Latest news with #Soviet-styled
NDTV
a day ago
- Business
- NDTV
Yulia Svyrydenko - The Economist Who Will Lead Ukraine's Wartime Government
Ukraine: Yulia Svyrydenko, who championed a vital economic accord between Ukraine and the United States, defines a generation of young Ukrainian politicians who have steered their country through the tumult of war. The 39-year-old, who was appointed to lead Ukraine's teetering economy just months before the Kremlin launched its full-scale assault in February 2022, was put forward on Monday by President Volodymyr Zelensky to be the country's next prime minister. Svyrydenko gained prominence this year during fraught negotiations around the minerals deal that nearly derailed ties between Kyiv and its most important military ally. The deal was central to a disastrous televised spat between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in February 2025. But Svyrydenkonot long after travelled to Washington to finalise the agreement that many Ukrainians hoped would placate Trump by giving him a sellable victory and ensure more critical US support for Kyiv. "She was the key and the only person leading these negotiations. She managed to prevent them from unravelling," said Tymofiy Mylovanov, a former economy minister who worked with Svyrydenko. Mylovanov, who now heads the Kyiv School of Economics, said Svyrydenko preferred a level-headed approach to politics and avoided confrontations. "She's professional. She keeps her cool," he added in comments to AFP. 'Young, smart, determined' She would be taking over the helm at a precarious moment for the country that is exhausted after more than three years of full-scale war and dependent on allies broad for its survival. The role of prime minister does not typically include a say on military strategy or the frontline war effort, where Zelensky and his military chiefs call the shots. Yet Svyrydenko is central to a young generation of Ukrainian leaders, like Zelensky, who have steered the country through the Russian invasion and contrast starkly with the Soviet-styled elites that dominate in Russia. She was not yet 30 when the Kremlin helped foment a violent overthrow of authorities in eastern Ukraine, as popular protests demanded Kyiv pursue closer integration with Europe. And her native region of Chernigiv, which borders Russia and its war ally Belarus, was briefly occupied at the start of the invasion launched in February 2022. "Svyrydenko is emblematic of the Ukrainian people's resilience," then-US Secretary of Commerce Rina Raimondo wrote of her in Time Magazine in 2023. "With young, smart, and determined leaders like her at the helm, Ukraine's postwar future is looking brighter than ever," Raimondo added. In infrequent public appearances Svyrydenko is soft-spoken but communicates purposefully at a break-neck-pace in Ukrainian or accented English. She also moved through the ranks of government quickly, after graduating with honours from the National University of Trade and Economics and a brief spell in the private sector. She held a variety of posts in her native Chernigiv region before being appointed by presidential decree as deputy head of the president's office in 2020. Less than one year later, she became a deputy prime minister and economy minister. Ukrainian media has reported that Svyrydenko has long held political ambitions. RBC-Ukraine, a business publication, said that Zelensky had blocked her previous attempts to become prime minister, citing sources that she would be better-suited to the role in a post-war period. Svyrydenko has said that civil service was a part of her life since childhood, when both her parents worked in government. "I saw how they devoted themselves to serving the community, how their hometown and its improvement were their core values," she recently told Ukrainian media.
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
‘Atomic Heart' Hits 10 Million Players, Dev Celebrates With New Label
'Atomic Heart' has been played by 10 million players worldwide. Soviet-styled action FPS Atomic Heart has officially crossed the 10 million player threshold. To mark the milestone, its creators at Mundfish has a huge announcement to make — one that aims to empower developers and investors alike. Atomic Heart has maintained consistently reasonable numbers for a single-player game, with extra incentives for new and returning gamers through three DLCs: Annihilation Instinct, Trapped in Limbo, and Enchantment Under the Sea. Robert Bagratuni, CEO and founder of Mundfish, who was also the game director for Atomic Heart, said: 'What started as a dream has become a reality beyond anything we imagined. We're incredibly grateful to our players for their passion and support — it's their enthusiasm that brought Atomic Heart to life.' Now, the studio is launching Mundfish Powerhouse, a new creative label that hopes to give developers and investors 'the resources, expertise, and support they need to bring their first projects to life.' The initiative will bring Mundfish into the development process from the start, with a particular focus on optimization, technology, and gameplay mechanics. The Mundfish team. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder 'Studios and investors have been approaching us for quite some time,' said Bagratuni. 'Powerhouse will only partner with projects where we see great potential to make noise, not just a handful of indie hits, but big and bold games that can set a new standard.' Powerhouse is already working on new projects; meanwhile, Mundfish is working on the fourth and final unnamed DLC for Atomic Heart as a last hoorah for its most successful game yet. I reviewed Atomic Heart before it launched. It was easily the most excited I'd been for an action FPS in years, because I love alternative histories like The Man in the High Castle, Making History, and The Eyre Affair, so the promise of a high-concept, retro-futuristic world and alternative history — where the Soviet Union becomes a dystopian 'paradise' by the mid-1950s — was irresistible. Within the first hour, you learn that the Powers That Be are about to potentially enslave the populace with the launch of mass neural network Kollektiv 2.0. All boxes ticked. It helped that Atomic Heart was visually stunning in nearly every department, setting a high bar early on. Look at it, though. Despite its incredible art direction and ideas, Atomic Heart was far from flawless. Its unrefined mechanics, weird UI, awkward controls, and unpredictable combat took the shine off its biggest and best ideas. Despite being ostensibly open-world, it didn't give you much incentive to explore. On top of that, the story's pacing, combined with one of the least likable protagonists of the year, made the game feel a bit empty at some of its most crucial points. Still, two years on, I think about Atomic Heart weekly. Like Wipeout 2097, Control, and Rollerdrome, it has a je ne sais quoi cool quality that's so rare in gaming. Even though I still stand by my initial take, I recommend every FPS fan try it, as Mundfish has added plenty of post-launch refinements to iron things out. Maybe wait until it's on sale, though.
