Ukrainian Writers Attempt to Understand Putin

Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum, only for War on the Rocks members. Each Monday, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.American coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war. The perspectives gathered here are varied, candid, and often surprising, together forming a more complete picture of Ukraine as it really is.Frontline and StrategyФокус — Fokus (“Focus”)National weekly magazine with a patriotic voice“Supersonic Alliance: How the Moscow-Tehran Axis is Becoming a Strategic Threat to Ukraine”By Dmytro Snegiryov/Sept. 8, 2026Military expert Dmytro Snegiryov details the secret C430L program through which Russia is transferring supersonic cruise missile technology, specifically direct-flow air-jet engines, to Iran, per Financial Times reporting on leaked correspondence. Facilitated by Rosoboronexport and NPO Mashinostroyeniya, this cooperation extends a broader alliance: Iran supplies Shahed drones and reverse-engineered X-55-derived missiles, while Russia provides satellite imagery and weapons components. The author warns this technology-sharing could eventually strengthen weapons used against Ukraine, and that synchronized Russian-Iranian aggression strains shared U.S. interceptor stockpiles, diverting American resources and attention away from Ukraine’s defense.“Russia’s motive for these supplies is to divert American attention and resources away from Ukraine. Iran and Russia have synchronized their actions on a global scale: Russia’s massive attacks on Ukraine and the attacks by Iran and its proxy forces in the Middle East both draw on the same finite pool of weapons, like interceptor missiles for Patriot, NASAMS, and similar systems. At the same time, the complexity of America’s strategic commitments in the Middle East has historically reduced the resources Washington can direct toward the war