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 with a patriotic voice“Ukraine’s Version of Nuclear Weapons: What Long-Range Drones Can Do to Russia”By Vitaliy Shapran/Sept. 21, 2026Vitaliy Shapran likens Ukraine’s newly demonstrated drone capability, striking Novourengoysk and Purovsky plants in Russia’s Yamal-Nenets region more than 3,000 kilometers away, to acquiring nuclear weapons. He notes that cities in Russia’s permafrost zones rely entirely on above-ground, constantly heated infrastructure, meaning a disabled heating source could have effects comparable to a nuclear strike within a day. With winter temperatures reaching -50°C (-58°F), Shapran argues Ukraine could now threaten dozens of Trans-Ural cities and NOVATEK’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, turning Putin’s threats of a hard winter back on Russia and marking a serious step toward victory.“In such cities, because of the permafrost, all communications infrastructure, from heating to sewerage, is laid above ground and must be constantly heated through the winter. If a city’s heating source is knocked out, the effect on the population and enterprises within a single day would be no less severe than that of a nuclear strike.”***Цензор.НЕТ — Censor.NETNews and opinion site with a strong pro-defense, typically conservative voice“Yurii Butusov on Problems Faced by Ukraine’s Armed Forces”By Yurii Butusov/Sept. 16, 2026Yurii Butusov,