Taras Kuzio: Nadiya Savchenko – the new factor in Ukrainian politics
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (R) presents the Hero of Ukraine award to Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko in Kyiv on May 25.
Last month's release of Ukrainian air force pilot Nadia Savchenko after 709 days in illegal Russian captivity came on the same day a group of us were returning from the front line of Ukraine’s Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) to Kyiv. During the longer than usual train journey we compared notes about why Russian President Vladimir Putin had taken this step, what he hoped to achieve and how Savchenko would impact upon Ukrainian domestic politics.
