The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak

The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak

Home
Notes
Chat
Archive
Leaderboard
About
What if Somali militias had drones in ‘Black Hawk Down’?
How would drones have changed the SOF mission in Mogadishu that Americans know as Black Hawk Down? Would the battle have ended in a deadlier fashion and…
 • Jacqueline Cole and Tim Mak
Russia’s poorest regions thrive on death
Russia pays a fortune to its poorest families for their loved ones killed in Ukraine, bringing more money to poorer regions. Serhii talks to Russians…
 • Oleksandra Khelemendyk
Ukraine’s scam centers at the heart of corruption scandal
Amid an anti-corruption investigation into the Prosecutor General's Office's role in protecting scam call centers, the Prosecutor General fled Ukraine…
 • Mariana Lastovyria and Mariana Stadnyk
Trump's war added 10x more to diesel shock than Ukraine
Donald Trump is trying to lay the blame of your rising energy prices on Ukraine’s doorstep. But an analysis of diesel disruption shows that his Iran war…
 • Tim Mak, Mariana Lastovyria, and Oleksandra Khelemendyk
Why does Ukraine have a Swedish village?
A small village is home to a dozen cultures and a focal point for both Swedish identity and Russian invaders.
 • Oleksandra Khelemendyk
Sign up now to receive intimate, human-first dispatches from the war.
The latest from
Myroslava Tanska-Vikulova
NEWSLASH: Zelenskyy dismisses army chief after public pressure
User's avatar
Mariana Lastovyria
Ukraine’s scam centers at the heart of corruption scandal
User's avatar
Jacqueline Cole
What if Somali militias had drones in ‘Black Hawk Down’?
User's avatar
Tim Mak
What if Somali militias had drones in ‘Black Hawk Down’?
User's avatar
Zoriana Semenovych
Why pay rent just to sleep in the metro
User's avatar
Oleksandra Poda
NEWSFLASH: Russians strike SBU headquarters in Kyiv
User's avatar
Anastasiia Kryvoruchenko
Five days of terror with Russian jet-powered drones
User's avatar

Recent posts

View all
Why pay rent just to sleep in the metro
For the second month in a row, Russia has been striking the capital almost every night. The Counteroffensive team has been forced underground just like…
 • Zoriana Semenovych and Mariana Stadnyk
Why Luke Skywalker announces Russian missiles incoming
The developer behind Ukraine's air alert app — built in a matter of days to save lives — dreams of the day his biggest accomplishment will be a thing of…
 • Kateryna Antonenko
NEWSFLASH: Russians strike SBU headquarters in Kyiv
The strike hit the head of the state security service’s office amid a week of relentless Russian attacks on the capital.
 • Oleksandra Poda, Jacqueline Cole, Mariana Stadnyk, and Tim Mak
NEWSFLASH: Democrats blocking Russia sanctions bill
Democrats in the House of Representatives are stalling Lindsey Graham’s Russia sanctions, unwilling to give Trump more power over the American economy.
 • Petro Gordon
Russia can't win war, its own analysts say
Russia is escalating attacks on Ukrainian cities to make up for stagnation on the battlefield.
 • Petro Gordon
Five days of terror with Russian jet-powered drones
Here’s how Ukrainian manufacturers are taking on the growing threat of Shahed drones equipped with jet engines: by developing faster interceptor drones.
 • Anastasiia Kryvoruchenko
Behind the scenes of Ukraine’s top anti-corruption agency
Viktor, a NABU detective with more than 10 years of experience in the bureau, reveals what it’s like to take on illicit schemes at the highest levels of…
 • Petro Gordon
Our sister publications
The Arsenal
Actionable business reporting on Ukrainian and European defense tech and regulations.
Build Back Ukraine
Follow Ukraine's reconstruction efforts.
Iran War Dispatches
Like The Counteroffensive, but covering the war in Iran.
© 2026 Tim Mak · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture