What to read, watch and listen to if you want to better understand the Russia-Ukraine war

Informative and reliable resources.

2 March 2022

Less than a week ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting international condemnation and leaving millions of people fearing for their future.

In our digital age, the urge to retweet and repost infographics without actually taking the time to read and properly process them is ever-present. But it's important to resist this temptation and take the time to meaningfully inform ourselves about the crisis and play an active role in fact-checking the media we consume.

With that in mind, GLAMOUR has rounded up a selection of resources – including books, podcasts, and TikToks – from reputable individuals or organisations, to enable you to learn more about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Books to aid understanding of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine

Henrikas Bliudzius, a book buyer at Waterstones, has compiled a comprehensive reading list of books providing vital historical context to the conflict. Here are some of the books Henrikas recommends:

The Gates of Europe by Serhii Plokhy

Borderland by Anna Reid

Red Famine by Anne Applebaum

A Short History of Russia by Mark Galeotti

Putin v People by Professor Sam Greene

We also recommend the following books, which provide deeper historical insight into the lives of women and other marginalised communities in Ukraine and Russia:

Lucky Breaks by Yevgenia Belorusets, translated by Eugene Ostashevsky

The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich, translated by Richard Pevear

Our Others: Stories of Ukrainian Diversity by Olesya Yaremchuk, trans. by Zenia Tomkins and Hanna Leliv

Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex by Oksana Zabuzhko, trans. by Halyna Hryn

Podcasts to aid understanding of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine and Russia, The Rest Is History

In Ukraine, the Men Who Must Stay and Fight, The Daily

Ukrainians’ Choice: Fight or Flee?, The Daily

The day Putin invaded Ukraine, Full Story

Ukrainecast, BBC Newscast

On the brinkmanship: a special episode on Ukraine and Russia, The Economist Podcasts

TikToks and Tweets to aid understanding of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine

This BBC News segment shared on Twitter, provides a thorough breakdown of the historical context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine:

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Victoria Derbyshire, a journalist for the BBC, has taken to TikTok to explain – in the simplest terms – how tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been escalating in the last decade, or so.

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RTÉ News, Ireland's national news channel, has been posting regular TikToks about the conflict, including this explanatory video about the history of Russia and Ukraine.