From Kyiv: A Ukrainian Commander Explains the War and Survival

👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ Get the daily intelligence brief Glenn reads—covering Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, the Middle East, geopolitics, military operations, and sanctions. Stay ahead of the news cycle. On the ground in Kyiv. Power outages. Drones overhead. War in real time. In this episode of the Restricted Handling Podcast, Glenn Corn records from Kyiv, Ukraine, joined by Phil, a senior commander in Ukraine's Third Corps and Chief Unmanned Systems Officer. Phil is not a media personality. He is actively fighting this war. They discuss: What modern warfare actually looks like in 2026 How Russia has shifted from mechanized assaults to infiltration tactics Why drones have fundamentally changed the battlefield The reality behind Russian propaganda victories How energy infrastructure attacks are meant to terrorize civilians The psychological dimension of this war What Europe understands — and what it doesn't Whether negotiations are real or simply delay tactics Why this war is not just about territory Phil explains that Ukraine is not negotiating land — because this is about survival, not square kilometers. He also shares how Ukrainian resilience holds, even during blackouts and -20°C winter nights. This is not theory. This is not analysis from afar. This is war described by someone living it. 🎙️ In this episode, we cover: • The evolution of Russian tactics on the front line • Why infiltration replaced armored assaults • Drone dominance and battlefield adaptation • The cost of Russia's missile campaign • Civilian energy infrastructure as a weapon • Russia's foreign fighters and manpower strategy • The illusion of territorial "gains" • The reality behind negotiations • What it would actually take to end the war ⏱️ TIMELINE / CHAPTERS 00:00 Glenn in Kyiv 02:00 Phil's Background (From IT CTO to Commander) 05:00 Davos & Europe's View of the War 10:00 Russia's Strategic Objective 15:00 Modern Battlefield Tactics 19:00 Drone Warfare & Infiltration 24:00 Russian Casualties & Foreign Fighters 29:00 Energy Infrastructure Attacks 33:00 Negotiations: Real or Delay Tactics? 38:00 What Would End the War? 43:00 The Human Dimension 47:00 Final Thoughts from Kyiv HOW TO FIND GLENN CORN Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multiple-time Chief of Station. Institute of World Politics – Faculty Profile https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/ Great South Bay Consulting https://greatsouthbayinc.com/ RESTRICTED HANDLING Subscribe and receive the daily intelligence brief: https://www.restrictedhandling.com/