Alexander Lutsenko, at The Blogs

Jun 22, 2026, 7:42 PM

A ‘Jewish’ Region in Russia Is Now Paying for Putin’s War

For Israeli readers, the name “Jewish Autonomous Oblast” may sound almost unreal. A Jewish autonomy inside Russia? A region with a menorah, a rainbow-like flag, and Birobidzhan as its administrative center? At first glance, it may look like a strange...

Jun 20, 2026, 11:05 PM

Russia’s Digital Ruble: A Warning for Israelis with Russian Ties

The Bank of Russia has announced the mass rollout of what it calls the “digital ruble” from September 1, 2026. From that date, Russia’s largest banks are expected to be the first to give clients the ability to use...

Jun 14, 2026, 10:39 AM

Ukraine Drops Russian, Adds Hebrew and Yiddish to Language Protection

Ukraine Removed Russian from European Protection — but Added Hebrew and Yiddish: What Law No. 4699-IX Means. Image created using AI

Ukraine Removed Russian from European Protection — but Added Hebrew and Yiddish: What Law No. 4699-IX Means On June 12, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed Law No. 4699-IX, a document that changes how Ukraine applies the European Charter for...

Jun 13, 2026, 12:47 AM

When Hamas Thanks Moscow and Russia Celebrates in Tel Aviv

How does it look from Jerusalem? Sometimes Russian Z-propaganda, in all its arrogance and stupidity, creates a clearer picture than any opposition journalist, “foreign agent,” “Banderite,” or any other enemy it likes to invent. This time, the picture was drawn by...

Jun 10, 2026, 10:09 PM

The Party That Adds the EU and Ukraine to Its Platform May Win in Fall 2026

The political force in Israel that first puts a new security formula into its election platform — the United States as Israel’s main ally, the European Union as a strategic partner, and Ukraine as an important direction — may...

Jun 7, 2026, 12:49 AM

Why Did Israel’s Heritage Minister Fly to Moscow?

“The Secret Visit” to Moscow by Israel’s Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu: Soviet Jewry’s Legacy or a Dangerous Door for the Kremlin? — June 4–7, 2026 What does this mean for Israel now? The reported “secret visit” of Israel’s Heritage Minister Amichai...

Jun 4, 2026, 10:55 PM

‘For Assistance in the Defense of Kyiv’: Israel’s Ambassador Receives Award

On June 4, 2026, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko met with Israel’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, who is completing his diplomatic mission in the country, and presented him with the city’s badge of honor “For Assistance in the Defense...

Jun 1, 2026, 4:33 AM

Why Ukraine Proposes a Joint Historical Commission With Israel

The immediate reason for this essay is the dispute that erupted after Ukraine reburied Colonel Andriy Melnyk, one of the historical leaders of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. The ceremony in Ukraine drew criticism from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign...

May 28, 2026, 11:57 PM

Ukraine, Israel, and the Conflict of Two Traumas: When Memory Becomes a Weapon

This is not just a dispute about Andriy Melnyk. It is not only about Yad Vashem. And it is not only about the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets placing Dani Dayan, the chairman of Yad Vashem, into its database after Yad Vashem and...

May 27, 2026, 3:52 PM

Ukraine Israel and the right to remember: Andriy Melnyk’s story needs no slogans

Ukraine did not wake up one morning and decide to stage a provocation against Israel. It did something much deeper, older, and more painful: it began returning its dead home. On May 25, 2026, Andriy Melnyk and his wife, Sofia Fedak-Melnyk,...

About Me

Aleksandr Lutsenko is a commentator bridging Israeli and Ukrainian public discourse. He writes on shared history, Jewish life in Ukraine, Ukrainian integration in Israel, and the intersection of memory, identity, and security.

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