Voices from the Front Podcast

Shaun Pinner

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🎙️ Voices from the Front | War Stories, Survival & Truth from Ukraine. A raw, unfiltered podcast exploring survival in war, and survival in life. Hosted by Shaun Pinner, British Army veteran, Ukrainian Marine, Mariupol defender, and former prisoner of war, the series delivers firsthand frontline stories from Ukraine and beyond, far from the safety of studio analysis. shaunpinner.substack.com

3d ago

SAME WAR, TWO DIFFERENT PICTURES | Voices From The Front & The Wire Tap

Tonight on Voices from the Front & The Wire Tap, Chris Sampson and I look back at another extraordinary week in Ukraine, and for once, there are some genuinely positive developments to talk about. 🇺🇦 Ukraine is taking ground back, challenging the increasingly simplistic narrative that Russia is relentlessly advancing. At the same time, Ukrainian strikes are putting growing pressure on Russia’s fuel and logistics infrastructure, with the effects increasingly being felt by ordinary Russians and small businesses. 🇰🇵 We also look at the rapidly expanding North Korean role in Russia’s war — troops, specialists, ammunition and ballistic missiles — and ask why the political response in the West remains so muted when regular soldiers from a foreign military are now directly supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. We discuss the continuing ballistic missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, the shortage of interceptors, Crimea, Russia preparing for the long war, and why what is happening here is becoming increasingly difficult to describe as an isolated European conflict. We also talk about Robert Gilman’s release from Russian captivity, why seeing an obviously ill former prisoner immediately turned into a political prop left such a bitter taste, and a major personal development this week: our case against the Russian Federation has now reached the European Court of Human Rights. As always, this is our view from inside Ukraine, what we’re seeing, filming, researching and experiencing ourselves, without pretending the situation is better or worse than it actually is. A quick apology for the technical difficulties during tonight’s show. Being two hours from the front can play havoc with the Wi-Fi, and unfortunately tonight was one of those nights, I did switch back to the trusted phone. Thanks for sticking with us. Voices from the Front & The Wire Tap — Sunday from Ukraine. 🇺🇦 Related Articles: Thank you PJ Schuster, Donna Dupont, Laura K, Leslie in CA, Shannon Edrie, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chris Sampson! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe
Aug 8

ROCKET HIT 1KM FROM OUR HOME | Voices From The Front & The Wire Tap

This week, Chris Sampson and I are back with Voices From the Front & The Wire Tap, looking at the war from where we actually sit: inside Ukraine, under the air-raid warnings, and increasingly under Russia’s expanding long-range strike campaign. The biggest issue this week is brutally simple: Interceptors. Ukraine is facing an increasingly serious shortage of the missiles needed to engage Russian ballistic attacks. We discuss what that means after a week in which Kyiv was hammered, including an attack where 27 ballistic missiles were launched and only one was intercepted. Chris and I were close to one of the impacts and ended up among the first people at the scene. And winter is coming. How does Ukraine keep the lights on, factories operating, weapons being produced and civilians protected if Russia can increasingly launch ballistic missiles into Ukrainian cities without enough interceptors available to stop them? We also look at the rapidly growing North Korean dimension of this war: ballistic missiles, crews and potentially tens of thousands more personnel supporting Russia. This is no longer peripheral assistance. It is becoming a substantial military commitment, while remarkably little attention is being paid to what it means for a war being fought in Europe. We challenge another increasingly dangerous narrative as well: that Ukraine is “winning” or that the tide has somehow decisively turned. Ukraine has achieved extraordinary successes and has managed, at considerable cost, to pull parts of this war back towards a more level playing field. But that is very different from winning. Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities are escalating, Kherson is enduring a drone siege, guided bombs continue hitting frontline regions, and civilian casualties are rising. We also get into Washington and Europe: the supposedly “killer” sanctions package, the politics surrounding American support, Patriot and PAC-3 production, and why announcements and headlines mean very little until weapons actually arrive where they are needed. Then there is the subject increasingly difficult to avoid: what exactly should we call Russia's campaign against Ukrainian civilians? We discuss Kherson, Mariupol, attacks on civilians and the growing argument over whether words such as terrorism and genocide accurately describe what Russia is doing. And throughout the episode, there is something else happening in the background: the war itself. Air-raid warnings interrupt the conversation, electronic warfare interferes with communications, and footage from recent attacks illustrates the strange reality of trying to broadcast a war while actually living inside it. This isn't a studio discussion from thousands of miles away. It's two people in Kyiv and Dnipro, talking through what we're seeing, hearing and experiencing on the ground — and why the increasingly comfortable narrative outside Ukraine often bears very little resemblance to the reality inside it. No victory laps. No false hope. Just the situation as we see it from Ukraine. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe
Jul 26

THE INFLUENCER WAR | Voices From The Front & The Wire Tap – Loomered Edition & Wildberries

This week, Chris Sampson and myself return from the frontlines with first-hand observations from Sumy, Dnipro and Mykolaiv, where Russian attacks continue to shape daily life just miles from the border. We discuss what it’s really like spending nights under drone attacks in Sumy, meeting Ukrainian defenders and international volunteers, and why the reality on the ground is often completely disconnected from the narratives dominating social media. The conversation then turns to what we’ve called the “Influencer War”. With high-profile political influencers suddenly appearing in both Ukraine and Russia, we examine why these rapid shifts in messaging matter, whether accountability should come before redemption, and how online personalities can influence public perception of the war far beyond the battlefield. We also analyse: * Russia’s apparent preparations for a wider mobilisation. * Why Ukraine’s deep strikes are increasingly targeting Russia’s logistics and war economy. * The latest developments surrounding military reforms, General Mykhailo Drapatyi and the future of Mykhailo Fedorov. * Security, operational secrecy and why careless online posts can have deadly consequences during wartime. * The growing importance of information warfare alongside the fighting itself. As always, this isn’t commentary from a studio thousands of miles away. It’s a conversation from people living and working in Ukraine, discussing the war as it unfolds around them. If you enjoy independent frontline reporting and analysis, please consider subscribing to support our work and gain access to exclusive interviews, documentaries and behind-the-scenes reporting from Ukraine. Thank you Laura K, Sue Henger, Bev Ferguson, Nancy Elise Pulliam, John Mahoney, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chris Sampson! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe
Jul 22

MEIDAS DEFENCE | Weekly Update, 22JUL26

This week I joined Ken Harbaugh on the Meidas Network to discuss one of the most consequential weeks of the war in Ukraine. We examine President Zelensky’s decision to replace General Oleksandr Syrskyi with General Mykhailo Drapatyi, why the protests in Kyiv, Dnipro and across the country mattered, and what they reveal about Ukraine’s democracy in the middle of a full-scale war. I also explain why the departure of Mykhailo Fedorov has caused such concern among many Ukrainians, despite the appointment of a highly respected battlefield commander. From here in Dnipro, I also share what life is like under constant air raid alerts, why Ukraine’s campaign against Russia’s logistics network and Crimea is beginning to shift the strategic balance, and why I believe the war is increasingly being decided far beyond the trenches. We also discuss: * Why Ukrainians are cautiously optimistic for the first time in years. * The growing pressure on Russia’s logistics, fuel supplies and occupied Crimea. * The reality of living just hours from the front line. * Russia’s continued attacks on civilians in places like Kherson and why they continue to fail strategically. * Whether Western promises on sanctions and Patriot interceptor production are finally turning into action. * My own experiences as a former POW and why accountability for Russia’s treatment of prisoners remains so important. This isn’t commentary from afar. It’s an on-the-ground conversation from someone who lives in Ukraine, served in the Ukrainian Marines, survived Mariupol, and continues to report from a country still fighting for its future. As always, thank you for reading and supporting independent journalism from Ukraine. 🇺🇦 Thank you Ms. H, Christine Niedzielko, Laurel Fairchild, Laura K, Bob Fleischman, and many others for tuning into my live video with The Ken Harbaugh Show! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe
Jul 22

LIVE | with Phillips P. OBrien and Shaun Pinner

Ukraine has entered one of the most politically significant weeks since the full-scale invasion began. Following the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, nationwide protests erupted, culminating in the appointment of General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine’s new Commander-in-Chief. But what does this change actually mean for the war, and has public pressure genuinely altered the course of events? I join Professor Phillips O’Brien and discuss why Drapatyi is widely respected inside the Armed Forces, how Ukraine is trying to move beyond Soviet-era military thinking, and whether this appointment signals a new generation of leadership built around innovation, drones and decentralised command. We also examine the uncertainty surrounding Fedorov’s future, the challenges facing Acting Defence Minister Kamara, and why the relationship between politics and military leadership has become one of the defining issues of the war. The discussion takes an unexpected turn when, during the live broadcast, a ballistic missile alert forces me to leave for shelter, a stark reminder that while Kyiv debates reforms, the war continues in real time across Ukraine. Topics covered: * Why General Mykhailo Drapatyi is seen as the right choice * The legacy of Soviet doctrine inside Ukraine’s military * Innovation, drones and the future of warfare * Did the protests force political change? * What next for Mykhailo Fedorov? * Acting Defence Minister Kamara’s immediate challenges * Russia’s logistical problems on the front line * Reporting from Ukraine during an active ballistic missile alert As always, thank you for supporting independent journalism from inside Ukraine. 🇺🇦Thank you HoldingTheLine(HTL), Barbara Shields, Carl V Phillips, PhD, M. Layfield, Silvia Goldoni, and many others for tuning into our live video, with Phillips P. OBrien! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe
Jul 19

UKRAINE'S POLITICAL CROSSROADS | Protests, Reform & the Fedorov Fallout

This week on Voices from the Front & The Wire Tap, I join Chris in Mykolaiv to discuss one of the most politically turbulent weeks since Russia's full-scale invasion began. We examine the growing protests across Ukraine following the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, why so many Ukrainians see it as a self-inflicted political crisis, and what it reveals about the ongoing struggle to modernise a military still wrestling with Soviet-era command culture. Drawing on my own experience as a former Ukrainian Marine, I explain the clash between decentralised NATO-style leadership and the rigid hierarchy that still exists within parts of Ukraine’s armed forces. We also discuss General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the challenges facing military leadership during wartime, and why reform is proving just as difficult as the fighting itself. Beyond the politics, we analyze Russia’s increasingly frequent missile attacks on Kyiv, whether Moscow is attempting to exploit Ukraine’s domestic tensions, and why maintaining political unity has become almost as important as success on the battlefield. This is an honest, nuanced conversation from two people living in Ukraine—one that avoids easy answers and explores the difficult decisions shaping the country’s future as it continues to fight for its survival. Thank you Paul T. Levin, Sheryl, HoldingTheLine(HTL), PaulM, Laura K, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chris Sampson! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe
Jul 19

FROM DEATH ROW TO FREEDOM… SORT OF | An Interview with Former Ukrainian Marine Brahim Saadoun

From death row in occupied Donetsk to freedom... but not quite. In this exclusive update, I sit down with my former Ukrainian Marine comrade, Brahim Saadoun, four years after we were sentenced to death by a Russian proxy court and a year after our first chats since those days. While I returned to Ukraine, Brahim remains trapped in Morocco—unable to obtain a passport, unable to travel, and still fighting for the freedom many assumed he had already won. He speaks candidly about his captivity, his forced return from Saudi Arabia, the legal battles that continue to define his life, and why he says he is effectively living in an "open-air prison." We also reflect on Mariupol, our time in captivity, the show trial that condemned us, and the dark humour that helped us survive some of the worst moments imaginable. If you work in human rights, international law, diplomacy, or believe you may be able to help, please watch and consider reaching out. Sometimes all it takes is the right person seeing the right story. Nobody should survive death row only to spend years fighting for the basic right to leave their own country. How to find Brahim - https://x.com/khattabka25?s=11&t=Iefr6NSCtS0wlCp57-JdQA This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe
Jul 15

MEIDAS DEFENCE | Ken Harbaugh, Denver Riggleman & Me | Weekly Update, 15 Jul 2026

Thank you Lynn Thigpen 🇺🇦, Los Gatos Sin Madrid, AngWo, Scott Campbell, She Rah, and many others for tuning into my live video with Denver Riggleman and The Ken Harbaugh Show! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe

🎙️ Voices from the Front | War Stories, Survival & Truth from Ukraine. A raw, unfiltered podcast exploring survival in war, and survival in life. Hosted by Shaun Pinner, British Army veteran, Ukrainian Marine, Mariupol defender, and former prisoner of war, the series delivers firsthand frontline stories from Ukraine and beyond, far from the safety of studio analysis. shaunpinner.substack.com

Creator

Shaun Pinner
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

45
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© shaun pinner
Show Website

Voices from the Front Podcast