Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1423 - The War in Ukraine with Elena Davlikanova and Sargent Yevheniy Malik

Tonight on the Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Elena Davlikanova and Sargent Yevheniy Malik about the war in Ukraine. Yevheniy, a veteran of the 36th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and Elena Davlikanova, Senior Fellow with Sahaidachnyi Security Centre in Ukraine and Centre for European Policy Analysis in DC, discuss Ukraine's resilience in the face of the Russian invasion.Yevheniy shares his experiences fighting in Russian regions and being held as a prisoner of war, describing it as the worst period of his life. He shared his experiences during the battle of Mariupol, where his unit, alongside the Azov Regiment, held off Russian forces despite being surrounded. He explains that the city was eventually destroyed by Russian airstrikes, and the remaining defenders were captured. Yevheniy notes that the Ukrainian military's resilience and strategic actions, including creating a new front line, have hindered Russian advances, leading to a stalemate.Elena explains that Russia's intensified drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian civilians aim to break Ukrainian spirit and force a government compromise on Russian peace terms, which would threaten Ukraine's existence. She emphasizes that despite the attacks, Ukrainian forces are holding firm on the front lines, and the country is developing anti-drone defenses like the Clear Sky project in Kiev. Together Elena and Yevheniy discuss the historical context of Russian-Ukrainian relations, highlighting how Russian propaganda has fueled anti-Ukrainian sentiment, and Elena stressed that Ukrainians are determined to resist Russian occupation and maintain their way of life.