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

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

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

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

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

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.

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🎙️Voices from the Front & The Wire Tap

As America marks Independence Day, we ask a much bigger question: what does independence really mean when a nation is fighting for its survival?

In this special episode, Chris & myself, Shaun Pinner explore the latest developments from Ukraine, Russia and beyond, discussing why the prospect of peace appears further away than ever. From Russia’s escalating missile campaign and growing domestic pressures to the battle for Crimea, NATO, hybrid warfare and the political decisions shaping the conflict, this is an unfiltered conversation from two people living through the war.

The discussion also reflects on the meaning of freedom and national independence, contrasting celebrations in the United States with Ukraine’s daily fight to defend its sovereignty. Along the way, Shaun shares insights from his latest analysis, recent public appearances, and why he believes the coming months could prove decisive for the war.

Topics include:

* Why peace negotiations remain unlikely in 2026.

* Russia’s strategy, manpower and mounting internal pressures.

* Crimea and the changing military balance.

* NATO, hybrid warfare and the wider threat to Europe.

* What Independence Day means from the perspective of wartime Ukraine.

* Behind the scenes of Voices from the Front and upcoming reporting projects.

If you value independent, frontline reporting from Ukraine, please consider subscribing and joining the conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing firsthand analysis, interviews and reporting from the people living this war every day.

Thank you PJ Schuster, It’s Time 🇺🇦, James T Duffield, Ms. H, Debórah, 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

What really shaped Ukraine before the full-scale invasion? How has Russian propaganda evolved, and could diplomacy ever have prevented the war?

In this in-depth conversation, I sit down with Cormac Smith, former British diplomat to Ukraine, to discuss the war from the perspectives of diplomacy, strategic communications and firsthand experience.

Together we explore:

* Why Russian propaganda remains one of the Kremlin’s most powerful weapons.

* How Ukraine transformed Western understanding of information warfare.

* Whether diplomacy ever had a realistic chance of preventing the invasion.

* Why critical thinking is now a national security issue.

* The mistakes made by Western governments before and after February 2022.

* Ukraine’s extraordinary resilience and what gives us hope for the future.

Drawing on years spent living and working in Ukraine, military service, diplomacy and journalism, this is a candid conversation that goes beyond the headlines to explain how information, politics and war have become inseparable.

Watch the full interview above, or if you prefer to read, the complete transcript is available below.

Thank you PJ Schuster, Cris Palomino, LadyHistorian, HoldingTheLine(HTL), PaulM, and many others for tuning into my live video with Cormac Smith! 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 & The Wire Tap, In this episode, Chris Sampson and myself, Shaun Pinner, examine the growing signs that Russia’s logistics network is coming under increasing pressure. From fuel shortages in occupied Crimea and disruptions to the southern corridor, to Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign and rapid drone innovation, we explore how the battlefield is changing.

Drawing on firsthand experience reporting from and living in Ukraine, we discuss why the Kremlin’s increasingly contradictory messaging, and, at times, its silence, may reveal deeper strategic problems. We also examine the impact of modern drone warfare, Belarus’ role in the conflict, and why logistics, not just the front line, could determine the next phase of the war.

Topics include:

* Russia’s logistics and fuel crisis

* Crimea and the southern supply corridor

* Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign

* Drone warfare and military innovation

* Kremlin strategy and information warfare

* Belarus and regional security

* NATO, Western support, and the future of the conflict

If you value independent, on-the-ground reporting from Ukraine, please consider subscribing, sharing this publication, and joining the conversation.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us live and continues to support the channel. Your comments, questions, shares, and subscriptions help independent reporting reach a wider audience.

Join us every Sunday at 21:00 Kyiv time for our live edition of Voices From The Front & The Wire Tap, exclusively on Substack.

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

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