Maria Avdeeva

Kharkiv

Strategic Communications and Security Expert at Freelance

Security expert covering invasion from day one. Countering Russian disinformation since 2014 🇺🇦

Articles

Infrastructure Protection

Mar 20, 2025 | atlanticcouncil.org | David Kirichenko |Peter Malcolm Dickinson |Stephen Blank |Maria Avdeeva

Trump’s energy sector ceasefire could be good news for Putin’s war machine By David Kirichenko The real meaning of Putin’s 30-day ‘energy cease-fire’ in Ukraine By Atlantic Council Matthew Kroenig testifies to the House Committee on Homeland Security on China’s strategic port investments in the Western Hemisphere Ukrainian drones reportedly knock out 10 percent of Russian refining capacity By Peter Dickinson Ukrainian drones and missiles target Putin’s war machine inside Russia By David...
Ukraine is slowly but steadily weakening Russia’s grip on Crimea

Oct 3, 2024 | atlanticcouncil.org | Olesya Khromeychuk |Peter Malcolm Dickinson |Maria Avdeeva

With international attention firmly fixed on the Russian army’s advances in eastern Ukraine and the Ukrainian invasion of Russia’s Kursk region, it is easy to overlook important developments taking place further south in Crimea. During 2024, Ukraine has achieved a number of strategic successes in and around the Russian-occupied peninsula that are worthy of closer attention and could shape the ultimate outcome of the war.
Russia’s political prisoners must not be forgotten

Oct 1, 2024 | atlanticcouncil.org | Maria Avdeeva |Peter Malcolm Dickinson |Mykola Bielieskov

In August 2024, the largest prisoner exchange between Moscow and the West since the end of the Cold War took place, drawing much-needed attention to the issue of political prisoners in Putin’s Russia. While the release of high-profile opposition figures in August was certainly welcome, it is vital that the international community does not forget the thousands of Russian political prisoners who remain incarcerated.
Putin is becoming entangled in his own discredited red lines

Sep 17, 2024 | atlanticcouncil.org | Maria Avdeeva |Peter J. Dickinson |Olesya Khromeychuk

Vladimir Putin attempted to draw yet another red line on September 12, warning Western leaders that any decision to let Ukraine use long-range weapons against targets inside Russia would mean that NATO countries are “at war” with Russia. Speaking to the Kremlin media, Putin said that allowing Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory using Western-produced missiles would represent direct NATO involvement in the war.
Countering Russia’s campaign to erase Ukrainian cultural identity

Sep 17, 2024 | atlanticcouncil.org | Maria Avdeeva |Peter Malcolm Dickinson |Olesya Khromeychuk

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has included a wide range of attacks on Ukrainian heritage sites as the Kremlin seeks to erase Ukraine’s cultural identity. By September 2024, UNESCO had officially verified damage to 438 cultural sites in Ukraine including religious buildings, museums, libraries, and monuments. Writing earlier this year, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said these attacks were to be expected.
Time to make Russia worry about the West's red lines in Ukraine

Sep 17, 2024 | atlanticcouncil.org | Maria Avdeeva |Peter J. Dickinson |Olesya Khromeychuk

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine first began more than two and a half years ago, talk of Russian red lines has been a major feature of the international debate surrounding the war. Throughout this period, the Kremlin has relentlessly exploited this preoccupation with Russian red lines to fuel Western fears of escalation and limit international support for Ukraine. With attention focused on Russia’s regular warnings, there has been virtually no discussion of the West’s own red lines.
Why Ukraine will remain central to the future of European security

Sep 12, 2024 | atlanticcouncil.org | Maria Avdeeva |Peter Malcolm Dickinson |Doug Klain

Although it is currently common to talk about the West as a unitary actor in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian War, the stakes actually differ significantly on the two opposite sides of the Atlantic. Most obviously, if Russia succeeds in Ukraine and goes further, Europe will become a battlefield. With this in mind, it makes sense in terms of security strategy to think of Europe individually as well as part of the broader Western world.
Ukraine’s biggest wartime government shakeup prompts muted reaction in Kyiv

Sep 10, 2024 | atlanticcouncil.org | Olesya Khromeychuk |Maria Avdeeva |Peter Malcolm Dickinson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presided over his government’s largest wartime reshuffle in early September, with nine ministries getting new permanent leadership. As the news filtered into Western capitals, media and experts alike scrambled to make sense of the changes. Back in Kyiv, many lawmakers and analysts appeared relatively unmoved by the announcements, in contrast to the cheers and jeers that have come with previous shifts in Zelenskyy’s government.
Escalation management is the appeasement of the 21st century

Sep 10, 2024 | atlanticcouncil.org | Maria Avdeeva |Peter Malcolm Dickinson |Olesya Khromeychuk

When Vladimir Putin first began the invasion of Ukraine with the seizure of Crimea, he did so using troops without identifying insignia and was careful to hide his attack behind a veil of deniability, however implausible. Ten years later, the Russian dictator now routinely threatens Western leaders with nuclear apocalypse if they dare to disrupt his methodical destruction of Europe’s largest nation.
Too many still view Ukraine through the prism of Russian imperialism

Sep 5, 2024 | atlanticcouncil.org | Maria Avdeeva |Peter Malcolm Dickinson |Doug Klain

“There are only so many books on Ukraine we can review each month,” an editor from a major British newspaper tells me at one of the country’s largest literary festivals. He looks a bit uncomfortable, almost apologetic. He wants me to understand that if it were up to him, he’d review a book on Ukraine every day, but that’s just not how the industry works.

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Maria Avdeeva @maria_avdv

27 Jun 25

Russia has been developing and using a new drone since November — “Molniya” (“Lightning”). It’s very cheap, light, hard to detect, and carries 3–5 kg of explosives — just enough to terrorize cities like Kharkiv and Sumy. This one hit Kharkiv today. https://t.co/oCr3eaPYwS

Maria Avdeeva @maria_avdv

26 Jun 25

They’re finally home. Our heroes. Our people. https://t.co/KmrckYlvfI

Maria Avdeeva @maria_avdv

25 Jun 25

Not the kind of history-making you had in mind, Vladimir? https://t.co/jP3COqr2qz

Maria Avdeeva

Articles

Infrastructure Protection

Ukraine is slowly but steadily weakening Russia’s grip on Crimea

Russia’s political prisoners must not be forgotten

Putin is becoming entangled in his own discredited red lines

Countering Russia’s campaign to erase Ukrainian cultural identity

Time to make Russia worry about the West's red lines in Ukraine

Why Ukraine will remain central to the future of European security

Ukraine’s biggest wartime government shakeup prompts muted reaction in Kyiv

Escalation management is the appeasement of the 21st century

Too many still view Ukraine through the prism of Russian imperialism

Contact details

Emails

Socials & Sites

X (formerly Twitter)