The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak

The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak

Russians stole my birthday

Born on Feb. 24, Polina and Dariia watched Russia turn their birthdays into a national anniversary, and now negotiate joy and grief on the same date.

Oleksandra Poda's avatar
Oleksandra Poda
Feb 24, 2026
∙ Paid

Featured subscriber comment:

“I give to your Tip Jar periodically, more often than I can comfortably afford. That’s because the work you do, and the stories you write educate me about what it’s like to live and work in a country at war.”

By DebDagI

Upgrade now to support our work and get full access to all our writing!

Get Full Access!

Tip Jar!

Polina Kotiuk booked a hotel in Kharki…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
Oleksandra Poda's avatar
A guest post by
Oleksandra Poda
Reporter at The Counteroffensive
Subscribe to Oleksandra
© 2026 Tim Mak · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture