Ruchi Kumar
@ruchikumar.com
Writer. Journalist. Humanist. Pacifist. #Ukriane #Afghanistan #Conflict
Dear Ukrainian friends,
I need your input in understanding something -- what do the drone sounds seem like to you? How would you describe the feeling of hearing the drones?
Please DM me if you want to talk privately. I would greatly appreciate your insights.
Picture: Stop Drone art by Banksy
I need your input in understanding something -- what do the drone sounds seem like to you? How would you describe the feeling of hearing the drones?
Please DM me if you want to talk privately. I would greatly appreciate your insights.
Picture: Stop Drone art by Banksy
December 2, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Dear Ukrainian friends,
I need your input in understanding something -- what do the drone sounds seem like to you? How would you describe the feeling of hearing the drones?
Please DM me if you want to talk privately. I would greatly appreciate your insights.
Picture: Stop Drone art by Banksy
I need your input in understanding something -- what do the drone sounds seem like to you? How would you describe the feeling of hearing the drones?
Please DM me if you want to talk privately. I would greatly appreciate your insights.
Picture: Stop Drone art by Banksy
One of the interesting projects I had the chance to work on this year was a photo story for the National Geographic featuring work by Hashem Shakeri on Afghan women and migrants, some of the most marginalised groups.
www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/...
www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/...
December 1, 2025 at 1:22 PM
One of the interesting projects I had the chance to work on this year was a photo story for the National Geographic featuring work by Hashem Shakeri on Afghan women and migrants, some of the most marginalised groups.
www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/...
www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/...
Four-year-old Mark Ifiemenko is one of the most cheerful kids you’ll meet, with bright smile and an infectious laughter.
If it weren’t for scars on his face, it would be hard to tell that the young boy has lived through immense tragedy in his short life.
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
If it weren’t for scars on his face, it would be hard to tell that the young boy has lived through immense tragedy in his short life.
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
July 30, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Four-year-old Mark Ifiemenko is one of the most cheerful kids you’ll meet, with bright smile and an infectious laughter.
If it weren’t for scars on his face, it would be hard to tell that the young boy has lived through immense tragedy in his short life.
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
If it weren’t for scars on his face, it would be hard to tell that the young boy has lived through immense tragedy in his short life.
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Watch the full video here youtu.be/SsxOgP1qU3Q?...
July 17, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Watch the full video here youtu.be/SsxOgP1qU3Q?...
Really starting to dislike the guy in the middle
July 17, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Really starting to dislike the guy in the middle
Getting schooled by Piers Morgan 🫠
July 17, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Getting schooled by Piers Morgan 🫠
#Talibro @yaldahakim.bsky.social handles it with much poise
July 17, 2025 at 5:01 AM
#Talibro @yaldahakim.bsky.social handles it with much poise
A Shahed drone carries as much payload as a car bomb. Now imagine 100s of these car bombs, along with other missiles, exploding over heavily populated cities almost daily. This is the everyday reality of Ukrainians; living under shadow of death every night and picking up pieces every morning.
July 8, 2025 at 2:49 PM
A Shahed drone carries as much payload as a car bomb. Now imagine 100s of these car bombs, along with other missiles, exploding over heavily populated cities almost daily. This is the everyday reality of Ukrainians; living under shadow of death every night and picking up pieces every morning.
From my table at a lovely cafe in #Kyiv I saw this beautiful couple getting their wedding photos taken.
Just 12 hours before, my flatmate and I had run across this same street towards the metro looking for cover as Ukrainian defense forces repelled #Russian drones and missiles above us. (July 6)
Just 12 hours before, my flatmate and I had run across this same street towards the metro looking for cover as Ukrainian defense forces repelled #Russian drones and missiles above us. (July 6)
July 7, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Some snippets from a surreal, frustrating night in #Kyiv on #July4.
Its awful that this is increasingly becoming normal for Ukrainians (although last night was supposedly the worst in a very long time) and it was so surreal to see how quickly everyone snapped back to normalcy the next morning.
Its awful that this is increasingly becoming normal for Ukrainians (although last night was supposedly the worst in a very long time) and it was so surreal to see how quickly everyone snapped back to normalcy the next morning.
July 4, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Made it back to beautiful #Kyiv #OnAssignment
June 30, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Made it back to beautiful #Kyiv #OnAssignment
Why did IOM think it was okay to use blue and navy as distinct identifiers for their datasets? 🥲
I’m not colourblind, but reading this report has been a very confusing experience 😅
I’m not colourblind, but reading this report has been a very confusing experience 😅
June 5, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Why did IOM think it was okay to use blue and navy as distinct identifiers for their datasets? 🥲
I’m not colourblind, but reading this report has been a very confusing experience 😅
I’m not colourblind, but reading this report has been a very confusing experience 😅
I’m at the Ukraine Russia talks in Istanbul. Expected to be short considering recent developments
(Ukrainian operations that took out best 40 Russian aircraft!)
(Ukrainian operations that took out best 40 Russian aircraft!)
June 2, 2025 at 11:14 AM
I’m at the Ukraine Russia talks in Istanbul. Expected to be short considering recent developments
(Ukrainian operations that took out best 40 Russian aircraft!)
(Ukrainian operations that took out best 40 Russian aircraft!)
I lived in Podil last year, close to this place. What a beautiful vibe it was! Can’t wait to return
May 28, 2025 at 2:08 PM
I lived in Podil last year, close to this place. What a beautiful vibe it was! Can’t wait to return
By the way, NIA investigation revealed that US-made M4 carbine assault rifles were used in the Pahalgam attack. Any guesses where they come from?
May 16, 2025 at 1:12 PM
By the way, NIA investigation revealed that US-made M4 carbine assault rifles were used in the Pahalgam attack. Any guesses where they come from?
Meanwhile, Indian FM welcoming condemnation over terrorist attack in Pahalgam from the Taliban, a group that has conducted terror attacks on Indian interests in Afghanistan, from a UN-sanctioned person no less.
www.opensanctions.org/entities/Q60...
www.opensanctions.org/entities/Q60...
May 16, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Meanwhile, Indian FM welcoming condemnation over terrorist attack in Pahalgam from the Taliban, a group that has conducted terror attacks on Indian interests in Afghanistan, from a UN-sanctioned person no less.
www.opensanctions.org/entities/Q60...
www.opensanctions.org/entities/Q60...
(Also, a big shout out to my mum and dad who stayed up late nights to help me with translation and transcriptions of what I can only remember must have been like a million interviews 🥰)
March 31, 2025 at 8:07 PM
(Also, a big shout out to my mum and dad who stayed up late nights to help me with translation and transcriptions of what I can only remember must have been like a million interviews 🥰)
This story is a long long long labour of love, and was supported by International Women’s Media Foundation
Read here atmos.earth/the-forced-s...
Read here atmos.earth/the-forced-s...
March 31, 2025 at 8:07 PM
This story is a long long long labour of love, and was supported by International Women’s Media Foundation
Read here atmos.earth/the-forced-s...
Read here atmos.earth/the-forced-s...
I spent over a year and several trips to villages across Maharashtra to meet dozens of farm workers, doctors, activists to document cases of women being forced into hysterectomies. Climate change worsens situation in a drought-prone region. Please read full article on @atmosmagazine.bsky.social
March 31, 2025 at 8:07 PM
I spent over a year and several trips to villages across Maharashtra to meet dozens of farm workers, doctors, activists to document cases of women being forced into hysterectomies. Climate change worsens situation in a drought-prone region. Please read full article on @atmosmagazine.bsky.social
The conflict in the region, beginning with the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea and continuing through its invasion of Ukraine, has resulted in heavy militarization of the Black Sea region further complicated redressal of the catastrophe.
March 17, 2025 at 6:04 PM
The conflict in the region, beginning with the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea and continuing through its invasion of Ukraine, has resulted in heavy militarization of the Black Sea region further complicated redressal of the catastrophe.
Russia’s #shadowfleet of aging oil tankers helps fund the ongoing war but puts the region at risk of more environmental disasters.
March 17, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Russia’s #shadowfleet of aging oil tankers helps fund the ongoing war but puts the region at risk of more environmental disasters.
Russia’s war has already contributed heavily to environmental pollution in the region. The latest #oilspill, from tankers that crashed in December 2024, continues to damage marine life and ocean health, I explore in my latest for @the-revelator.bsky.social.
therevelator.org/black-sea-oi...
therevelator.org/black-sea-oi...
March 17, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Russia’s war has already contributed heavily to environmental pollution in the region. The latest #oilspill, from tankers that crashed in December 2024, continues to damage marine life and ocean health, I explore in my latest for @the-revelator.bsky.social.
therevelator.org/black-sea-oi...
therevelator.org/black-sea-oi...