by Shaun Pinner
🎙️ 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. <br/><br/><a href="https://shaunpinner.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">shaunpinner.substack.com</a>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
10/20/2025
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July 19, 2026
<p>This week on <strong>Voices from the Front & The Wire Tap</strong>, I join Chris in Mykolaiv to discuss one of the most politically turbulent weeks since Russia's full-scale invasion began.</p><p>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.</p><p>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 <strong>General Oleksandr Syrskyi</strong>, the challenges facing military leadership during wartime, and why reform is proving just as difficult as the fighting itself.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Thank you <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/86682986-paul-t-levin">Paul T. Levin</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/132613774-sheryl">Sheryl</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/95133130-holdingthelinehtl">HoldingTheLine(HTL)</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/196283569-paulm">PaulM</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/245723508-laura-k">Laura K</a>, and many others for tuning into my live video with <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/11696490-chris-sampson">Chris Sampson</a>! Join me for my next live video in the app.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2">shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe</a>
July 19, 2026
<p><strong>From death row in occupied Donetsk to freedom... but not quite.</strong></p><p>In this exclusive update, I sit down with my former Ukrainian Marine comrade, <strong>Brahim Saadoun</strong>, four years after we were sentenced to death by a Russian proxy court and a year after our first chats since those days. </p><p>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."</p><p>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.</p><p>If you work in <strong>human rights, international law, diplomacy, or believe you may be able to help</strong>, please watch and consider reaching out. Sometimes all it takes is the right person seeing the right story.</p><p><strong>Nobody should survive death row only to spend years fighting for the basic right to leave their own country.</strong></p><p>How to find Brahim - <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/khattabka25?s=11&t=Iefr6NSCtS0wlCp57-JdQA">https://x.com/khattabka25?s=11&t=Iefr6NSCtS0wlCp57-JdQA</a></p><p></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2">shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe</a>
July 15, 2026
<p>This week I joined <strong>Ken Harbaugh</strong>, former US Navy intelligence pilot, and <strong>Denver Riggleman</strong>, former US Congressman and Air Force intelligence officer, for a wide-ranging discussion on the issues dominating today’s geopolitical landscape.</p><p>We examined Ukraine’s increasingly difficult air defence challenge, Russia’s ongoing missile campaign, the latest developments around Crimea, and whether Europe is finally preparing to shoulder more of the burden as uncertainty continues to surround Washington’s commitment.</p><p>We also turned our attention to Iran, the wider Middle East, NATO, China’s growing diplomatic role, and what Donald Trump’s approach could mean not only for Ukraine, but for the broader international order over the months ahead.</p><p>It was a frank conversation between three people coming from very different professional backgrounds but united by a shared interest in understanding where events are heading, not just on the battlefield, but across the wider geopolitical picture.</p><p>I hope you enjoy it. Thank you <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/98074169-los-gatos-sin-madrid">Los Gatos Sin Madrid</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/479270758-angwo">AngWo</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/13587889-she-rah">She Rah</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/56241020-scott-campbell">Scott Campbell</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/152018824-lida">Lida</a>, and many others for tuning into my live video with <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/99144984-denver-riggleman">Denver Riggleman</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/277451069-the-ken-harbaugh-show">The Ken Harbaugh Show</a>! Join me for my next live video in the app.</p><p>RELATED ARTICLES</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2">shaunpinner.substack.com/subscribe</a>
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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. <br/><br/><a href="https://shaunpinner.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">shaunpinner.substack.com</a>
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