Front lines of humor: Dark humor voices Ukrainians’ hopes for victory

Humor has served many functions since Russia’s full-scale invasion, from providing Ukrainians with a sense of escape and hope to spreading news.

By: Neringa Klumbytė, Miami University; Lithuanian Institute of History, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 4, 2026

Words: 1,221

Last Updated: 6 days, 8 hours ago

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By Neringa Klumbytė, Miami University; Lithuanian Institute of History

In 1991, a simple line appeared in Broom, a Lithuanian satire and humor journal. “A shortest joke: Communism,” it said. A one-liner to celebrate the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, a shortest joke could be told about Russia’s war in Ukraine: “Liberation.”

Since the Russian Federation began its “special military operation” to “liberate” Ukrainians on Feb. 24, 2022, hundreds …

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