396. Katya’s War: From Kharkiv to Bakhmut

Battleground

Goalhanger

History

4.5 • 820 Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2026

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If you would like to watch this podcast you can watch it on Spotify or you can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@BattlegroundUkraine In this episode, we welcome back a remarkable guest: Katya Ratushna. While some may recognise her from the Academy Award-nominated film Porcelain War, Katya is, above all, a seasoned soldier and a veteran of the Battles for Kharkiv, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka. Speaking from her hometown of Kharkiv, Katya shares her journey from a civilian digging trenches in 2014 to a special operations soldier fighting in the most contested sectors of the full-scale invasion. She offers a raw, unfiltered perspective on: The Early Days of Resistance: How she and a group of 22 friends started the war with their own personal weapons and armour, patrolling Kharkiv in a small Ford Fiesta packed with RPGs. The challenges of Service: A candid discussion on the "conflict of senses" regarding mobilisation and the social complications facing Ukraine as veterans remain on the front lines without enough replacements to rotate out. The "Zoo" of Bakhmut: The chaotic reality of urban combat, where diverse units often struggled with communication and friendly fire, and the heartbreaking silence of friends who have since disappeared. The Final Night: A vivid account of the May 2023 withdrawal from Bakhmut—navigating burning anti-tank mines and manoeuvring a Humvee through exhausted troops as the scent of cherry blossoms signalled a somber end to a fierce campaign. Join us for Part 1 of this powerful interview as Katya dismantles stereotypes and explores why mindset is the most critical survival tool on the modern battlefield. Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com Follow us on: X - @PodBattleground Instagram - podbattleground TikTok - battlegroundukraine Producer: James Hodgson A Goalhanger Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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1:05.4	Visit Indeed.com slash next hire and sponsor your job today. Welcome back to Battleground Ukraine with me, Saul David.
1:10.8	Now, eagle-eyed listeners might have noticed were a little behind our usual schedule this week. We had a
1:11.7	fascinating podcast following a visit we did to a heartier command post near the front lines ready to go,
1:18.0	but as we've often discussed on this show, the fog of war isn't just a metaphor. That particular
1:23.5	episode is currently undergoing a final security vetting by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
	...

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