Live data from Hacker News

How Ukraine Built a War Fighting State

austinvernon.site

11–20 of 67 posts

Re: How Ukraine Built a War Fighting State

#11
post #3

> The solution was a market and "currency" for units to buy equipment and supplies. Brigade-level units purchase drones directly from the manufacturers using the "Brave" marketplace. The currency in the marketplace is points that units earn from video-confirmed kills of Russians. Drones flow to the most effective units, those units work closely with the manufacturers, and they can choose from a range of options depen…

We would need a test bed for the different drones, and a way to get the points system working. Are you volunteering Cuba to be our testbed?

[deleted]

Re: How Ukraine Built a War Fighting State

#13
post #3

> The solution was a market and "currency" for units to buy equipment and supplies. Brigade-level units purchase drones directly from the manufacturers using the "Brave" marketplace. The currency in the marketplace is points that units earn from video-confirmed kills of Russians. Drones flow to the most effective units, those units work closely with the manufacturers, and they can choose from a range of options depen…

Seems like a way to purposly implement Goodhart's Law in a war bureaucracy. Like, the law is a warning but neoliberals might read it differently I guess...

Re: How Ukraine Built a War Fighting State

#14
post #3

> The solution was a market and "currency" for units to buy equipment and supplies. Brigade-level units purchase drones directly from the manufacturers using the "Brave" marketplace. The currency in the marketplace is points that units earn from video-confirmed kills of Russians. Drones flow to the most effective units, those units work closely with the manufacturers, and they can choose from a range of options depen…

Seems like a way to purposly implement Goodhart's Law in a war bureaucracy. Like, the law is a warning but neoliberals might read it differently I guess...

You're worried that they will over-fit on killing enemy invaders, at the expense of something more important? Like what?

Re: How Ukraine Built a War Fighting State

#16
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why all the down votes?

Because it's not true? If you think it is, sources please.

Not hard, if you pump 600 billion [1] into one of the most corrupt [2] and poorest countries [3]

Google AI:

[1] The European Union and its member states have provided a total of €215.2 billion in overall support to Ukraine and its people since the start of Russia's war of aggression "Since the start of Russia's war of aggression, they have provided €215.2 billion in support for Ukraine and its people.", as reported by the Consilium of the European Union.

As of mid-2026, the United States Congress has made available $195 billion in total spending related to the war in Ukraine.

[2] Ukraine scored 36 out of 100 points in the latest Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), ranking 104th out of 180 countries. While the country’s rating has improved in recent years, ongoing wartime procurement and defense-sector scandals point to continued high-level corruption risks.

Behind most EU candidates: The average score for EU candidate countries is 39. Nations like Montenegro (46), Moldova (42), and Albania (40) are all perceived as cleaner than Ukraine.

[3] Ukraine is one of the poorest countries in Europe by both individual and national wealth standards, largely due to historical factors and the massive economic toll of the full-scale war. Global Standing: On the global stage, Ukraine ranks 94th

Re: How Ukraine Built a War Fighting State

#17

[flagged]

Why all the down votes?

"let's send this stuff from the warehouse to Ukraine" "let's say it's a value of $x even though it's close to the use-by date" and then come you and write that someone sent $x, and expect anyone to believe that.

And you even write that $x makes hard things easy. Hope much did the US pay to lose against Iran? Winning against anyone for the same sum isn't easy.

Re: How Ukraine Built a War Fighting State

#18
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it's not true? If you think it is, sources please.

Not hard, if you pump 600 billion [1] into one of the most corrupt [2] and poorest countries [3] Google AI: [1] The European Union and its member states have provided a total of €215.2 billion in overall support to Ukraine and its people since the start of Russia's war of aggression "Since the start of Russia's war of aggression, they have provided €215.2 billion in support for Ukraine and its people.", as reported b…

Ask Google AI what's the real value of the supplied aid.

Also, supplying Ukraine is a cheap way to prevent similar invasions from happening in the future.

Re: How Ukraine Built a War Fighting State

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope The European Union and its member states have provided a total of €215.2 billion in overall support to Ukraine and its people since the start of Russia's war of aggression "Since the start of Russia's war of aggression, they have provided €215.2 billion in support for Ukraine and its people.", as reported by the Consilium of the European Union. As of mid-2026, the United States Congress has made available $195 b…

Ukraine is rich! https://expatcircle.com/cms/travel-impressions-ukraine-kyiv-... Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved the key parameters of this year's pension indexation, with payments set to rise by 12.1%

This was literally an extended sales pitch to get people to buy/invest in real estate in Kyiv. Of course they're going to portray it as vibrant and rich.

Re: How Ukraine Built a War Fighting State

#20

[flagged]

It's actually pretty hard. The most expected scenario after pumping hundreds of billions into a cleptocracy would be for most of that money to get stolen with little to show for it. Not to build a machine that stopped Russia. What Ukraine authorities managed to do, given the country's state (the coruption is truly mindboggling), is remarkable.
Post reply on HN