)
The Kremlin is using the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to consolidate social control over occupied areas of Ukraine and destroy any semblance of religious freedom. isw.pub/RussianOccup...
MORE 🔽🧵(1/3)
April 8, 2025 at 3:02 PM
NEW: Russian Occupation Update, April 8, 2025
The Kremlin is using the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to consolidate social control over occupied areas of Ukraine and destroy any semblance of religious freedom. isw.pub/RussianOccup...
MORE 🔽🧵(1/3)
The Kremlin is using the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to consolidate social control over occupied areas of Ukraine and destroy any semblance of religious freedom. isw.pub/RussianOccup...
MORE 🔽🧵(1/3)
Reposted by Karolina Hird
MORE: The rate of Russian advances in Ukraine has been steadily declining since November 2024, in part due to successful Ukrainian counterattacks in eastern Ukraine. (🧵1/7)
Full report: isw.pub/UkrWar040625
Full report: isw.pub/UkrWar040625
April 6, 2025 at 11:31 PM
MORE: The rate of Russian advances in Ukraine has been steadily declining since November 2024, in part due to successful Ukrainian counterattacks in eastern Ukraine. (🧵1/7)
Full report: isw.pub/UkrWar040625
Full report: isw.pub/UkrWar040625