When the world's at stake,
go beyond the headlines.

Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum only for War on the Rocks members. Each Monday, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.American coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war. The perspectives gathered here are varied, candid, and often surprising, together forming a more complete picture of Ukraine as it really is.Frontline and StrategyФокус— Fokus (“Focus”) National weekly magazine that showcases many perspectives with a patriotic voice“Moscow is Protected, the Rest of Russia is Not: How Ukraine’s Strikes Expose the Vulnerability of the Russian Federation”By Oleksandr Karpyuk/April 13, 2026Oleksandr Karpyuk claims Russia is facing serious shortages of air defense missiles, leaving many systems understocked and less effective against Ukrainian drone and missile strikes. According to the author’s sources, Russian defenses are increasingly overwhelmed as Ukraine expands the scale and geography of its attacks. Air defense resources are reportedly concentrated around Moscow, leaving regions like Crimea more vulnerable. Karpyuk argues that rising Ukrainian strike precision and pressure on Russia’s defense industry are worsening the situation, signaling a growing imbalance in air defense capabilities.“The interceptor systems being developed in Ukraine are not easily scalable in Russia or Crimea, and there is growing concern about this. Despite claims from some experts that drone interceptors are ineffective and that more Pantsir systems are needed, such solutions are clearly not being deployed at scale. At the same time, Russia cannot afford to ignore incoming drones — Ukrainian strike accuracy has improved, and losses of valuable, scarce equipment are mounting to levels the weakening air defense system cannot sustain. And the situation