Ukraine Military History

Samuel Cook, Rob Lee

Ukraine Military History is a podcast about how wars are actually fought, and won. Co-hosts Rob Lee and Dmytro Putiata — both Marines and respected military analysts — break down the war in Ukraine in the operational detail headlines miss: drone warfare, force structure, and what's really happening along the front. Host Samuel Cook, who taught Russian military history at West Point, widens the lens to the campaigns and doctrines that shaped modern war and still echo on today's battlefield. Produced by the Borderlands Foundation, the show preserves and teaches the hard-won lessons of Ukraine's

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13 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes13

Newest first

Tuesday · 52 min
Ep13 – Inside GUR's International Legion: An Elite Commander on Rat Tactics, the 80% Drone War, and the Future of Special Operations
His face is blurred and his voice is altered — because he is still fighting. In this episode, Rob Lee sits down with the commander of a separate special forces company in the International Legion of GUR (Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate): a veteran of the SBU's elite Alpha unit who fought through the Battle of Kyiv, the Kherson counteroffensive, and Bakhmut before taking command in the Legion. From the Zaporizhzhia front, he describes a war transformed. Russian "rat tactics" — two- and three-man teams infiltrating between positions with no evacuation and one order: advance or die. A kill zone where at least 80% of all casualties, on both sides, come from drones. Up to 12 FPVs expended on a single soldier. Urban fights where your unit holds one house and the enemy holds the next one for days. And a new pattern of FPV terror attacks on civilian cars and buses in Zaporizhzhia. He also explains what the drone war has retired — snipers down to 10% effectiveness, mortars now "like snipers," an FPV team worth more than an anti-tank system — and what NATO special operations forces must learn from it: units that are at most 25–30% infantry, built around technology, adaptability, and commanders who put their soldiers' lives first. Built & Promoted using ⁠StoryFunnels 🎧 Listen, subscribe & support ▶ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory 0:00 - From SBU Alpha to GUR's International Legion 6:25 - The Unit's Drone Arsenal: FPVs, Mavics, Vampires, Ground Drones 8:26 - The Zaporizhzhia Front and "Rat Tactics": Do or Die, No Evacuation 10:37 - FPV Terror Against Civilians — Up to 12 FPVs Per Soldier 12:56 - Russian Spetsnaz and 2–3-Man Infiltration Instead of Assaults 15:17 - 80% of All Casualties Are From Drones; Glide Bombs as Terror 17:06 - Urban Combat: The Enemy in the Next House 19:08 - Walking 10–30 km to the Zero Line; Anti-Thermal Suits 21:33 - Who Joins the Legion (Norway to Nigeria): "You Must Become Better" 25:04 - The Alpha Years: Combat Medic in Donbas 28:16 - The Battle of Kyiv: Hunting Russian Agents Building to Building 30:16 - The Kherson Offensive: Village by Village 33:26 - Bakhmut: Mortars, Mavics, and a First Wound 35:24 - Weapons the Kill Zone Retired — and the Future: Max 30% Infantry 37:45 - How to Join or Support the Legion
Friday · 1 hr 4 min
Ep #12 – Two Marines. One War. Both Captured. Shaun Pinner about Mariupol & Captivity
In this special episode, Ievgen Malik sits down with Shaun Pinner — British soldier, Ukrainian Marine, Mariupol defender, and fellow survivor of Russian captivity. The two served in the same battalion of the 36th Marines but in different units, fought through the siege of Mariupol from February to April 2022, and both ended up in Russian captivity — where they got to know each other. This is not a standard interview. It's two veterans who shared the worst experience of their lives sitting together for the first time since their release, comparing stories, filling in blanks, and discovering what the other went through. Shaun talks about leaving a successful business in London at 45 to join the Ukrainian military, falling in love with Mariupol, training Ukrainian soldiers to move away from Soviet doctrine, and watching the full-scale invasion destroy the city he called home. Ievgen tells his side — the fog that could have been their escape, the breakout that went wrong, and why the second year of captivity was worse than Mariupol itself. Together, they describe the Russian way of war from the receiving end: Grad rockets fired at two soldiers, tanks shooting on the hour like a clock, 80 rockets for a two-man position. They talk about what captivity was really like — the electric shocks, the stabbings, the guards who called themselves Spetsnaz but couldn't name their own weapons, and the forced propaganda videos where the torturer stood behind the camera. And they explain why Shaun now considers it his mission to warn Europe about what's coming. Built & launched with StoryFunnels Produced by the Borderlands Foundation. Subscribe here Listen other episodes & support: ⁠https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/⁠ Timestampts: 0:00 - Ievgen and Shaun's Story — Mariupol and Captivity 4:57 - A True Ally of Ukraine 6:48 - Why Shaun Came to Ukraine: Unhappy in Business, Happiest in the Military 9:40 - Shaun Joins Azov as Sniper Instructor, Then Transfers to Marines 12:14 - Ievgen's First Memory of the English Guys at the Battalion Gate 14:25 - Parachute Training at 45: "You Couldn't Stop Me" 17:00 - Nine Jumps, One Night Jump — the Only British Foreigner to Complete It 19:13 - "I'm Not a Foreign Fighter — I'm a Ukrainian Marine" 21:30 - The Transition from Soviet Doctrine to Decentralized Command 24:03 - By 2022: Sergeants Making Decisions 26:27 - "We Were Now Ukrainian": British Borscht and the Platoon Family 28:00 - War Has Changed: Drones Are the Sniper, the Mortars, the Artillery 30:01 - The Drone Story: Two Marines, One Drone, 80 Grad Rockets 32:46 - "The First Time in My Military Career, I'm Now the Taliban" 35:01 - Mariupol: "Very Emotional, Very Dangerous — We Lost So Many People" 37:56 - "In War Films, a Tank Is the Worst. For Us, a Tank Was the Minimum" 40:01 - The Encirclement: 200 Kilometers Deep, No Way Out 41:58 - Preparing for Escape: Snapping Credit Cards, Clearing Intelligence 44:14 - Shaun's Capture: Planned to Surrender to a Russian Officer — Got DPR Instead 47:00 - Ievgen's Negotiated Surrender 48:44 - Beatings Begin: Bag Over Head, Stabbed in the Leg 51:05 - Electric Shocks and Psychological Torture: "They're So Good at It" 53:23 - "You're James Bond, You're SAS" — "No, I'm Senior Sailor" 56:08 - The Last Question: What Would Happen If Russia Invaded Britain? 59:34 - "It's My Job to Tell People What Actually Happened in Mariupol" 1:01:32 - "This War Needs to Be Finished Here — It's Imperialism"
July 21 · 1 hr 30 min
Ep 11 – E-Points, Busification, and the Generals Nobody Can Fire: Inside the Army's Systemic Crisis
In Episode 10 the panel unpacked the politics of Mykhailo Fedorov's dismissal as Ukraine's defence minister — the protests, the strategy clash with Syrskyi, and why soldiers took it personally. In Episode 11, they go deeper: Fedorov's explosive farewell press conference, where he published an 11-point list of systemic problems inside Ukraine's armed forces — and invited the country to judge.Rob Lee takes the panel through the list point by point. Ryan O'Leary — American volunteer, still serving — and Dima Putiata — Ukrainian veteran sergeant — push back, agree, and add stories from their own service that the official accounts never tell. The result is the most granular public discussion of what is actually broken inside the Ukrainian military in the fourth year of war: the E-points system that rewards killing infantry over destroying logistics, the half-built corps reform, brigades that cannot count their own battalions, a mobilization apparatus that has lost public trust, the foreigners' revolving door, and a constitutional structure that means the minister of defence cannot fire a single general.They close with their verdicts — and a shared warning: the window for a Ukrainian offensive operation is open now, but it may close by early 2027.Built with Storyfunnels.aiTimestamps:0:00 - Fedorov's Problem List1:57 - Fedorov's 11 Points from His Farewell Speech2:35 - Problem #1: The Army Fights at the Tactical Level4:06 - The SSO Told Me to File Reports in PDF6:45 - Battalion Targeted Drone Operators — and Got Punished7:32 - The E-Points System9:00 - Brave One Marketplace11:23 - Destroyed Over 100 Starlinks13:03 - Fedorov's Lack of Military Background14:37 - Middle-Strike Coordination20:20 - Problem #2: The Corps System Is Not Yet Fully Formed25:00 - Third Corps Under Biletsky27:50 - Problem #3: Brigades and Corps Have Been Fragmented — Piecemeal Deployments33:58 - Problem #4: No One Is Held Accountable for Anything34:13 - No Ownership & The US Military Model36:24 - 30 Cadets Die in Training37:23 - Mobilization & Busification39:22 - Ukraine's Biggest Mistake42:42 - Civilians Don't Feel Safe49:39 - Foreigners Are the Only Ones Still Dumb Enough54:33 - The Bureaucratic Nightmare 56:35 - Dedicated Foreign Service Branch59:00 - 6-Month Contract Costs Ukraine More Than It Gets Back1:01:10 - Manpower Is the Biggest Issue1:02:01 - Fedorov Identified 200,000 AWOL1:03:59 - The MOD Cannot Fire Generals1:06:00 - Fedorov Was Blamed for Things Not in His Remit1:07:43 - Swap Out the Commander-in-Chief1:09:04 - Post-War1:10:17 - Unfortunate Fedorov Is Replaced1:13:00 - Fedorov Was the Best Minister of Defence1:15:54 - The Golden Opportunity1:20:02 - How Long Can Each Side Sustain This?1:25:38 - We've Got the Russians by the Balls1:27:53 - Sign My Damn Citizenship, ZelenskyProduced by the Borderlands Foundation.🎧 **Listen & subscribe:**All episodes: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/Apple: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/d6Vm9DSpotify: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/bEE3Y9Amazon: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/hun4CH▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory
July 20 · 2 hr 52 min
Ep 10 – Zelensky Fires His Defense Minister: Soldiers Speak Out — Rob Lee, Ryan O'Leary & Dima Putiata on the Week That Shook Kyiv (Part 1)
On July 15, 2026, President Zelensky dismissed his entire cabinet — and with it, defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, six months into the job and, to many soldiers and civilians, the most effective minister Ukraine's military had ever had. Within a day there were protests in Kyiv. Two days later, we turned on the cameras. In this emergency panel — filmed in Kyiv on July 17 — Rob Lee sits down with two men who serve: Dima Putiata, veteran sergeant of Ukraine's unmanned systems forces, and Ryan O'Leary, an American who has fought for Ukraine since 2022 and joins the podcast for the first time — and does not hold back. In Part 1, they unpack the political thinking behind the dismissal: what Fedorov actually changed in six months, why the streets reacted, who the replacement is, and the deeper clash over how this war should be fought — Fedorov's strategy of making the war unsustainable for Russia versus Syrskyi's push to attack while the window is open. Part 2 goes deeper: Fedorov's farewell list of the army's systemic problems — E-points, the half-built corps reform, busification, and the foreigners' revolving door — debated point by point. Subscribe so you don't miss it. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction (Sam Cook): The Week That Shook Kyiv 2:11 - The Panel Convene 3:30 - Dima: Why People Defend Fedorov — and Why Wartime Reform Is Brutal 7:29 - How the Replacement Unfolded: Klymenko First, Then the SBU Man 8:22 - Ryan: "Ukraine Shoots Itself in the Foot" 11:58 - Year Four, and Foreigners Still Can't Transfer 12:43 - Why Six-Month Ministers Can't Work — and Why Fedorov Was Different 15:32 - Replacing People Without Giving Them a Chance 18:10 - Where the Frontline Gains Actually Came From 19:38 - What Fedorov Really Changed: He Opened the MOD to the Public 21:47 - Trust in Institutions — "We're Below Zero Now" 23:38 - The Strategy Vacuum Since 2023 25:01 - "I Asked How We Win — and Got Silence" 27:37 - Kursk: A Brilliant Operation in Search of a Strategy 28:52 - Fedorov's Theory of Victory: Make the War Unsustainable for Russia 31:31 - The New Minister: Brilliant Operator, Zero Public Affairs 33:10 - What Background Does a Defense Minister Actually Need? 35:26 - Dima vs the 50,000-a-Month Metric: Kill More, or Lose Fewer? 38:24 - Strike at 100 Kilometers, Not at the Zero Line 40:12 - Attrition or Maneuver: Where Is Russia's Breaking Point? 41:17 - Crimea Isolated: No Fuel, No Power, No Fleet — but Does It End the War? 44:41 - Making Occupation Unlivable: The Governance-Collapse Theory 48:59 - After the Strikes, What? Fedorov vs Syrskyi on Going on the Attack 49:49 - The Kursk Bill: A Thousand Vehicles and Hollowed-Out Brigades 51:21 - Two Theories of Victory: Raise the Costs, or Break the Line 52:12 - The Counterattack Reflex — and the Lying It Created 53:20 - The Assault Regiments: The Skala Controversy 55:38 - Code 9.2 and the Kupiansk Model: 100 Infantry, Local Drone Superiority 56:36 - Ryan Sides With Syrskyi: The Window for Maneuver Is Open 58:56 - Behind the Drone Line, You Can Do Whatever You Want 59:09 - Area Denial: "Mine Every Tree Line, 15 to 20 Kilometers Deep" 1:00:56 - Bakhmut, Lost Villages, and the Politics of Holding Ground 1:03:23 - Drone Assaults: What Chosen Company Proved in 2023 1:05:46 - The Missed Breach at Huliaipole 1:11:11 - Skala's Problem: Public Affairs 1:15:12 - Ten-Thousand-Man Regiments: Who's Actually In Them? 1:18:01 - Mobilization, Prisoners, and Who Ends Up in Assault Units 1:21:03 - The 155th Brigade Scandal: "Just Dissolve It" Produced by the Borderlands Foundation. 🎧 Listen & subscribe: All episodes: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/ Apple: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/d6Vm9D Spotify: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/bEE3Y9 Amazon: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/hun4CH ▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory
July 20 · 1 hr 39 min
Ep9 – "You Were Allowed to Breathe. That's All.": Ievgen Malik on Mordovia Prison and the Road Home (Part 2)
On February 7th, 2023, Ievgen Malik was told he was going home. He smiled. A prison officer looked at him and said: *"What are you smiling about? You're going to be beaten hundreds of times before you get home."* That was the truth. He was being transferred to Prison No. 10 in Mordovia — the hardest facility in his captivity — where he would spend the better part of a year. In this concluding episode with Rob Lee, Ievgen Malik details life inside Mordovia: the arrival ritual (stripped naked in Russian winter, beaten by twenty guards with batons and electric shocks for forty minutes); the daily regime (stand from 6am to 10pm, no moving, no speaking, no smiling, no leaning — allowed only to breathe); his 30th birthday (made to sing a Russian song while a guard shocked his fingers for the entire duration); the German shepherd bite that went untreated for weeks; and the moment on September 13th, 2024 — Friday the 13th — when his name was finally called. Of the 650 Ukrainian prisoners in Mordovia Prison No. 10, fewer than 20 have been released. More than 600 remain there today. *Continues from Episode 8.* Produced by the Borderlands Foundation And promoted using storyfunnels.ai 🎧 Listen & subscribe: All episodes: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/ ▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory 📩 Two Marines (Rob & Dmytro): https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/wt9OCKTimestamps:00:00 What is this episode about05:42 The Transfer: "We Truly Believed This Was the End"08:07 "You're Going to Be Beaten Hundreds of Times Before You Get Home"13:26 Sign It If You Did It — a Confession Means a Death Sentence18:47 The Arrival — Naked, On Knees, in the Russian Winter21:49 The Daily Regime: Stand From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.22:25 "You Are Allowed to Breathe. That's It."31:37 Old News: The Day They Said They'd Captured Lviv32:36 The Guards: Following Orders vs. Enjoying It33:27 Hyenas From Hell — the Laugh That Still Stays With Him42:56 The Dogs55:23 The Ombudsman's Three Days — the Red Cross Never Came56:46 Friday the 13th: the Day His Name Was Called1:00:35 "God, Make This Plane Break Down" — the Flight He Didn't Believe1:02:34 The Man Whose Mother Didn't Recognize Him1:07:02 A Piece of Chocolate1:08:26 A Birthday in Captivity1:10:59 The Exchange: Across the Belarusian Border1:16:11 Out of 650, Only 20 Have Come Home1:20:22 "Sometimes I Sit in a Café and Can't Believe I'm Free"1:22:59 This Isn't Ukraine vs. Russia. It's Russia vs. Europe.1:28:33 Thanks to the supporters
July 13 · 1 hr 45 min
Ep8 – Captivity Is Ten Times Worse Than Mariupol: Ievgen Malik on the Fall of Mariupol and Russian Captivity (Part 1)
On April 9th, 2022, the Ukrainian garrison in Mariupol attempted a mass breakout. Around 400 men were killed in a single night. The attempt failed. Three days later, Senior Sergeant Ievgen Malik's unit — cut off, out of food, out of ammunition — made the decision to surrender. What came next took two and a half years. In this first of two episodes with Rob Lee — FPRI Senior Fellow and one of the world's most respected Russian military analysts — Ievgen Malik details the final days of the Battle of Mariupol: the failed breakout, the capture of a 19-year-old Russian conscript sent in with a cigarette lighter, the negotiations on a bridge with a colonel and a T-72 tank, and the decision to surrender with 90 men still alive. Then: Sartana, Olenivka, a flight into Russia blindfolded, and the beginning of interrogations at Ryazhsk prison. Rob Lee brings the same precise analytical approach he applies to the battlefield — and the result is the most detailed first-hand account of Mariupol's final chapter, and what Russian captivity actually looks like, that you will find anywhere. Part 2 continues in Ep9. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction (Sam Cook) 04:39 Rob Lee Sets the Scene 05:40 90 Men at the Agla Factory — Ievgen Introduces Himself 08:13 The Surrender Order: April 12th and 13th 08:54 April 9th — 400 Dead in One Night: The Breakout That Failed 16:47 A Colonel From the Security Service — Negotiations Begin 18:34 The 19-Year-Old With the Lighter: Capturing a Russian Conscript 21:02 The Bridge — a Colonel, a T-72, and an Exchange Offer 23:21 "There Is a Chance to Survive" — the Decision to Surrender 27:17 Buses to Sartana — and the Australian They Shot on Sight 31:59 Olenivka: 830 Prisoners 36:13 "An Exchange Through Russia" — the Flight Into the Unknown 42:09 Ryazhsk Prison: Processing 48:02 The Screams Down the Hall 53:10 "Did You Shoot Our Troops?" — the Interrogation 1:08:29 The Sticks: What Torture Implements Actually Do 1:11:55 "Captivity Is 10 Times Worse Than Mariupol" 1:13:19 "Every Day I Thought — Why Didn't I Shoot Myself" 1:13:40 Random Beatings: When Violence Becomes Entertainment 1:19:28 Room 19 1:26:53 Propaganda Is the Nuclear Weapon of the 21st Century 1:30:43 Waterboarding 1:33:57 Outro & Sponsors 🎧 Listen & subscribe: All episodes: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/ Apple: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/d6Vm9D Spotify: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/bEE3Y9 Amazon: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/hun4CH Castbox: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/fwdd5A ▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory 📩 Two Marines (Rob & Dmytro): https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/wt9OCK Produced by the Borderlands Foundation.
July 9 · 2 hr 3 min
Ep7 – The Making of a Marine: Ievgen Malik on Poltava, the Decision to Fight, and the Last Stand at Mariupol
Ievgen Malik grew up in Poltava — one of the most historically loaded cities in Ukraine, home to the 1709 battle that ended the last independent Ukrainian hetmanate. He studied international relations in the Czech Republic, watched Maidan from abroad, and understood immediately what Crimea meant. He tried to enlist in 2014. His parents stopped him. In 2018, he went to Mykolaiv, signed a contract with the 1st Separate Marine Battalion — Ukraine's oldest — and then went home and showed his parents the paper. This episode is the origin story. Sam Cook sits down with Senior Sergeant Malik to trace the path from civilian life to the frontlines: what made him a Marine, what life in the battalion was really like, and what it meant to fight for Mariupol — a city that had no way out — for nearly two months, knowing from the very first march that the only outcomes were death or captivity. The next two episodes (Ep8 and Ep9), with Rob Lee, pick up exactly where this one ends. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction (Sam Cook) 09:24 Poltava: Growing Up at the Heart of Ukraine 11:01 Two Statues, One City — Peter the Great and Mazepa 15:29 Maidan and the Question of Identity 16:48 Crimea Changes Everything — "War With Aliens Would End Faster" 19:30 Donbas 2014: 138,000 Soldiers on Paper 21:27 Coming Back to Ukraine in 2015 23:52 Army: Plan B Becomes Plan A 26:36 Mykolaiv: Signing the Contract Without Telling His Parents 27:03 Basic Training: This Is Not the Movies 29:29 Life in the Battalion — Living on the Range 32:29 Two Rotations Before the War 35:19 February 24, 2022: "Take Your Stuff and Come to Mariupol" 38:53 One Week Before the Storm 41:20 The War Starts: Holding the Northeast of the City 47:13 Weapons, Ammunition, and What They Had to Fight With 55:14 Under Russian Artillery 1:07:28 The Retreat: 15 Kilometers on Foot 1:15:17 The Left Flank Collapses — the 53rd Breaks 1:19:43 Village by Village 1:22:52 Completely Surrounded: The Order to Hold 1:25:59 Neptune, Charlie, Agla — the Factory Positions 1:32:12 Selecting the Best of the Best 1:33:46 One Month at Agla: March 16 to the End 1:34:54 Night Fights Without Night Vision — the Man With the Lighter 1:37:28 "They Truly Believed It Would Be Three Weeks" 1:38:16 A Month Under Aircraft, Iskanders, and Artillery 1:39:00 Running Out of Food — and Cigarettes 1:42:14 "When You Don't See the Way Out, You Start to Do Crazy Things" 1:46:39 "We Knew We Were Done From the Neptune March" 1:47:44 What the Battle of Mariupol Actually Changed 1:51:52 Sponsors 🎧 Listen & subscribe: All episodes: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/ Apple: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/d6Vm9D Spotify: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/bEE3Y9 Amazon: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/hun4CH Castbox: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/fwdd5A ▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory 📩 Two Marines (Rob & Dmytro): https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/wt9OCK
June 29 · 52 min
Ep 6 – Battalion That Killed Over 2,000 Russians in 2 Months – Rob Lee × UAV Commander "Shram"
Rob Lee sits down with Lieutenant Colonel Vladyslav "Shram" Tovstyi — commander of UAV Battalion "Corsair" within Ukraine's 38th Marine Brigade, operating in one of the hottest sectors on the Donetsk front. Tovstyi built the Corsair battalion from scratch in 2022, starting with two men and a Mavic, and scaled it into a five-division drone force that became a model for the entire Marine Corps.In this conversation, he breaks down exactly how modern drone warfare works from inside a frontline UAV battalion: the three-layer strike doctrine (close / mid / deep), why fiber optic FPVs are a situational tool not a panacea, how Russia's Rubicon unit operates and teaches other units, what losing Starlink access actually changed for Russian operations, and the uncomfortable truth about Ukraine's point-based incentive system for drone kills. Featured in The Washington Post, Tovstyi is one of the most experienced drone commanders speaking openly about this fight.Produced by the Ukraine Military History Institute under the Borderlands Foundation.Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction & sponsors (Sam Cook)03:00 Rob Lee opens — guest introduction03:35 How Corsair UAV Battalion was built from scratch in 202204:40 The drone battlefield today: technology replacing manpower in positions05:10 Seasons and drone war — why winter is the deadliest time to move06:50 Russian infiltration tactics: small groups, same routes, wave after wave08:20 38th Brigade at Myrnohrad: 2,000 Russian casualties in two months08:25 Rubicon — Russia's elite drone unit and how they train other formations09:35 Russia scaling unmanned systems forces: echeloned, organized, spreading fast10:45 What changed when Russia lost Starlink access13:55 Three-layer doctrine: Deep Strike, Mid Strike, and close attack explained16:20 Fiber optic FPVs — Ukraine at 40%, Russia at 50%, and why China changed the math19:35 Starlink on heavy bomber drones — how it's being used now20:55 Hit rates: 40–50 FPVs per day, radio vs. fiber optic accuracy by range25:15 Fighting the enemy in tall buildings — antennas on skyscrapers26:55 UGV ground logistics: 200kg per run, keeping frontline positions alive29:10 Heavy bomber drones: 20 missions a day, logistics vs. strike trade-offs32:25 The point system — perverse incentives in Ukraine's drone scoring34:15 The Corsair structure: five divisions that became the Marine Corps model35:05 Lessons for foreign militaries: kill bureaucracy, think situationally, pick motivated people37:15 Russian mobilization — will another 300,000 change anything?39:40 Molniya FPVs: 200–300 inbound per day, half suppressed, half attacking🎧 Listen & subscribe:All episodes: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/Apple: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/d6Vm9DSpotify: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/bEE3Y9Amazon: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/hun4CH▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory📩 Two Marines (Rob & Dmytro): https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/wt9OCK
June 22 · 58 min
Ep 5 – Rob Lee: Back from the Front — Ukraine Closes the Deep-Strike Gap (June 2026)
Rob Lee is back in Kyiv after another round of frontline visits — from Zaporizhzhia to Donetsk to Kharkiv — talking directly with frontline commanders and the R&D teams building the war's newest capabilities. In this episode Sam Cook stands in for Dmytro Putiata and interviews Rob on what's actually changed as of early June 2026. The headline shift: deep strike is no longer Russia's game. Ukraine is now hitting at operational depth too — with cheap, scalable drones, corps-level strike assets like Hornets, and a brigade-to-corps reform that's giving commanders real ownership of their battlespace. Rob walks through where the front is genuinely different from a year ago, where it's still grinding (Kostiantynivka, the Kramatorsk–Sloviansk line), and why he wouldn't be surprised to see successful Ukrainian armor assaults this year. A granular, on-the-ground read from the analyst with the access to get it. Chapters: 00:00 Intro — who Rob is and this June trip 04:58 The front as of early June 2026 06:03 Why map movements mislead — reading the front 08:19 What he saw: Zaporizhzhia to Donetsk to Kharkiv 09:00 Is Russia slowing? Manpower and priorities 11:43 Corps get Hornets — striking deeper behind the line 12:51 Brigade-to-corps reform: commanders own the battlespace 15:03 Dobropillia: redeployments and Rubicon 15:55 The cheap-drone revolution — $4,000 recon, Mavic + Starlink 18:00 Counter-Shahed and the interceptor problem 20:31 Starlink on UGVs — why it's indispensable 21:52 Europe and the US stepping up production 24:46 Corps UAS regiments and reduced vulnerability 26:15 Where it's still hard: Kostiantynivka 26:47 Kramatorsk–Sloviansk and the high-ground threat 32:23 UGVs: the gas-powered casevac "mule" 33:07 Only 20% of the UGVs they need 33:48 AI targeting and camera-guided turrets 35:26 A WWI analogy for this moment 36:06 Why Ukrainian armor assaults may return (Zabrodsky callback) 37:31 Operational depth: where Ukraine now has the edge 38:21 FP-2s and the middle-strike payload gap 39:55 1,000+ drones a night — the deep-strike picture 40:34 Deep strike is no longer Russia's game 41:23 Putin doubling down, and why the war turned 42:45 Drones = 80%+ of casualties now 43:33 Recap of the trends 46:40 Wrap-up Rob Lee is a senior fellow at FPRI and a former US Marine. Host Samuel Cook is the founder of the Ukraine Military History Institute and a former US Army officer who taught Russian history at West Point. 🎧 Listen & subscribe: All episodes: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/ Apple: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/d6Vm9D Spotify: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/bEE3Y9 Amazon: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/hun4CH Castbox: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/fwdd5A ▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory 📩 Two Marines (Rob & Dmytro): https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/wt9OCK Produced by the Borderlands Foundation. #Ukraine #UkraineWar #RobLee #DroneWarfare #MilitaryAnalysis
June 19 · 1 hr 18 min
Ep 4 –The Kill Zone: Drone Warfare & Brigade Autonomy – Rob Lee & Dmytro Putiata (Part 2)
In this second installment of *The First Draft of History*, analysts Rob Lee and Dmytro Putiata pick up where they left off to tackle one of the most defining features of the current war in Ukraine: the kill zone. Once just a couple kilometers deep, this lethal band of contested airspace and ground has expanded dramatically—now stretching 15, 20, or more kilometers along the front lines. Rob and Dmytro break down what the kill zone actually means in practice, how drones have transformed it, and why both Russia and Ukraine are scrambling to adapt to this rapidly evolving battlefield reality. The conversation digs into the tactical and structural shifts reshaping the fight, from drones serving as force multipliers to the emerging cat-and-mouse dynamic of "hunting the hunters." The hosts explore the growing importance of deep strike and middle strike capabilities, the targeting of Russia's rear systems, and the persistent challenge of thin, overstretched lines that conceal hidden vulnerabilities on both sides. A centerpiece of the episode is a hard look back at the Dobropillia breakthrough—August's deepest scare for Ukraine—where Russian infiltration tested the defense in alarming ways. Rob and Dmytro examine how Ukraine responded, the costly toll the operation took on Russian forces, and the broader lessons learned, including the dangers of "lying upward" through the chain of command and the ever-present manpower equation. Looking ahead, the discussion weighs the ongoing debate between brigade and division structures, the question of brigade autonomy, and what all these adaptations mean for a possible return to maneuver warfare. Filmed in Kyiv as of May 2026 by two analysts who regularly visit the front lines, this episode offers a clear-eyed, ground-level assessment of where the war stands—and why 2026 may be looking better for Ukraine than many expected. Be sure to catch part one for the full picture. Timestamps: 0:00–The Kill Zone Defined 4:45–Concept Without Implementation 9:14–Fifteen Kilometers and Growing 14:11–Drones as Force Multipliers 17:44–Hunting the Hunters 24:46–Dobropillia: August's Deepest Scare 28:30–Russia's Costly Infiltration 32:08–The Cost of Lying Upward 37:34–The Manpower Equation 42:43–Brigades Versus Divisions 47:26–Deep Strike and Middle Strike 52:16–Striking the Rear Systems 57:19–Thin Lines, Hidden Weaknesses 1:01:46–Toward Maneuver Once Again
June 16 · 1 hr 51 min
Ep 3 – Why History Wins Wars: Gen. Zabrodskyi on Blitzkrieg & Mission Command
This episode began with a question from a Ukrainian brigade: how can military history help us fight better right now? Samuel Cook sits down with Lieutenant General Mykhailo Zabrodskyi, Hero of Ukraine, to answer it. They explore military history as a tool for creative thinking under fire, why Blitzkrieg was "a product, not a process," how mission command and decisions made at the right level produce battlefield results, and how the drone became a primary weapon at platoon level — only the beginning, in Zabrodskyi's words. In this episode: A brigade's question: history as a warfighting tool- Blitzkrieg as a product of 25 years of doctrine Mission command and decision-making at the right level The drone as a platoon-level primary weapon 🎧 Listen & subscribe: 'All episodes: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory📩 Two Marines (Rob & Dmytro): https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/wt9OCKCreated by the Borderlands Foundation.#Ukraine #UkraineWar #DroneWarfare #MilitaryHistory #RobLee #Zabrodskiy
June 11 · 1 hr 32 min
Ep 2 – Russia's Next Move: The Front Line Right Now — Rob Lee & Dmytro Putiata (Pt 1)
Rob Lee and Dmytro Putiata break down the war in Ukraine as it stands right now: a front line that has stabilized but stays fragile, and where Russia is putting its weight next. In Part 1 they get into Russian force redeployments across the Dobropillia, Pokrovsk and Oleksandrivka directions, Ukraine's deepening campaign against Russian operational depth — the "middle strikes" on logistics and rear areas — and the renewed threat to the energy grid heading into winter. A clear-eyed, granular read from two Marines who track this war daily. The state of the front: stabilized but fragile. Russian redeployments – Dobropillia, Pokrovsk, Oleksandrivka. Middle strikes and the war on operational depth. Energy-grid risk heading into winter.In this episode:0:00 - June 2026 Battlefield Overview4:46 - Russia's Infiltration Revolution9:30 - Weather's Strategic Impact13:48 - Drone Lines and Detection18:57 - Ukraine's Counter-Infiltration Response23:34 - Middle Strike Operations Emerge27:45 - Rubicon's Elite Drone Force33:01 - Scaling Quality vs Quantity37:48 - Maneuver Brigade Challenges42:34 - Electronic Warfare Evolution47:17 - Logistics Under Fire53:15 - Unmanned Systems Integration56:39 - Tactical Innovation Centers1:01:23 - Force Structure Reforms1:05:50 - Frontline Stabilization Progress1:10:49 - Lessons From Adaptation1:15:38 - Ukraine's Path ForwardRob Lee is a senior fellow at FPRI and a former US Marine. Dmytro Putiata is a Ukrainian Marine veteran and drone-warfare expert. Part 1 of a two-part conversation.🎧 Listen & subscribe: 'All episodes: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/Apple - https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/d6Vm9DSpotify - https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/bEE3Y9Amazon - https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/hun4CHCastbox - https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/fwdd5A▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory📩 Two Marines (Rob & Dmytro): https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/wt9OCKCreated by the Borderlands Foundation.#Ukraine #UkraineWar #DroneWarfare #MilitaryHistory #RobLee
June 11 · 1 hr 13 min
Ep 1 – Welcome to Ukraine Military History — Sam Cook & Rob Lee
Sam Cook, founder and executive director of the Ukraine Military History Institute, launches the inaugural episode of the Ukraine Military History Podcast. A former US Army officer and West Point history instructor, Sam shares his deep passion for military history and his personal commitment to Ukraine, where he has lived for eight years. He explains how this podcast is a culmination of his life's work, aimed at using military history for nation-building and fostering a strong national identity in his adopted home, a mission that predates Ukraine's recent global prominence. For this foundational first episode, Sam sits down with Rob Lee, the podcast's editor-at-large and co-host. Rob is introduced as a highly respected military analyst, particularly known for his on-the-ground tactical insights into the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Together, Sam and Rob delve into the "big idea" behind the podcast, outlining their shared goals, the intended structure of future episodes, and the diverse themes they plan to explore. Listeners will get an insider's view into the vision driving this ambitious project. The episode also touches upon the vital role of the Borderlands Foundation, established by Sam, which serves as the funding source for the Ukraine Military History Institute. The Institute's core mission, highlighted early in the episode, is to translate Ukraine's rich military history from Ukrainian into English, making it accessible for a global audience of military officers, historians, and professionals. This podcast aims to bridge a critical knowledge gap, ensuring Ukraine's heroes are remembered and its strategic lessons are understood worldwide. 0:00 - Welcome to Ukraine Military History 5:23 - Introducing the Vision and Mission 8:11 - Meeting Rob Lee the Analyst 12:15 - Tracking the Russian Buildup 16:22 - Open Source Intelligence Revolution 20:26 - Reading the Warning Signs 24:41 - Putin's Strategic Miscalculation 28:26 - Tactical Failures and Adaptations 32:47 - Innovation on the Battlefield 36:30 - Ukraine's Resilience Under Fire 40:58 - Global Stakes and Implications 44:55 - Learning Military Lessons 49:10 - Partnership with Ukrainian Historians 53:22 - Future Episodes and Case Studies 57:08 - Building Ukraine's Military Legacy 🎧 Listen & subscribe: 'All episodes: https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.org/Apple - https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/d6Vm9DSpotify - https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/bEE3Y9Amazon - https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/hun4CHCastbox - https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/fwdd5A▶ Youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory 📩 Two Marines (Rob & Dmytro): https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/wt9OCKCreated by the Borderlands Foundation.#Ukraine #UkraineWar #DroneWarfare #MilitaryHistory #RobLee