Ukrainian Ana

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Ukranian Ana
Anastasiya Paraskevova
Personal Information
Status Active Occupation Volunteer, Activist, Translator Country of Origin Ukraine
Online Information
Bluesky ukrainianana.bsky.social X UkrainianAna
DGG Links
Destiny Awards 2022 Ally OTY

Anastasiya Paraskevova, commonly known in DGG as Ukrainian Ana, is a political activist who came to prominence in 2022 after recording her experiences living in Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian war. Ana first entered the online political space through an interview with Dylan Burns, a journalist and streamer she had been doing translation work for during his reporting in Kharkiv . Destiny later reacted to the interview and invited Ana onto his stream to share her perspective. She has since become a recurring on stream guest.

Fundraisers

Main Article: Ukrainian Ana Fundraisers

Since mid-2023, Ana has organized and promoted several fundraisers in support of Ukrainian frontline units and humanitarian relief efforts during the Russian invasion of Ukraine .

Recurring beneficiaries have included the 43rd Mechanized Brigade , the 113th Territorial Defense Brigade 's anti-drone and anti-Shahed crews, the Kraken Regiment , and the 67th Mechanized Brigade . Ana has also helped support humanitarian causes, including the Dusha Kharkiv aid effort in June 2025 and the Warm Hug for UA winter-relief campaign in February 2026.

On September 3, 2024, in recognition of her sustained fundraising efforts, Ana was awarded a Medal of Merit by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

As of June 4, 2026, Ana has helped raise approximately $150,274 USD across 21 donation drives, with several fundraisers even exceeding their stated goals.

Documenting the Siege of Kharkiv

In the opening weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ana documented daily life and her eventual escape from the besieged city of Kharkiv, including the impact of the Russian shelling on her home and community. This week-long video diary was commissioned and broadcast by ITV News and subsequently carried by CNN .

On Stream Appearances

Since 2022, Ana has occasionally appeared on Destiny's stream to discuss ongoing developments surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and to offer her perspective on geopolitical developments both in Ukraine and abroad.

10-03-2022 Ukrainian Ana Calls Out US Leftists, Dispels Popular Russian Misinformation

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Ukrainian Ana Calls Out US Leftists, Dispels Popular Russian Misinformation

On October 3, 2022 Destiny held a two hour long discussion with Ana about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian public opinion, Russian propaganda, Euromaidan , Crimea , NATO , and life under wartime conditions. During the conversation, Ana draws on her life experiences as a Russian-speaking Ukrainian from Kharkiv, and on her volunteer work following the invasion, to describe the impact of the war from a civilian perspective. She also discusses how the lives of herself and those around her in Eastern Ukraine had been adversely affected by Russia since well before the beginning of the 2022 invasion. While much of the call is focused on the reality of the harshness of the war, Ana consistently states that Ukrainians continue to maintain hope, and remain stalwart in their resistance of the Russian invasion.

Interview Questions
Timestamp	Destiny's Question	Ana's Response
5:36	Destiny asks Ana about the frontline near Kharkiv.	Ana explains that Ukraine's counteroffensive had pushed Russian forces back toward the Russian border and reduced the frequency of artillery strikes on civilians in the area.
9:14	Destiny asks Ana what the "general feeling" of Ukrainians during the war has been and what day-to-day life has been like.	Ana responds that while the early days of the invasion were panic-filled with constant shortages, many Ukrainians eventually returned to a sense of normal life while continuing to live under the threat of air raids and Russian attacks.
13:12	Destiny asks Ana if things are relatively "back to normal now".	Ana describes the sleeping problems she's developed as a result of the invasion, and the fact that she can no longer wear headphones to listen to music for fear of missing an air-raid siren. She explains that people have simply grown numb to the constant threats and loss of life, and that depression is a prevalent issue. Despite this, Ana explains that people try to retain hope and help the individuals around them where they can.
22:33	Destiny asks whether Ukrainians want the fighting to end.	Ana responds that Ukrainians generally do not want the war to end unless Ukraine is restored to its pre-2014 borders.
23:14	Destiny asks Ana if they'd be content with the war ending without Ukraine regaining control of Crimea.	Ana says that while some may have accepted that outcome earlier in the invasion, the general feeling had shifted toward wanting it back.
28:03	Destiny asks Ana about Russia's nuclear threats.	Ana says that Ukrainian reactions are mixed, and that some people are afraid while others see the threats as Russian bluffing and utilizing "nuclear blackmail". She goes on to explain that if this were to happen, NATO would likely retaliate with nuclear weapons in turn.
30:41	Destiny asks Ana about her participation in Euromaidan.	Ana says that she participated every day throughout the winter.
37:24	Destiny asks Ana if there's a worry among Russian-speaking people in Ukraine about being prejudiced against.	Ana explains that she herself is a Russian-speaking Ukrainian, and says that Russian speakers in Ukraine generally identify as Ukrainian rather than Russian.
43:19	Destiny asks if there's a relationship between the Ukrainian and Russian languages.	Ana responds that they are very different languages, and rejects the idea that one is a dialect of the other. She goes on to claim this is Russian propaganda, and that the Ukrainian language is much closer to Polish.
51:45	Destiny asks if this is a broader Ukrainian experience or strictly an eastern Ukrainian one.	Ana shares a story about a Ukrainian teacher who became so ashamed of her Ukrainian-speaking background that, after giving birth, she pretended not to recognize her own mother when her mother spoke Ukrainian in front of her Russian-speaking coworkers. Ana responds that this only occurs in eastern Ukraine.
57:29	Destiny asks Ana how Ukrainians view people from Luhansk and Donetsk , and whether they are seen as traitors.	Ana responds that while she initially felt angry toward them in 2014, her feelings changed after helping displaced families from Donbas, and realizing that many people there did not freely choose to be occupied as well as seeing the treatment of pro-Ukrainian residents who were often threatened or jailed.
1:00:59	Destiny asks Ana what the opinion of Volodymyr Zelensky is.	Ana says that while she personally did not vote for him and initially worried he would be too soft on Russia, she has come to respect the president and his actions following the invasion.
1:07:04	Destiny asks Ana what the feeling is of Russia taking Crimea.	Ana responds that it was quite disheartening.
1:10:08	Destiny asks Ana whether Ukrainians distinguish between the Russian government and the Russian people.	Ana says that many Ukrainians hate both the Russian government and people broadly, citing their reading of Russian forums and chats and knowledge of the average Russian civilian's thoughts on the war.
1:23:25	Destiny asks Ana how Ukrainians view people who fled to other countries during the invasion.	Ana says she does not consider them traitors and understands why many left. She goes on to express her deep respect for individuals who stayed behind. When asked, Ana states that half her friend group stayed and half left.
1:26:25	Destiny asks Ana if she has heard stories about how individuals were treated when they left the country.	Ana says that treatment often varied by country and that many refugees had positive experiences in Poland, while others reported a fair bit of mistreatment elsewhere. She goes on to explain that her mother could no longer work as a dentist after leaving Kharkiv because her patients were there, and that she personally only had about $500 at the start of the war.
1:33:40	Destiny asks Ana if there are any talking points she sees repeated that she wishes would stop.	Ana references Hasan as an example of a commentator repeating these views, and says she is frustrated by foreign commentators treating Ukraine as an object in a conflict between Russia and NATO rather than as a country with its own people, history, language, culture, and democratic aspirations.
1:55:04	Destiny asks Ana whether she thinks Putin could politically survive the embarrassment of Russia's military failures, such as losing Crimea.	Ana responds that while this is a concern, Russia has an "impeccable ability" to spin any given loss as a victory.

Discussion Timestamps

2:39 Ana introduces herself and describes her volunteer work, including providing medical aid and supplies to Ukrainian battalions and working with a volunteer center. 4:26 Ana explains that prior to the war she did not use social media too much, but found the utility in it in helping her fellow Ukrainians. 4:59 Ana discusses where she's currently located, and explains her translation work for various journalists or twitch streamer (like Dylan Burns) visiting Kharkiv . 16:30 Ana describes how her family and other Ukrainians relocated within Ukraine to safer cities during the invasion. 18:10 Ana explains that after her parents returned to Kharkiv, Russian shelling increased, and one strike landed in her father's yard. The strike had killed him while her mother survived under the rubble inside the house. 20:12 Ana describes how many Ukrainians budget around the minimum they need to survive and donate the rest of their income to support the Ukrainian army. 26:55 Ana describes the desire from most of the country to join NATO and protect from future aggression. 40:36 Ana discusses the Soviet deportation of Crimean Tatars . She explains that Stalin justified it by accusing them of Nazi collaboration. She then compares this to later Russian propaganda against Ukrainians when they compare Ukrainians to Nazis. 46:48 Ana describes Russification in Ukraine, and explains that Ukrainian language and culture were suppressed and shamed while Russian language and identity were promoted. 49:46 Ana describes her education in Kharkiv and explains that her school had a pro-Russian administration and that most subjects were taught in Russian, with Ukrainian language and literature treated separately. 1:09:22 The two briefly discuss their disdain for Hasan. 1:14:45 Ana draws a comparison between watching her father die and interviews of Russian civilians describing the war's impact on their lives as minor inconveniences like no longer being able to buy Lipton tea. She then describes how her mother spoke with Russian relatives who asked whether there had been a military target in the yard. 1:17:48 Ana says that Russian relatives sent her messages telling her to wait until Ukraine was "liberated" despite having access to reports and broad knowledge about what was occurring. She goes on to state that many Russians were not merely uniformed but simply chose to ignore what was occurring. 1:28:57 Ana describes how footage she had taken was utilized in a movie. She goes on to describe how one individual's footage as taken out of context and used to suggest Ukraine was refusing to let Black refugees on evacuation trains, and explains how there was a restriction against all adult men boarding evacuation trains, not just Black refugees specifically. 1:43:38 Ana discusses the distinction between anti-Soviet sentiment and anti-Jewish sentiment among Ukrainian nationalist groups. She explains that while some nationalists associated Jewish people with the Soviet regime and committed pogroms and murders, this was still antisemitic and wrong. She still argues that the the historical context is much more complicated than what Russian propaganda is attempting to suggest. 1:46:46 Ana expresses her appreciation for Destiny's argument that it is unfair for people in safe/stable countries to harshly judge Ukrainians who sought any possible support to preserve their country in a moment of desperation. 1:49:05 Ana discusses the rule of five wheats , and that Ukrainians would be shot for taking food from fields during the famine. She also goes on to describe the {{wiki|Holodomor}. 1:51:14 Ana laments the tendency of leftists who claim to fight for the marginalized yet support Russian's invasion of Ukraine. 1:59:53 Ana states she is afraid of the west removing sanctions from Russia. 2:03:22 Ana and Destiny discuss the propensity of leftists to make pro-Russian arguments, or how these individuals tend to gravitate towards any anti-western stance. 2:06:59 Ana recounts watching Western coverage of the invasion earlier to see what Ukraine's potential allies were saying. She says she stumbled across Hasan and other online commentators, and describes Destiny as one of the few American commentators she felt understood the situation in Ukraine. 2:08:35 Ana commends Vaush for his coverage of the invasion. 2:12:35 The call concludes and Ana shouts out a fundraiser.

12-07-2024 Piers Morgan Guest Seriously IMPRESSES Destiny In Heated Ukraine War Debate

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Piers Morgan Guest Seriously IMPRESSES Destiny In Heated Ukraine War Debate

On December 7, 2024 Destiny reacted to a Piers Morgan debate panel featuring Ana, author Scott Horton , former Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill , The Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur , and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark . During the panel, Ana is the lone Ukrainian voice against a roster of guests who largely (outside of Clark) attribute the conflict to NATO expansion and Western provocation. At one point during the panel, Ana gets into a particularly heated debate with Horton over his alleged dissemination of Russian propaganda with regards to Euromaidan and much of the context preceding the invasion. Throughout the reaction, Destiny responds quite favorably to both Ana and Clark's assertions regarding a need for Western support during the conflict, and particularly unfavorably to Horton and O'Neill, whom he accuses of spouting Russian propaganda.

Ana's Panel Contributions

4:52 Piers asks Ana about Zelensky's apparent willingness to cede territory in exchange for NATO membership. Ana responds that there are certain realities one has to contend with as a Ukrainian, and that many expect Trump to pressure Ukraine into some form of concession whenever he arrives to a decision. She goes on to explain that a NATO membership would be a form of a "security guarantee" Ukraine is seeking, especially since Russia has historically attacked countries outside NATO's protection. She further states that there is no desire to abandon individuals currently residing in occupied territories, especially in the midst of documented instances of torture, abuse, and deportations. 22:01 Piers asks Ana how popular Zelensky is. Ana responds that he remains fairly popular and well-regarded, especially as a representative for Ukraine. She goes on to express her agreement with Cenk that Russia's pattern of aggression cannot be allowed to continue. 27:28 Piers asks Ana about the mood of the Ukrainian people. Ana responds that while people remain enthusiastic about the current progress of the war-effort/defense, a demoralizing effect has occurred off the back of inconsistent Western aid. She goes on to state that it has been hard to sustain this hopefulness and will when Ukrainians aren't confident they'll have the means to continue resisting Russia. 35:55 Ana accuses Horton of parroting Russian propaganda (Euromaidan being US-orchestrated, 2014 Crimea annexation, 2008 Georgia war). 38:00 Ana explains that Euromaidan was a revolution that millions of Ukrainians (herself included at age 19) took part in. She goes on assert that it was motivated by widespread corruption and frustration with Yanukovych(a pro-Russian leader who refused an EU treaty that most Ukrainians wanted). She further states that the revolutionaries wanted to break off from Russian control, establish democracy, and end Russian dominance over Ukrainian business and industry. 41:17 Ana rejects the claim that Russia invaded to protect Russian speakers, and points out that she herself is a Russian speaking Eastern Ukrainian. She states she was never persecuted and that she never required Russian "protection".

Destiny's Reactions

1:28 Piers Morgan opens the panel on the subject of the war in Ukraine, the prospect of a Trump-brokered settlement, and introduces the panelists. 9:01 Destiny responds to Scott Horton's framing of the war as "Biden's betrayal". He points to the tendency of Republican's of sabotaging things and then blaming "the thing" for failing. As Horton continues to speak, Destiny questions if this individual hates America. 10:36 Destiny pulls up a tweet of O'Neill expressing his desire to make several young left-leaning content creators his "concubines". 11:17 Destiny makes a plea to anyone attempting to interview or debate "America bad" guests on Russia/Ukraine or Israel/Palestine, force them to answer a single question first: who would make the better U.S. president, Kamala Harris or Vladimir Putin? Destiny goes on to state that many of them would likely pick Putin. 13:43 Destiny calls out O'Neill's use of the word "unfortunately". Arguing he's framing it in a way to make Ukraine out to be the villain, and Russia a sympathetic victim. 14:39 O'Neill points to Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia joining NATO as broken promises of non-expansion. Destiny counters that the Baltic states joined in 2004. 16:35 Destiny argues that, despite his respect for special-forces training, operators like O'Neill consistently give horrid foreign-policy takes. He caveats that's it's likely just the "loud dipshit ones that get popular", and most are likely "chill". 17:47 Destiny takes issue with the argument that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a result of NATO expansion. He argues that NATO has been expanding for decades, and that the true culprit of the invasion was the removal of pro-Russian leader Yanukovych after he fled following Euromaidan . In response, Russia seized Sevastopol and the rest of Crimea, then went on to fund and fight the war in the Donbas. 18:40 Destiny addresses the claim that the U.S. promised not to expand NATO eastward. He argues that the "not one inch eastward" remark made by James Baker in 1990 concerned the militarization of a reunified Germany, not NATO enlargement into Eastern Europe. He goes on to argue that it was never a written treaty or binding agreement. 21:06 A chatter asks Destiny why the U.S. didn't support Ukraine in 2014. Destiny responds that the Budapest Memorandum is not a binding security guarantee. He elaborates that it was a a "good-faith arrangement" rather than a commitment to come to Ukraine's aid in such cases. Furthermore, Destiny argues that there was a reluctance to act internationally during Obama's tenure do the the fact that the US was still "soyed-out" from prior interventions in Iraq . 24:07 Destiny responds to conspiracy theories regarding Zelensky. 29:14 Destiny calls out the double-standard at play during the panel. He points out that Russia's actions are routinely excused as realpolitik ("what did you expect them to do?") while Ukraine's and America's actions are consistently held to a very real moral standard. "The different standards are appalling when it comes to treating different countries in conflict." 31:17 Destiny pushes back on Horton's "it's more complicated" framing about the lack of urgency of the US coming to the aid of Ukraine. He argues that the war is a rare case where a clear good guy / bad guy stance is warranted. He goes on to state that Putin is widely disliked by neighboring countries and even much of his own population. Destiny goes on to call out Horton as a potential Russian agent, and advocations for his revocation of citizenship. 34:13 Destiny pushes back on the framing that Crimea's 2014 annexation was a "protective act" that Crimeans asked for. 37:32 Destiny pokes fun at Ana for mispronouncing "coupe". 38:34 Destiny explains the difficulties in debating with a Russian propagandist, and equivocates it to fencing with an individual that possess a long-sword, while you only have a short rubber sword. He asserts that every talking point espoused by Horton could easily be dispelled by a "two-second Google search". 39:55 Destiny argues that touting large footnote and citation counts is a huge red flag. He cites David Irving and Norman Finkelstein and draws a parallel to Horton's book and its advertised 6,600 footnotes and 7,800 citations. 43:09 Destiny discusses the difficulty in combatting Propaganda talking points in the middle of a debate, as it usually invites the propagandist to ramble on. He suggests that one would have to ask "punchy" questions like about why the Soviet Union collapsed and no former Soviet states want to rejoin Russia. 44:26 Destiny expresses incredulity at O'Neill suggesting appeasement for Russia. 47:12 Destiny pulls up an old panel appearance he had with Piers, and expresses his occasional frustration with the questions he asks, and states he would rather contend with an honest Nazi rather than a duplicitous centrist. 54:52 Destiny breaks down the trade dispute that preceded Euromaidan and explains that Ukraine sought a trade deal for access to the European market. He asserts that Ukraine was not seeking a formal EU membership, and that Russia had demanded that Ukraine instead join its more restrictive customs union(where Moscow would set tariff policy). 59:58 A chatter points out to Destiny that western education has a blind spot for Russian imperialism. Destiny argues it's a weird "America-bad" thing and points to the Hungarian revolution. Destiny then gets sidetracked complaining about construction in his area. 1:01:48 Destiny is impressed as Clark states that the West should let Ukraine strike freely inside Russia and enter talks demanding the return of all occupied land, reparations, the return of abducted children and missing people, war-crimes trials, and no sanctions relief until those conditions are met. 1:03:20 Destiny attempts to predict what Cenk's response will be once prompted, predicting he will say Putin is bad, America is bad, and there should be peace. Cenk suggests appeasement and avoidance of nuclear warfare should be avoided at all costs, to which Destiny responds that America should never acquiesce to saber-rattling. He argues that while there might be arguments in stopping support for Ukraine, none of those should involve wanting to avoid nuclear warfare as the exact same argument could be imposed on any other NATO country. Cenk proceeds to ask how long Ukraine should fight, how much should be spent, and what happens if Ukraine can't win; Destiny argues Cenk would never apply that same "maybe it's time to stop fighting" calculus to Palestine. 1:14:41 Horton argues the US should have prioritized a stable relationship with Russia over NATO expansion. Destiny argues that this ignores the agency of Eastern European states that wanted to join NATO. He calls out Horton's "America bad" framing again. 1:20:26 A chatter asks Destiny "what should be done now" with regards to US intervention in the ongoing war. He states that while the situation is now a mess, the US should give Ukraine everything it needs short of nuclear weapons and let it use the support freely, so that any loss isn't for lack of backing. He argues this should have happened two years earlier, if not back in 2014.

01-08-2025 Destiny Talks with Ukrainian Ana about the Lex Fridman Interview

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Destiny Talks with Ukrainian Ana about the Lex Fridman Interview

On January 8, 2025 Ana joined Destiny's stream for a conversation about Lex Fridman 's interview with Volodymyr Zelensky .

01-12-2024 Ukranian Ana Is Furious And Jumps On Destiny's Stream

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Ukranian Ana Is Furious And Jumps On Destiny's Stream

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08-18-2024 Destiny Discusses Political Future and Russia / Ukraine with PaulsEgo and Ana

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Destiny Discusses Political Future and Russia / Ukraine with PaulsEgo and Ana

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11-15-2024 She Stops By To Discuss How Seriously Bad Things Are..

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She Stops By To Discuss How Seriously Bad Things Are..

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04-14-2025 "WTH!? He's Evil!" Tim Pool's Ukraine Debate Leaves Destiny In Shock ft. Ukranian Ana

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"WTH!? He's Evil!" Tim Pool's Ukraine Debate Leaves Destiny In Shock ft. Ukranian Ana

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03-11-2026 Destiny Chats With Ukrainian Ana, Reacts To The Origins Of Putin Madness and Hasan

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Destiny Chats With Ukrainian Ana, Reacts To The Origins Of Putin Madness and Hasan

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04-12-2026 600,000 Casualties; 0 Outrage

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600,000 Casualties; 0 Outrage

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Interviews and appearances

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Vaush Interviews Anastasiya Paraskevova

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A Heartfelt Conversation w/ Anastasiya Paraskevova

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"Are You DONE With The Russian Propaganda?!" Debate on Piers Morgan Uncensored