Ukrainian Journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk on Russia's Invasion

The Delegates Lounge

Nataliya Gumenyuk takes us behind the headlines to reveal the stark reality of Ukraine's resistance to Russian aggression. Having embedded with drone operators near the frontlines, she offers rare insight into evolving military tactics. "Before, drones were supplementary," she says, "but now they're used instead of artillery."

A Ukrainian journalist based in Kyiv, she describes The Reckoning Project, which collects testimonies that may serve as journalistic material or evidence for future prosecutions. This work inspired “The Reckoning,” a recent limited-run theatrical production at the Arcola theater in London, produced in cooperation with Dash Arts.

When discussing her colleague Victoria Roshchyna — who died in Russian captivity, and whose mutilated body was ultimately returned to Ukraine — Nataliya asks what more could be done for those still held by Russia. Reporters Without Borders has profiled 29. The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine says the figure is at least 30, while Nataliya puts it at 35.
As our interview concludes, an air raid alert sounds on Nataliya's phone — a striking reminder that for Ukrainians, the war is everpresent.

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. Subscribe to our new YouTube channel. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram.

Nataliya Gumenyuk (guest) co-founded the Public Interest Journalism Lab and The Reckoning Project. She's a frequent contributor to The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and The Guardian. @ngumenyuk of @PIJLab and @TRPforJustice on X and @ngumenyuk on Instagram.

References:

We discussed Nataliya’s recent article about drone warfare in The Atlantic. Here’s a gift link for nonsubscribers.

We talked about the description of drone warfare in a well-known decade-old article about drone pilots in the Nevada desert.

Nataliya mentioned this Vanity Fair article about Ukrainian children. The Reckoning Project was credited with help on this story.

Credits:

Music: Intro/Outro, Adobe Stock — Roads loop 6/Stefan Kartenberg; Awkward Mystery/Ionics; Water of the Moon/MusicLFiles. Walla tracks captured and mixed by The Delegates Lounge LLC/J. Alex Tarquinio.

Photo: Nataliya Gumenyuk

Chapters

1. Ukrainian Journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk on Russia's Invasion (00:00:00)

2. Introduction to Nataliya Gumenyuk (00:01:13)

3. Nataliya Gumenyuk: As War Correspondent keeping conflict in the public's eye (00:03:32)

4. Ukrainian Identity Beyond Language Divides (00:07:13)

5. Independent Journalism and Interaction with the Government (00:15:02)

6. Govt. Domestic Popularity after Oval Office, US support, and Operation Spiderweb (00:18:39)

7. Public Interest Journalism Lab: Its Origin and Efforts to Free Journalists in Russian Captivity (00:21:07)

8. The Reckoning Project: Documenting Potential War Crimes (00:28:15)

9. Drone Warfare and Military Evolution (00:50:09)

10. Underestimation of Russian Systematic Brutality (00:56:18)

11. Air Alert, Navalny and Russian Liberals in Exile and Conclusion (01:07:20)