“Russia Is on Its Last Legs”: Former British Soldier and POW Shaun Pinner on Ukraine War
In a compelling interview on the Gaze’s podcast On the Edge with Philip Itner, former British Army soldier Shaun Pinner, who fought for Ukraine and was captured during the siege of Mariupol, offers a stark account of the Russian war machine’s fragility and Ukraine’s resilience.
Speaking from Kyiv, where he now assists on the front lines and in the information war, Pinner painted a grim picture of the Russian military effort and underscored the strategic and moral stakes of the conflict.
“Russia are really struggling. I mean, they're using donkeys on the front line. Their supply routes are bad. They've canceled their [operations] because they don't have the manpower,” Pinner said, bluntly. “Putin is really on his last legs here.”
Having served in the British Army and later in Ukraine’s National Guard and Marines, Pinner brought a wealth of military experience to the fight. He was captured in 2022 during the fall of Mariupol, where he had served as a section commander, and spent over 60 harrowing days in a Russian-controlled black site. Pinner described routine torture, starvation, and psychological manipulation by his Russian and proxy captors.
“They stabbed me in the leg... I was electrocuted… they video it all, and then they show it back to you,” he recounted, adding that Russian-controlled propaganda channels like RT are “an intricate part of the torture system and the FSB.”
Pinner, who had lived in Ukraine since 2018, emphasized that the war is not only about territory—it’s about values and identity.
“Ukraine is not Russia,” he declared. “Most Ukrainians know that if Russia wins and gets through, anybody connected with the government is going to disappear… Everybody knows that, which is why they’re fighting for their lives.”
From the perspective of someone who has seen combat and captivity, Pinner is adamant that the war is winnable—if Ukraine receives sustained Western support.
“Ukraine’s already won this war,” he insisted. “They’ve lost 50% of what they initially captured. Russia doesn’t hold any majority… Putin's lost dominance of the Black Sea, he’s lost Syria. All because of Ukraine.”
Now actively involved in supporting the wounded and spreading truth from the front lines, Pinner called on Western audiences and governments to look beyond maps and headlines.
“Everyone wants to back a winner,” he said. “And if Ukraine had suddenly broke through and had some success… I have no doubt, after seeing the Ukrainian military, that they could push them out.”
His message to the West was clear: Ukraine can win. But it must be allowed to.
Watch the full podcast on The Gaze’s YouTube: POW Shaun Pinner: Ukraine Exposes Putin’s Weakest Hour!