The Economist writes about the lessons of the "battle of sanctions" ― the economic dimension of the Russo-Ukrainian war. Since February 24, Western countries and their allies have imposed numerous restrictions on work with thousands of Russian companies and individuals. The short-term goal of the economic blockade was to make it difficult for the Kremlin to finance the war in Ukraine, and the long-term goal was to undermine Russiaʼs production potential and prevent it from invading other countries. In addition, the sanctions were intended to deter other potential invaders around the world. The West has previously applied economic pressure, for example to isolate Iran and Venezuela and to destroy the Chinese government-linked electronics maker Huawei. However, the Russian embargo, the publication writes, has taken this tool to a new level. In the perspective of the next 3-5 years, the sanctions will cause chaos in the Russian Federation: the clan economy will strengthen, and even more educated people will leave the country. In the short term, unfortunately, the expected "knockout" did not happen, the article says, and this year Russiaʼs GDP will decrease by only 6% instead of the previously predicted 15%. Instead, an energy crisis in Europe due to a reduction in Russian natural gas supplies could cause a recession. Therefore, sanctions have their limitations, so the main lesson of the Russian-Ukrainian war, writes The Economist, is that brute force is the main factor of influence, and sanctions are only an auxiliary tool.
The New York Times writes about the role of Ukrainian women in the war. Despite Soviet stereotypes, Ukrainian women became a significant force in the war with the Russian Federation, the article says. More and more women are becoming leaders both on the battlefield and in volunteering and civilian life. As an example of one such woman, the publication tells the story of Hanna, originally from Mariupol, who joined the Swiss demining fund two years ago. Hanna now works in cities where the Russian occupiers visited to protect the local population from landmines. NYT also writes about other Ukrainian women - volunteers, military and businesswomen who changed their lives after February 24. According to Ukrainian sociologist Anna Kvit, the role of women has become more visible since the beginning of the full-scale war, although there is still an opinion in society that the army is not a place for women. According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, more than 50,000 women currently serve in the Armed Forces. Unfortunately, says gender and conflict expert Jenny Mathers, women do a lot of the invisible work, even though their role is often prominent. In addition, there is a risk that after the end of the war, entrenched stereotypes may become an obstacle to the recognition and progress of women in Ukraine, the article says.
Military correspondent Anna Nemtsova writes about captured Ukrainian doctors in Olenivka in an article on The Atlantic. Nemtsova spoke with several relatives of captured medics who are seeking the release of their loved ones. One of the prisoners, Ivan Demkiv, a senior surgeon at the military hospital in Mariupol, remained in the city until the end to save the wounded, until he himself was captured along with a group of 78 medics. In mid-April, they were captured, Demkiv and 25 of his colleagues were sent to correctional colony No. 120 in Olenivka, the whereabouts of the rest is unknown. Demkivʼs wife Anna starts every morning with news about Olenivka, and when an explosion occurred in the colony, she experienced incredible horror. Kostyantyn Velychko, a volunteer who was a prisoner there until recently, told the correspondent about the conditions of detention in the colony. He remembers almost 100 days of Olenivka as a nightmare, and calls the jailers crazy. For example, Velichko was all the time together with 50 prisoners in a six-person cell. Relatives of the imprisoned medics have found ways to occasionally contact the captives, who are convinced that they are still alive thanks to the attention of the press and the international community. Relatives of prisoners also rely on this, and they are doing everything possible to free the medics.