My first long conversation with Shaun Pinner, recorded February 2, 2026, with Kyiv in blackout and Dnipro at minus 15. Shaun, a British army veteran, came to Ukraine in 2018 as an instructor, made his home in Mariupol, joined the Ukrainian Marines, and was captured in April 2022, sentenced to death in occupied Donetsk and released that September.

We talk about a BBC investigation into Russia's use of Interpol notices against Ukrainian defenders, and why Shaun has dropped plans to visit the United States. He explains the difference between contract soldiers and mercenaries, and the conditions for foreign fighters held by Ukraine compared to his own captivity.

We also cover winter on the front, the energy ceasefire Trump announced while strikes continued, the Abu Dhabi talks and Steve Witkoff, and how Shaun went from soldier to journalist.

Chapters

0:00 Opening and Dnipro at minus 15

4:29 How Shaun came to Ukraine in 2018

7:57 The months before the full-scale invasion

11:58 Why foreigners come to fight

16:51 The war before 2022 and Ukraine's changing doctrine

20:48 Fighting through winter in blackout

24:45 Thermals, drones and Russian losses

27:55 Trump's ceasefire that never happened

32:43 Occupied territories and stolen homes

36:09 What Trump 2.0 means for Ukraine

40:34 Captivity, a death sentence and becoming a journalist

44:53 Supporting independent reporters

48:16 Interpol notices and why Shaun won't travel to the US

56:21 Martial law in Kyiv versus fears in America

1:01:27 Four years since the full-scale invasion

1:03:59 Foreign fighters, mercenaries and POW status

1:08:29 Russian prisons and Ukrainian POW camps

1:16:04 Prisoner swaps and peace talks

1:20:24 Advice on finding reliable information

1:23:56 Steve Witkoff and rogue diplomacy

1:28:46 How Ukraine has adapted

1:34:04 Where to find Shaun and Voices From The Front

Watch on YouTube: Shaun Pinner: Russian Captivity, Interpol Notices, and Why He Won't Travel to America

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Shaun Pinner on Captivity, Interpol Notices…