Lesia Ogryzko, Director of the Sahaidachnyi Security Center, and Yurii Buhai — Head of Analytics at the Defence Reform Support Office of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Transparency International Ukraine, and a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — took part in an episode of Ukrainapodden.
Ukrainapodden is an award-winning podcast by the Norwegian media outlet Nettavisen, dedicated to Russia’s war against Ukraine and its implications for Europe.
The visit took place in Oslo on 7–10 June as part of the “North–South Axis: Ukraine–NB8” project, implemented by the Sahaidachnyi Security Center and the Ukrainian Institute with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.
Ukraine was at the center of the discussion.
In a conversation with host Tormod Malvin Sæther, the speakers discussed:
▪️ How technological advantages and unmanned systems are transforming the nature of modern warfare
▪️ The impact of strikes on Russian infrastructure and Moscow’s ability to sustain the war
▪️ Russia’s growing casualties, logistical challenges, and manpower shortages
▪️ Why Western fears of a Russian defeat continue to slow support for Ukraine
▪️ Why investing in Ukraine’s defence industry is one of the most effective ways to strengthen Europe’s security
Lesia Ogryzko:
“We invite our international partners on that road of being brave, of understanding that we can collectively beat Russia. That’s why we are today in Norway: because we place a lot of hope in this country and this society. We have a lot in common, and we are super thankful for the support that we are getting — and counting on even stronger security cooperation between our two countries, including on air defence, artillery, defence tech and payments for Ukraine’s armed forces.”
Yurii Buhai:
“People are afraid of Russia. But the reason we are fighting the fifth year of this full-scale war is that we know they can be beaten — and we are not afraid to do it. The key shift that needs to happen in the West is to stop being afraid of Russians.”
🔗 Listen to the episode on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4td352dSWDtUVaRwGmAjL6
*Ukrainapodden is one of Norway’s most popular podcasts covering the war in Ukraine, providing its audience each week with frontline insights and analysis from leading experts.