BackinFebruaryof2022,anyonewhoknewanythingthoughttheWarinUkrainewouldbeoverinafewweeks.Russiasimplyhadmorebodiestofightwithandmoresteeltokillwith.Fast-forwardtotoday,however,andthewarisanythingbutover.Ukrainehasheldandregainedterritorywithshockingresilience.Strangerstill,asmall,cheapgadgetthatupuntilnowwaslittlemorethanatoy,hasbeencentraltotheirsuccess.TodayonRadiolab,wetrackthedeploymentofthisweaponandwonderwhathappenswhenyouhavetolookyourenemyintheeyebeforeyoupullthetrigger. SpecialthankstoAnnaKaliusnaandherteamforherfootagefromthefrontline,YuliaTarisukforherhelpwithallthingsUkrainianlanguagerelated.AndHannaRoseShellforherhelpingusunderstandthehistoryofcamouflage.

EPISODECREDITS:Reportedby-SimonAdlerProducedby-SimonAdlerOriginalmusicandsounddesigncontributedby-SimonAdlerandJeremyBloomwithmixingby-JeremyBloomFact-checkingby-NatalieMiddletonandEditedby-BeccaBressler

EPISODECITATIONS:AUDIO:OntheMedia,“TheFogofWar”(https://zpr.io/8NKDM2xHWzRp)OurnewslettercomesouteveryWednesday.Itincludesshortessays,recommendations,anddetailsaboutotherwaystointeractwiththeshow.Signup(https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!Radiolabissupportedbylistenerslikeyou.SupportRadiolabbybecomingamemberofTheLab(https://members.radiolab.org/)today.FollowourshowonInstagram,TwitterandFacebook@radiolab,andshareyourthoughtswithusbyemailingradiolab@wnyc.org.

LeadershipsupportforRadiolab’sscienceprogrammingisprovidedbytheGordonandBettyMooreFoundation,ScienceSandbox,aSimonsFoundationInitiative,andtheJohnTempletonFoundation.FoundationalsupportforRadiolabwasprovidedbytheAlfredP.SloanFoundation.