GRP 162-The Last Train to Kyiv: Insight From a Ukrainian Special Forces Soldier
Global Recon
John Hendricks
4.8 • 592 Ratings
🗓️ 3 May 2022
⏱️ 116 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We are currently working on setting up a secure payment system through an American Special Forces veteran ran organization to get donations directly to Mikko’s unit. They will be buying medical supplies, fuel, and other necessities.
Joining me for this week's podcast is Mikko. Mikko is an active-duty Ukrainian Special Forces Soldier who has been fighting the Russians since the 2022 invasion began. Mikko saw combat in 2016 as a breacher in Eastern Ukraine, working for a Law Enforcement unit in the Special Operations Group. He transferred into a specialized role sending him overseas, where he was in charge of a K-9 section.
When the Russians invaded Ukraine, he was in Istanbul on his way home. It was a surreal experience as everyone was heading west out of Kyiv, and he was racing east before the Russians could encircle Kyiv. Mikko was in Bucha, a city in Ukraine when the Russians were executing civilians and witnessed the horrific aftermath. We discussed the cultural nuances between Ukrainians and Russians, President Zelenskiy, the Azov Battalion, etc. Tune in!
Main Takeaways
- Apprehending criminals in the lawless eastern regions of Ukraine
- President Zelensky
- Serving in A Special Recconassiance Unit
- Witnessing Russians Execute Civilians
- The Azov Battalion
- Russia Underestimating Ukraine
- Mariupol
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | After months of preparations, the Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched a major military operation against Ukraine. |
| 0:12.0 | Yes, that's right. We've heard five or six, well actually, probably up to eight now, very faint explosions out of view. They'll resemble a faint |
| 0:23.4 | thunder clap. We've had a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense. They claim they are |
| 0:32.0 | not attacking cities with rockets or artillery. They describe high precision weapons that they're |
| 0:37.3 | using to target |
| 0:38.3 | military infrastructure in Ukraine, aviation and air defenses. The ministry says the civil |
| 0:46.0 | population is not at risk. |
| 0:50.8 | So, Senator, you along with the rest of us have seen those horrific images of the Children's Hospital being bombed in Ukraine. |
| 0:57.0 | Russia appears to be at this point just indiscriminately bombing civilian areas. |
| 1:01.0 | The U.S. ambassador to the UN today said Russia is committing war crimes. |
| 1:05.0 | Would you agree, have they? |
| 1:07.0 | It most certainly appears that way to us. |
| 1:10.0 | I think the White House, when they say that you have to have it adjudicated, maybe taking |
| 1:13.6 | the long look, most of us are recognizing that what they're doing is they're killing |
| 1:18.6 | civilians. |
| 1:19.6 | They're killing innocent people. |
| 1:20.6 | They're not out chasing down armies or individuals that are armed. |
| 1:23.6 | They're simply doing indiscriminate killing right now in Ukraine. |
| 1:26.6 | And the reason why they're doing it is because they're simply doing indiscriminate killing right now in Ukraine. And the reason why they're |
| 1:27.9 | doing it is because they're trying through attrition to convince Ukraine to surrender. They haven't been |
| 1:35.0 | able to defeat their militias. They haven't been able to defeat their army or their, you know, |
| 1:40.9 | the armed forces of Ukraine. Their president has stood strong, and when their original |
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