410. The Artery of the Nation & The War on Corruption

410. The Artery of the Nation & The War on Corruption

June 16, 2026 · 19 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the resilience of Ukraine's rail network amidst war and explores the country's battle against corruption with insights from Transparency International Ukraine's Executive Director.

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine , Saul David and Julius Strauss check in from the bustling Kyiv Railway Station after completing a train journey from Kharkiv. Despite ongoing Russian infrastructure attacks that have heavily impacted the national grid, Ukraine’s rail network continues to prove itself as the resilient, indispensable artery keeping the country moving in wartime. The hosts explore how Ukraine’s railways have defied Western calls for "efficiency rationalisation"—revealing how their old-school, deep-reserve structure has actually saved them from collapse. They also examine Russia's evolving, aggressive strategy of targeting critical civilian infrastructure and how it measures up against international law. Diving Deep on Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Battle In the second half of the episode, the hosts sit down after their remarkably candid conversation with Executive Director of Transparency International Ukraine - Andrii Borovyk to unpack the high-stakes battle against internal corruption—a fight critical to Ukraine's aspirations of joining the European Union. Key highlights from their discussion include: The Corruption Perception Index: Where Ukraine stands…

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