Ukraine Unlocked is a weekly newsletter providing a roundup of the cultural, political, and economic developments in the country. We hope to provide students, professionals, and the casual reader with greater insight into Ukraine as its role on the global stage evolves throughout the 21st century.

• Pentagon Leak Suspect Arrested: Last week, we discussed the massive leak of documents which showed how the U.S. is assessing the war in Ukraine. This past week the FBI arrested Jack Teixeira, a 21-year old air national guardsmen based in Massachusetts, in connection with the investigation. It is unclear how or why Teixeria had access to these documents but law enforcement located him based on his presence on the online platform Discord. On Friday, Teixera appeared in federal court where charges were brought against him under the Espionage Act. He is being held in jail until his detention hearing which will happen this week.
  • Implications: While the number of Ukrainian and Russian military deaths in the reports were altered, the other information remained intact. The U.S. is re-evaluating its policies related to paper use and printing privileges of classified documents. Ukrainian officials are extremely frustrated by the circulation of their war plans. President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s generals were altering their battle plans in response to the leak.
• No Visas, No Entry: The U.S. has thus far not fulfilled the Kremlin’s visa request for the delegation heading to the U.N. in New York. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is supposed to lead a meeting of the U.N.’s Security Council in April, but as it currently stands his government jet is not approved to land at an American airport. Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. has urged Washington to process the request for both the Kremlin delegation and the Russian journalists covering the trip. It is unclear why Washington is delaying issuing the visas but the U.S. has previously sought to punish Russia’s aggression in Ukraine through the U.N. 
• Celebs and Politicians Head to Kyiv: A bipartisan cohort of Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and country music star Brad Paisley visited Ukraine this past week. The three senators met with President Zelenskyy to discuss foreign assistance, military readiness and how Ukraine will rebuild after the war. Paisley performed his Ukraine inspired song “Same Here” at the press conference. The moderate but powerful group of U.S. legislators signals that support for Ukraine is not slowing in the Senate.

President Zelenskyy is the newest West Virginia Mountaineers fan.

Saving the Children

• Mothers to the Rescue: Exact estimates are unclear, but officials say that around 150,000 Ukrainian children were taken from their families in Russian-occupied territories last year. Under Kremlin control, the children are often put in re-education programs and either fostered or adopted by Russian families. Now some Ukrainian mothers are making a harrowing journey to get their children back. 
  • Natalya’s Story: Last autumn, Russian soldiers took Natalya Zhornyk’s son, Artem, from school in Kupyansk. For weeks, she had no idea where he was. Then she received a phone call from Artem, saying, “Mom, come and get me.” He remembered her number and borrowed a phone to call her. Russian troops had removed him and other children from the school. They moved them to Perevalsk, a city deep in the occupied territories. Natalya and a group of women, assisted by the charity Save Ukraine, made a 3,000-mile journey before entering the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine. Natalya and the other mothers found their children, then turned around and made the same nerve-wracking journey back home.