What really happens inside Russian captivity?
In this episode of The Wire Tap, journalist Chris Sampson speaks with Shaun Pinner, a British-Ukrainian marine and veteran who was captured during the battle for Mariupol in 2022 and later released in a prisoner exchange.
Pinner describes the brutal realities of capture, interrogation, and survival under Russian forces — including electrocution, psychological pressure, and the moment he realized that survival depended on controlling his mindset.
Drawing on his SERE training (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) and years of military experience, Pinner explains the stages of captivity, how prisoners survive interrogation, and the mental techniques that helped him endure.
The conversation also examines the broader context of the war in Ukraine, Russian tactics against prisoners, and why understanding captivity matters for soldiers, civilians, and anyone facing extreme stress.
Topics discussed include:
• The fall of Mariupol and Pinner’s capture
• Russian interrogation and torture methods
• Survival psychology and resistance training
• Lessons from SERE training
• Propaganda, prisoners of war, and psychological warfare
• Why resilience matters in both war and everyday life
This is one of the most detailed firsthand accounts of Russian captivity during the war in Ukraine.
Host: Chris Sampson — The Wire Tap / NatSecMedia
Guest: Shaun Pinner — Voices From The Front
Thank you It’s Time, Judith Evans, Oddwood, Pamela Day, Michael, and many others for tuning into my live video with Shaun Pinner!
