Neil Hauer

That's why I'm hoping to ask you, dear reader, for your support in making my trip a success. If you can spare a few bucks, please consider donating to me via my Buy Me A Coffee page below. All proceeds will go towards funding this trip: buymeacoffee.com/neilphauer

Paid a visit to @saintjavelin's factory just outside Kyiv today. The facility prints more than 500 shirts and hoodies every single week, helping Saint Javelin raise more than $2.5mn since its founding three years ago. Picked up some goodies myself too. Story coming soon.

This is just horrific. I also spent the better part of a week in Suwayda earlier this year and was very taken by it - made a lot of Druze friends and left a part of my heart there. Can't believe it's all turned out like this.

I'm looking for ideas for Ukraine stories while I'm in and around Kyiv the next week or so. Tired of writing about the same stuff. Have a good idea? Drop me a DM!

Russian forces have made gains northeast of Pokrovsk in recent days, now nearly surrounding the city on three sides

Suwayda is (sadly) back in the news today, as Druze militias battle Syrian government forces amidst Israeli airstrikes on the latter. Read my primer from my recent trip to the region below:

Embedding a journalist with Kadyrovtsy, who pretty much exclusively exist to do war crimes (even including against Russians), is a hell of a choice

For the past 15 years, Syria's Druze have had little to do with the central government in Damascus - whether Assad's regime, or the new administration of Ahmed al-Sharaa. Even today, few in Suwayda want to change this. My latest, for @CBCNews: cbc.ca/news/world/syr…

"President Aliyev and I share the same view – the life and dignity of every person must be protected" Utterly humiliating and pathetic from Zelensky

Siranush Sargsyan is a refugee journalist from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). She was a crucial voice in covering the blockade and expulsion of the Armenian population there. She's now looking for support to attend law school. Consider donating: rearmenia.com/en/fundraisers…

Eight months after the election, nearly all male major Georgian opposition leaders are in jail. The two primary female leaders have been harassed and their spouses attacked also. Hard to call Georgia anything but an authoritarian country at this point.

This is wild. Even as an invited guest in Georgia these days, your status in the country is contingent on not discussing politics whatsoever. The Azerbaijanization of Georgia over the past 12 months has happened at breakneck speed.

Armenia, still reeling from hosting 100,000+ Karabakh Armenian refugees ethnically cleansed by Azerbaijan less than two years ago, is now facing the start of a new refugee crisis: this time, from Iran

The Persian mosque in Yerevan, Armenia. One of the greatest sites in this country. Don't think I've ever met a Persian I disliked.