KSE Institute: Russia’s oil revenues grew again in July 2025, reaching $14.3B, up $0.9B from June. Higher global prices and one extra day in July drove the gain. Crude brought $8.94B, oil products $5.39B. 1/

Putin cannot let Ukraine become rich WSJ: Since 1990, ex-Soviet EU states grew GDP 10x. Russia only 4x. If Ukraine joins the EU and grows, Russians will see that a nation with the same Soviet past thrived without Moscow — and that their own stagnation comes from the Kremlin. 1/

That’s horrible to death. Two 13-year-old brothers weighing only 8.5 kg each were found bedridden in frontline Pokrovsk. They survived over a year under the care of their 10-year-old brother, Platón, after their grandmother's death, Ukrainska Pravda reports. 1/

Ukraine is destroying Russian radars in Crimea, allowing Bayraktar drones to resume attacks on Russians. Bayraktar drones, previously limited by Russian anti-air, are now operating freely and have already caused casualties and equipment losses for Russia, — EuroMaidan Press. 1/

The prime minister of Ukraine in the government building today. This is one floor above her office. Today was the largest attack by Russia since …. ever: 800 drones, over a dozen missiles. Kyiv is burning.

I knew Daria. Students like her are the reason I came back to Ukraine, the reason I am building a university. She embodied the Ukraine I imagine — because Ukraine is its people. People like Daria. 1/

Gen.Ukrainian saves children who saw their parents killed. WP: At camp for war-traumatized children. Elvira, 11, and Kyrylo, 12, who lost their parents, fell in love. On the 4th day, Elvira asked, “Do you want to date?” — and they agreed. Next time, Kyrylo kissed her on the cheek. 1/

It is so painful to read this. About 6,000 bodies of Ukrainians that Russia has returned. It feels like hell from the times of Stalin and Hitler. I am grateful to our pathologists who do this work and give families and loved ones the final information about who was killed. 1/

Russians has repeatedly tried to kill Serhii Sternenko, one of key non-state FPV drone supplier to the Ukrainian army - The Times. At 30, the Odesa-born lawyer, activist, and YouTuber has raised nearly ₴5bn ($125m), supplying over 216,000 drones. 1/

Giorgia Meloni proposes a NATO-light guarantee for Ukraine. If Russia attacks again, allies must decide within 24 hours on military and economic aid, reports Bloomberg. Modeled on NATO’s Article 5, but without membership, using Italy’s 2024 security pact with Kyiv as blueprint. 1/

Kyiv School of Economics is now the #1 university in Ukraine by standardized applicant scores for state-funded students. Average score at KSE in 2025: 184.1/200 (source: deputy minister Mykhailo Vynnytskyi). 1/

Happy Ukraine Flag Day. Proud to be a Ukrainian!

INSANE! The Telegraph: Trump will offer Putin access to rare earth minerals in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories to reach ceasefire. US is also opening Alaska's natural resources to Russia and lifting aviation industry sanctions. 1/

Operation “Spider Web” [took down 34% of Russian strategic aviation] started one month late because the recruited Russian drivers got drunk during Easter, May holidays, and May 9th –– Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Malyuk. We couldn't reach anyone. All unavailable. 1/

A sanctioned Russian bomb factory got Siemens automation gear through a middleman in China, bypassing US/EU export bans. The Chinese supplier says Siemens “doesn’t ask who the end user is,” reports Reuters. 1/

WSJ: Ukraine and Europe put forward a counterproposal to Putin’s cease-fire proposal before Trump-Putin summit in Alaska on Aug. 15. 1. Cease-fire first. 2. Reciprocal territorial exchange. 3. Ironclad security guarantees for Ukraine, including potential NATO membership. 1/

Applebaum: Trump admires unchecked power — no courts, no journalists. He’s likely drawn to Russia and personally impressed by Putin. As a trained KGB officer, Putin would know how to exploit weaknesses. Trump believes Putin is his friend. 1/

All signs show that the U.S. will continue military support to Ukraine. In the past 24 hours, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of 4 military aid packages to Ukraine worth $652 million. It’s a positive step forward. 1/

Russia is losing control over post-Soviet states. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan sign deals, push out Russian troops, and cut Moscow from talks, while Putin pulls forces to fight in Ukraine, Jeffrey Mankoff for Foreign Affairs. 1/

Russians abducted Yuliya Koveshnikova (53) from her home in Melitopol. The Insider: They put a bag over her head, threw her into a flooded pit - no light, no toilet, and beat her for speaking Ukrainian. Then moved her to a basement. “I heard people tortured to death,” she said. 1/

Melania Trump’s sharp answer “Really? Another city was just hit” helped shift Trump’s stance on Putin. Behind the scenes, GOP hawks like Kellogg and Rubio had worked for months to steer Trump tougher. Melania’s timing sealed the pivot, says The Telegraph. 1/

Meet the new prime minister of Ukraine - Yulia Svyrydenko! This is fantastic news for Ukraine and everyone who supports Ukraine!

At the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, KSE unveiled a $40M plan to invest in Ukraine’s human capital. The centerpiece: a new campus in Kyiv, hub for academic programs, applied research, workforce training, and business partnerships. A bet on people, not just buildings. 1/

CBS: Trump is considering confiscating $5B from frozen Russian assets to transfer to Ukraine. Trump also has $3.85 billion left over from the Biden administration, which he can allocate to military aid for Ukraine. 1/

I survived the attack on Kyiv. Ukraine will stand, but people will die. Patriot missiles shipment halt, which were in Poland, adds to aggravation. Trump and Putin made no progress is also upsetting. It's a difficult time. I gave interview to CNN. 1/

Russia will attack Estonia next. Estonia is preparing for war. The Economist: Estonia builds a new NATO base with US HIMARS. The army doubles its forces on the Russian border and 4,000 civilians are ready to join. Military spending hits 5.4% of GDP — highest in NATO. 1/

This is the new campus of the Kyiv School of Economics. It will host engineering, math, computer science programs. We are building a world class university to make Ukraine European and prosperous. But we also focus on engineering so that Ukraine can defend itself.

Russia tried to kill Christo Grozev. The NYT: Kremlin-backed spy cell tracked him for 2 years across Europe. Six agents are now jailed. The man who led them - Wirecard fugitive Jan Marsalek. 1/

A must-read HBR article about AI benefiting employees: - Junior coders benefited most, relying on AI, which allows smaller groups and increases independence; - Middle management, instead of mentoring, focuses on execution; - Top shift time from routine tasks to strategic work. 1/

Tonight, Russia hit a residential building: 14 people were killed, 99 injured. Kyiv was the main target. Russia launched 472 drones and missiles at Ukraine. Ukrainian air defences shot down 428 — 91%. 1/

United 24: Ukraine’s new ballistic missile with a 400kg warhead hits a Russian command post, entering production with better precision than US-made missile ATACMS. [Photo is illustrative image. Hrim-2 tactical missile mockup at the military exhibition.] 1/

We offer $500/month to every olympiad winner who studies at the Kyiv School of Economics. Polish schools offer €400 and lure our best students — even with third-tier programs. We offer more. We care more. 1/

Trump: Ukraine and russia are “two kids fighting”. They have to fight a bit before they are ready to stop. I have always liked Elon. I’d rather he criticizes me than the bill. Elon said wonderful things: “Trump was right about everything”. We welcome foreign students 0/

Zelensky: Ukrainian operations inside Russia help change the narrative in the U.S. - talks that Ukraine is losing the war and has no cards. Political mood in Washington has clearly shifted. 1/

Russia Ukraine Ceasefire is the light at the end of the tunnel — and that light is an oncoming train. Zelensky sees concessions as the first step toward losing the entire country. Putin doesn’t want peace — he wants erasure of Ukraine. Kuleba writes in Foreign Affairs. 1/

Russian media describe the logistics of the Ukrainian operation: Investigators questioned the truck drivers whose vehicles were used to launch drones A 55-year-old from Chelyabinsk named Alexander Z.—said the truck belonged to a 37-year-old man named Artyom 1/

Zelensky [to Putin]: Start with a ceasefire, prisoner swap, return of abducted children. Leaders[Zelensky, Putin] can resolve key issues directly. If Russia blocks this and Istanbul fails, the EU must pass its 18th sanctions—and the U.S. must deliver Trump’s promised sanctions. 1/

Russia’s newly created gulag system for Ukrainian children. A Canadian-funded Hala Systems [tech] company has mapped 136 Russian camps holding abducted Ukrainian children [gulags]. Some are over 3,000 km from Ukraine — in Siberia, says The Globe and Mail. 1/

Zelensky says Putin pisses off the White House more than him Also, Zelensky: Putin fears drones, Russia blocks POW exchanges, and there are 50,000 Russian troops near Sumy, for a new buffer offensive, Ukrinform reports. 1/

Ukraine needs its own air defense missiles production. The Economist: Russia is going to scale up its drone capacity - from 300 a month to 500 a day. Intelligence warns that waves of 1,000 Shahed drones in a single attack could soon become reality. 1/

Russia has outpaced Ukraine in drone tech for the first time since 2022. WP: In Kursk, fiber-optic drones gave Moscow a brutal edge — cutting off Ukrainian supply lines and forcing a retreat. 1/

Nobody in Ukraine expects peace in 24 hours or 100 days. We have adapted to life next to Russia. We don’t believe in “memorandums”. We prepare, survive, and fight. Anne Applebaumʼs fantastic dispatch from Lviv. 1/

Ukraine needs skilled professionals — now more than ever. Even top universities are stepping in to fill the gap. At Kyiv School of Economics, we’ve launched a new track: KSE Proftech. Last week, we opened hands-on CNC operator training. 1/

NYT writer a fantastic profile about the only female combat pilot in Ukraine! Senior Lt. Kateryna is flying Mi-8 helicopter missions against Russian troops since 2023, with more than 30 combat missions completed. 1/

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Brink on Face the Nation: I resigned from Ukraine, because the policy of the Trump administration is to put pressure on the victim – Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor – Russia. 1/

Romania voted. Pro-European forces won. Nicușor Dan — 54.3%. Simion — 45.7%. Anti-EU, anti-Ukraine, pro-Russia. Putin’s worldview lost. It will keep losing. Trust this. Work for it.

The U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Brinks, who just resigned, goes nuclear on President Trump Brinks: I was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. I resigned because of Trump's foreign policy: to put pressure on the victim, Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor, Russia. 1/

Vyshyvanka Day at our KSE Univeristy in Kyiv 1/

I want to bring collegiate rowing to Ukraine through KSE University in our new campus on the Dnipro river. It’s an exotic sport for Ukraine. But I saw Georgetown students practicing rowing amidst heavy rains this Wednesday and it reminded me why I want it in Ukraine: a synchronized team 1/

Lavrov fails to explain why Russians are no show in Turkey. He offers nothing but slurs and lies. Lavrov: Zelensky demanded Putin show up—pathetic man [That was Trump’s demand, not Zelensky’s]. Then his handlers told him to stop [They’re not handlers; recall the Oval Office]. 1/