Erasure

Reports say Russia's attacks have destroyed roughly one third of all books printed in Ukraine this year, with Ukrainian publishers and printing facilities hit by strikes. Readers and commentators are calling it a deliberate attack on Ukrainian culture and identity, echoing arguments that targeting cultural production amounts to erasure of a people, not just collateral damage in the war.

Ukraine is working to protect its cultural heritage as Russian forces damage or destroy museums, churches, monuments and historic sites in occupied and shelled territories. Officials and analysts describe the destruction as a deliberate effort to erase Ukrainian identity, and Kyiv is documenting the losses while seeking international support for reconstruction and accountability.

A new analysis examines how Russian authorities in occupied Ukrainian territories are dismantling Ukrainian identity — through the removal of monuments, renaming of streets and towns, imposition of Russian curricula, and persecution of Ukrainian language and culture. The piece argues this is a deliberate, systematic policy of erasure rather than incidental wartime damage, and draws parallels with historical imperial Russification campaigns. Commenters are debating whether the actions amount to cultural erasure or genocide under international definitions.

The Los Angeles Times is running a paid advertisement backed by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism promoting travel to Israel. Critics say the ad's map depicts the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip as part of Israeli territory, drawing condemnation from pro-Palestinian voices who call it misleading erasure of Palestinian land and a violation of international consensus on the occupied territories.

Reports describe a Russian politician who adopted a Ukrainian child taken from Ukraine during the war and subsequently erased the girl's Ukrainian identity. The case is being cited as part of broader allegations that Russia has forcibly deported and reidentified Ukrainian children, conduct widely characterized as war crimes. Commenters online are sharing the story and calling attention to the fate of deported Ukrainian minors.

The Canadian Armed Forces are being criticized for reworking traditional military prayers into more secular, inclusive language, a change described as inclusion turning into erasure. Commentary argues the removal of overtly religious wording sidelines faith traditions that have long been part of military life. The debate has drawn attention to how the military balances diversity commitments with its historical religious customs.