At Picogrid, we believe in embedding our teams with our users and building alongside them. This takes us into unique parts of the world and gives us insights, some of which we will share in blog posts. All information OSINT.
It’s been a few months since I moved to Kyiv as Picogrid’s Program Manager for Special Projects in Ukraine.
The constant air raids throughout the city are a stark reminder of the challenges of living and working in a country at war. Some days, drone and missile attacks come almost hourly, with air raid alerts humming throughout the city, prompting civilians to seek shelter immediately. At times, I’ll find myself checking Google Maps in an attempt to get to my next meeting, only to see that my phone location has mysteriously switched to Moscow–GPS spoofing courtesy of the Ukrainian security services. Over the last few months, Ukraine has faced relentless Russian advances and escalating attacks on its energy infrastructure. A precarious winter lies ahead as the Kremlin hopes to leave Ukrainians in the dark and without heating.
Despite these hardships, Ukraine has proven resilient. While North Korea has sent an estimated 12,000 soldiers to assist Russian forces in retaking Kursk, the Ukrainian military has thus far given them a warm introduction to modern warfare. And, while most analysts expected the incoming Trump administration to bring a bleak outlook for Ukraine, Trump officials have been sharing a different story. Already, the incoming administration has promised to continue the flow of military aid amid broader efforts to push NATO allies to reach 5% of GDP spending on defense–a much-needed move for the security of Europe and a breath of fresh air amid growing difficulties for the war effort.
As military aid continues to flow, keeping the hope Kyiv has going over the next few months will be crucial, especially as the attacks on energy infrastructure intensify. On Christmas morning, the Kremlin launched 184 missiles and drones, with Ukrainian air defenses shooting down 59 missiles and 54 drones across the country. And just five days prior, Russia launched five ballistic missiles against Kyiv, one of which landed just a few minutes away from where I live. While it’s become frighteningly easy to sleep through early morning air raid alerts, it’s impossible to ignore the ground shaking and the sky exploding just a few blocks away. These escalating attacks underscore the dire situation Ukraine faces coming into the new year.
Being in this environment has opened up my eyes to what urgency means for a defense company. Speed is essential for survival, and engineers in Kyiv are building products during the day so that warfighters can deploy them that same night. Apart from money, we are always short on time. Ukraine has to be scrappy and fast, and so do its supporters.
For Ukrainians, this is not merely a war against Russia. From their perspective, they are engaged in a global conflict against a coalition of bad actors, including North Korea, Iran, and China. The scope of this war is already global, and Kyiv holds no illusions to the contrary. Each air raid brings an Iranian-manufactured drone and a ballistic missile with Chinese electronics.
While I’ve tried to briefly encapsulate my experiences over just the past two months in this beautiful country, comprehending the magnitude of these events in such a short time leaves me with nothing but respect and adulation for the bravery and spirited resistance of Ukrainians over the last thirty-five months since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion.
In spite of the immense challenges lying ahead, as Putin attempts to restore some imagined lost glory of a fallen empire, there persists a shared belief among Ukrainians–one I’ve come to see intimately–that he is more bark than bite. His threats are loud but often hollow, and tepid responses from the West only embolden him further. As the late Senator John McCain once said, “[t]here’s nothing that provokes Vladimir Putin more than weakness.” That sentiment radiates across this city, driving Ukraine’s unwavering determination to face an adversary that seeks to test the limits of their strength—and the world’s resolve.
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