What happened at the Mariupol Drama Theater — and what does it reveal about the larger war between Russia and Ukraine?

In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, historian Jason Herbert sits down with acclaimed journalist and author James Verini to discuss his powerful new book, The Theater, an intimate account of the bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theater during Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Together, they explore the siege of Mariupol, the human cost of modern warfare, and the terrifying role propaganda plays in shaping reality during conflict. The conversation moves beyond headlines into the deeper history of Russian imperialism, the contested identity of the Donbas, the rise of Ukrainian nationalism, and why Vladimir Putin’s war may ultimately have forged a stronger Ukrainian nation than ever before.

Jason and James also discuss:

• Why the bombing of the theater became a defining atrocity of the war
• Russian propaganda and the global information war
• The historical roots of the conflict going back to the Crimean War
• Volodymyr Zelensky’s transformation during the invasion
• NATO, the United States, and the future of global democracy
• Whether Putin can survive politically if Russia loses the war
• Why Ukraine’s fight resonates far beyond Eastern Europe

Part war reporting, part historical reckoning, and part meditation on democracy itself, this episode examines one of the most consequential conflicts of the twenty-first century — and the people trapped inside it.