What's the Truth About Hunter Biden, Burisma, Ukraine, Russia?
Plus: The Poetry of the Wounded
Burisma is Not a Ukrainian Company.
American right-wing criticism of Ukraine hinges upon one false notion: that Burisma, which employed Hunter Biden, is a Ukrainian energy company.
No, Burisma is not a Ukrainian firm. Burisma is led by Mykola Zlochevsky, a friend of Putin who fled Ukraine when the Ukrainian people took to the streets in 2014 demanding democracy. Since then, Burisma has been run from Moscow.
Oh and by the way, Burisma, which has major gas fields in Crimea, benefited from Putin taking Crimea. Two months later, after Washington, London, Brussels, and Berlin did nothing to stop Putin, Burisma hired Hunter Biden.
There is more to this story of course. But as the starting point we need to correct this record.
Joe Lindsley, American in Ukraine since the pandemic, reports on the war with Polish newsman Michał Rachon on the Warsaw-based TVP channel:
Daily War Stories, 4 January: The Poetry of the Wounded
As motorcades of ambulances bring wounded soldiers, civilians, and children from the hospital train to Lviv hospitals, American Joe Lindsley shares the words of a wounded Ukrainian warrior:
”I don't have the ability to change the world with good words.Because what is happening around brings only pain, wounds and death.
But pain makes us human and reminds us what life is all about.”
Plus: Why has cotton become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance and hope? The Russian language uses the same word for “clap” or “loud sound” and cotton. When there are mysterious explosions at military bases in Russia, Russia media simply says there was a “clap.” Cheekily, Ukrainians have now added cotton to their Christmas displays as a sign of hope that there might be more such claps in Russia soon.
Here’s WGN Radio’s daily Ukraine report with host Bob Sirott in Chicago and Joe Lindsley reporting from Ukraine:
“Bakhmut actually is live doorstep to hell.”
These videos show the small Ukrainian city of Bakhmut last week. Ukrainian soldiers hold the city and the remaining civilians spend most of their time underground, while the Russian orcs, unable to take the city, continue to bombard it, for month after month—yes, daily and nightly for months—from their nearby positions.
Thanks to our brave Polish colleague Witold Newelicz for facing fear and traveling to what he called the “live doorstep to hell.
Daily Situation Report: Heavy fighting in Soledar-Bakhmut section, the situation in Orikhiv
by Pavlo Vitenko, Ukrainian Freedom News
Summary by regions
LUHANSK REGION
Enemy attacks were repulsed near Stelmakhivka and Belogorivka. On the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, Makiivka, Ploshanka and Dibrova came under fire from the Russians. The situation in the region remains difficult.
DONETSK REGION
At night, there were three rocket strikes on Kostyantynivka. The warehouses of the enterprise, the sports field and the school yard were damaged. In the morning, combat operations intensified on the front line in the Ocheretyn community, shelling of the village of Vesele continued.
During the day, Kurakhove and Hirnyk were shelled. There was a direct hit to a five-story residential building in Kurakhove, 5 more high-rise buildings were partially damaged. The Karlivka filter station is de-energized.
During the night, the positions and surroundings of the Toretsk community were shelled with heavy weapons and small arms. …
Continued here.
The power of Ukrainian holiday rituals: How they celebrate Christmas
“I just returned from three months in Ukraine. Not my first time there, and certainly not my last; a powerful experience for me personally, but I must say that JOE’s REPORTING, HIS INSIGHTS, and, OBVIOUSLY, HIS HEART, ARE SPOT-ON.” —Jim, a Telegram follower of Ukrainian Freedom News
“Joseph Lindsley’s reports are enlightening, frightening, heart-wrenchingly and
poetically descriptive.” —a listener to the daily Ukraine report on Chicago’s WGN Radio
Please forward to friends who might be interested in daily stories from life in wartime Ukraine. We welcome your financial support via Paypal (to sustain our operations) or U.S. tax-deductible donations (for supply-delivery and reporting missions) through our friends at Ukrainian Freedom Fund.
ABOUT US: Ukrainian Freedom News: The wild story—so far—of free people standing for democracy, faith, dignity
"Joseph Lindsley's reports are enlightening, frightening, heart-wrenchingly and poetically descriptive." —a regular listener to the daily report from Ukraine on Chicago's WGN Radio with Bob Sirott
American journalist Joe Lindsley, in Ukraine since 2020, leads the Ukrainian Freedom News team of Ukrainians and foreigners on a mission to share real talk and real life in war-time with the world. Every weekday since late February 2022, he has reported live from Ukraine on Chicago’s WGN Radio with host Bob Sirott. You can listen to all episodes at UkrainianFreedomNews.com or via our YouTube channel.
Spread the word and join us in sharing the reality of democracy and culture in Ukraine, which Russia is seeking to destroy.
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UKRAINIAN FREEDOM NEWS
Truth to the World | Supplies to Ukraine
Joe Lindsley, Editor-in-chief
Pavlo Vitenko, Chief Reporter
Anton Hutyriak, Associate Editor
Jean-Baptiste Besson, Hot-Spot Editor
Beata Szrom, Operations Director