Voices from the Front

Shaun Pinner
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🎙️Survival and Truth from Ukraine and Beyond: Voices from the Front is a raw, unfiltered look at survival, not just in war, but in life. Hosted by Shaun Pinner, British veteran, Ukrainian Marine & former POW, this podcast shares real stories from those who’ve lived through conflict, captivity, and chaos. From the ruined streets of Mariupol to remote villages rebuilding in silence, these are voices rarely heard, soldiers, medics, mothers and survivors, each fighting their own battle to live, fight, and survive. At its heart, it’s about truth from the ground: what war really looks like, what resilience sounds like, and why it matters. shaunpinner.substack.com

  1. RUSSIA ISN'T BENDING, IT'S BREAKING - Voices From The Front & The Wire Tap:

    14H AGO

    RUSSIA ISN'T BENDING, IT'S BREAKING - Voices From The Front & The Wire Tap:

    Thank you Katinka Lyngroth, Christine Nobbs, Krista Markstrom-Boon, Me By The Sea, Dann, and many others for tuning into my our live video, Join us for our next live video, every Friday 21:00 Kyiv time, discussing the weeks events from Ukraine Get full access to Voices from the Front at shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 42m
  2. THE WAR IS TURNING, RUSSIA IS LOSING - Voices From The Front & The Wire Tap

    3D AGO

    THE WAR IS TURNING, RUSSIA IS LOSING - Voices From The Front & The Wire Tap

    🎙️Voice from the Front & The Wire Tap would like thank Barbara Shields, Dann, Mary Boudreau, AZ, Naomi Walsby and many others for tuning into our live video with Chris Sampson & Myself! Join us for our next live video in the app. on Sunday Get full access to Voices from the Front at shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 27m
  3. THE SOVIET PLAYBOOK - have you tried turning it off and on?

    FEB 14

    THE SOVIET PLAYBOOK - have you tried turning it off and on?

    🎙️Voices From The Front & The Wire Tap - SOVIET PLAYBOOK - have you tried turning it off and on? Another great chat with Chris in Kyiv discussing the weeks shenanigans. In this week’s Voices from the Front & The Wire Tap, Chris & myself break down the biggest developments from Ukraine in a no-nonsense review of the week, recorded live with our audience. +140 and growing We dig into Lavrov’s latest Kremlin deflections, the reality of Russia bombing Ukraine while blaming America, the Starlink (“Sky Link”) controversy, and what happened in Mariupol and the 501st Battalion? Chris also rounds things off with a dose of culture to close the show. This is independent reporting from the ground, cutting through propaganda and spin. If you find this valuable, please subscribe to our channels and support the work. Hope you enjoy the episode — and join us again next Friday at 21:00 Kyiv Time Get full access to Voices from the Front at shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 48m
  4. PUTIN’S DESPERATION - Voices from the Front & The Wire Tap

    FEB 2

    PUTIN’S DESPERATION - Voices from the Front & The Wire Tap

    🎙️ Voices from the Front & The Wire Tap — On the Ground in Ukraine Every Friday, journalist Chris Sampson and former British serviceman turned Ukrainian Marine and journalist Shaun Pinner sit down to talk honestly about Ukraine, the war, geopolitics, Russian propaganda, media narratives, and life on the ground. This isn’t studio punditry. We live and work in Ukraine. We see what’s happening, we deal with the consequences, and we cut through the noise to explain what really matters — from frontline realities and information warfare to Western politics, Trump, Russia’s abuse of Interpol, and the human cost of war. On this Substack, you’ll get: 🎧 Early access to every episode before YouTube 📰 On-the-ground analysis from inside Ukraine 🛰️ Deep dives into Russian propaganda & disinformation 🌍 Honest conversations about geopolitics, media, and war 🧭 Real stories from people living the conflict, not commenting from afar We cover:Ukraine war updates • Frontline reporting • Russian information warfare • Western politics & Ukraine • Journalism vs propaganda • Prisoner exchanges • Life under air raids • The reality behind the headlines 📅 New episodes every Friday at 21:00 Kyiv / 19:00 UKIf you’re looking for ground-truth reporting, unfiltered discussion, and serious insight into Ukraine and the war with Russia, you’re in the right place. No fluff. No spin. Voices From the Front with some Wire Taps Get full access to Voices from the Front at shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 40m
  5. WHO ARE THE PROMISES REALLY FOR? Trilateral Theatre & The Promises

    FEB 2

    WHO ARE THE PROMISES REALLY FOR? Trilateral Theatre & The Promises

    🎙️Voices from the Front - Trilateral Theatre & the Promises Talks in Abu Dhabi could mark the first time Ukrainian, Russian, and American delegations have been involved in negotiations at the same table since Moscow’s full-scale invasion nearly four years ago. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the negotiations as being in the “last mile.” Yet despite that optimism, deep divisions remain, particularly over eastern Ukraine and the fundamental question of territory. Russia is sending a military delegation, a signal in itself. The focus appears to be on holding captured territory and pressing for a Ukrainian withdrawal, rather than compromise. With positions still far apart and no clear enforcement mechanisms publicly outlined, the war’s fourth anniversary may arrive without an end in sight. In this episode, I step back from the headlines to ask a harder question: who are the promises being made in these talks really for?This is not about dismissing diplomacy. It is about examining the conflicting interests, political incentives, and risks that emerge when speed is prioritized over structure in an active war. Peace negotiations are not just about announcements or optics. They are about security guarantees, legitimacy, accountability, and long-term stability. When each party defines “peace” differently, a quick fix can become dangerously fragile.This is not an argument against talks, it is a call for caution, clarity, and realism. History shows that peace deals built on weak promises rarely hold, and when they fail, the cost is paid by civilians. 🎥 Recorded analysis from Ukraine, informed by firsthand experience and on-the-ground reporting. If you value sober analysis beyond soundbites and spin, consider subscribing, sharing, and joining the conversation. Reuters - https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-links-security-guarantees-ukraine-peace-deal-ceding-donbas-ft-reports-2026-01-27/ 💙 SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎙️ Voices from the Front Crowdfunder👉 https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/Dy... 💳 PayPal: @ShaunPinner 🔗 LINKS👉 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...💬 Follow & Support👉 X (Twitter): @olddog100ua👉 Bluesky: @olddogua.bsky.social👉 Instagram: @snowy_ua📘 My Book — Live.Fight.Survive👉 https://shaunpinner.com/book🔗 Linktree👉 https://linktr.ee/old_dog_ua Get full access to Voices from the Front at shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe

    17 min
  6. UKRAINE'S WINTER WAR – Part One

    JAN 26

    UKRAINE'S WINTER WAR – Part One

    🎙️Voices from the Front: Ukraine’s Winter War Part One Winter has become a weapon & Russia believes it has found an ally in Donald Trump, someone it hopes will legitimize territorial theft and force Ukraine into a so-called “peace deal” that hands over land Moscow failed to seize on the battlefield, despite catastrophic losses approaching a 1.2 million troops. Russia continues to stall and manipulate diplomatic talks with both the United States and Ukraine. These delays are not accidental, they are part of a broader strategy to buy time, regroup militarily, and pressure Ukraine into concessions it has refused since the start of the full-scale invasion. In Ukraine’s Winter War, I’ll take you to Dnipro, standing on the frozen river that divides the city, to explain how Russia is once again attempting to break Ukraine not on the battlefield alone, but through cold, darkness, and civilian suffering. This series will look at the human cost of Russia’s winter campaign: missile and drone strikes on power stations, substations, heating infrastructure, and water systems — all designed to leave millions without electricity, heat, or shelter during sub-zero temperatures. What you’re watching here is not theory or analysis from afar, it’s lived experience, recorded from inside Ukraine as winter tightens its grip. Key facts & context: * Since October 2022, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with winter strikes intensifying during periods of extreme cold * Millions of Ukrainians have experienced rolling blackouts, often lasting 8–16 hours per day in winter months * Temperatures regularly fall below –10°C, turning loss of power into a life-threatening condition * Civilian infrastructure is protected under international humanitarian law — its deliberate targeting constitutes a war crime * Despite this, Ukrainian cities continue to function, adapt, and resist This is not just a military conflict.It is an attempt to freeze a nation into submission — and it has failed before. This is Ukraine’s Winter War.Part One. Get full access to Voices from the Front at shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe

    7 min
  7. PUTIN'S 3 DAY LIE - Where will he get his win?

    JAN 13

    PUTIN'S 3 DAY LIE - Where will he get his win?

    🎙️ Voices from the Front — Where Will Putin Get His Win? Russia’s so-called “3-Day Special Military Operation” has become one of the greatest strategic failures of the modern era. The SMO has now outlasted the Soviet Union’s own defining war. The Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany ran from 1941 to 1945. What was sold in February 2022 as a lightning campaign has dragged on far longer, and, crucially, it did not begin in 2022 at all. Years into the Ukraine war, Vladimir Putin is no longer pursuing victory — he’s searching for something he can sell as a win, his propaganda is working damage limitation, as his allies get smaller and Russian's are now starting to ask why? In this episode of Voices from the Front, I break down where Putin might try to manufacture success, why he may actually now sign a peace deal, why real military victory in Ukraine is no longer achievable, and how propaganda, escalation, and symbolic gains have replaced strategy. From Russia’s battlefield losses, manpower shortages, sanctions pressure, and dependence on North Korea, Iran, and China, to collapsing influence in Syria, Venezuela, and the wider Global South, the Kremlin’s options are narrowing fast. This is no longer a war of expansion — it’s a war of damage control. Recorded from inside Ukraine, this episode cuts through Kremlin talking points and Western complacency to explain what “winning” even means for Russia now — and why it keeps slipping further away. 👇 In this episode • We continue from the Power Shift Episode & Russia’s shrinking war aims in Ukraine • Why Putin needs symbolic victories, not real ones• Military failure vs propaganda survival • How this war reshaped global power dynamics & how Putin's allies are shrinking. Get full access to Voices from the Front at shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe

    12 min
  8. "RUSSIA WANTS UKRAINE TO SUCCEED"| w/ Cormac Smith, Former UK Diplomat

    JAN 2

    "RUSSIA WANTS UKRAINE TO SUCCEED"| w/ Cormac Smith, Former UK Diplomat

    🎙️ Voices from the Front — Russia Wants Ukraine to Succeed? This weekend, Donald Trump made a claim so detached from reality it caused more than a few people to spit out their tea: “Russia wants Ukraine to succeed.” That statement didn’t land in a vacuum. It came while Russia was actively launching missiles, drones, and artillery strikes across Ukraine — hitting civilians, critical infrastructure, and cities far from the front line. This wasn’t a gaffe.This wasn’t sloppy wording.This was a reframing of the war. And that reframing aligns almost perfectly with long-running Kremlin narratives — narratives designed to blur responsibility, exhaust Western resolve, and normalize aggression. ⚠️ The More Dangerous Question The real issue isn’t outrage. It’s credibility. If a former US president can so casually invert aggressor and victim, what does that signal about the reliability of US security guarantees — not just for Ukraine, but globally? What message does it send to: • Venezuela, watching how far international consequences really go• Taiwan, measuring whether deterrence is firm or conditional• Allies, who rely on NATO commitments being more than just rhetoric Language matters.And adversaries are always listening. 🧭 In This Episode Cormac Smith, former British diplomat to Ukraine, and I discuss: • Why this statement is strategically dangerous, not merely controversial• Where the US now sits in the global perception battle• Why Russia needs Western figures to say exactly this• How propaganda works without uniforms, state TV, or slogans• What this means for Ukraine, NATO credibility, and global security guarantees 🌍 The Bigger Picture Wars aren’t only fought with tanks and drones.They’re fought with words, legitimacy, and perception. And when senior Western figures repeat narratives that absolve the aggressor, the cost isn’t theoretical. People die because of it. ❤️ Support the Work If you care about truth, accountability, and stopping propaganda from becoming policy, consider supporting independent journalism and sharing this episode. 👉 Like👉 Subscribe👉 Share Leave a comment — it helps push this work past noise and algorithmic suppression. How You Can Help 🎙️ Voices from the Front Crowdfunder👉 https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/Dy42zRgW 💳 PayPal: @ShaunPinner Your support helps fund: * Veteran support * Independent reporting * Legal efforts pursuing accountability for Russian war crimes Listen & Read More 📰 Further Analysis & WritingSubstack: https://substack.com/@pinnerpatter 📘 Book — Live. Fight. Survive.https://shaunpinner.com/book 🔗 All Linkshttps://linktr.ee/old_dog_ua Get full access to Voices from the Front at shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 21m
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About

🎙️Survival and Truth from Ukraine and Beyond: Voices from the Front is a raw, unfiltered look at survival, not just in war, but in life. Hosted by Shaun Pinner, British veteran, Ukrainian Marine & former POW, this podcast shares real stories from those who’ve lived through conflict, captivity, and chaos. From the ruined streets of Mariupol to remote villages rebuilding in silence, these are voices rarely heard, soldiers, medics, mothers and survivors, each fighting their own battle to live, fight, and survive. At its heart, it’s about truth from the ground: what war really looks like, what resilience sounds like, and why it matters. shaunpinner.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Shaun Pinner
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © shaun pinner
  • Show Website
    Voices from the Front

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