By Patrick Lancaster | War Correspondent on the Frontlines
In my latest frontline video report, I expose the reality the Western media won’t show you — Ukrainian soldiers who once fought for Kyiv are now defecting and taking up arms against the Ukrainian government. I embedded with the Maksim Krivonos Battalion, a Russian-aligned volunteer unit composed largely of former Ukrainian servicemen. These men are training and fighting not for personal gain, but out of conviction that their government has betrayed the Ukrainian people.
From Ukrainian Army to Russian-Aligned Forces
These soldiers aren’t prisoners. They’re not being forced to fight. Over and over, I asked them: “Are you here voluntarily?” And they answered: “Yes.”
“Poligon,” a former Ukrainian military man, told me he switched sides because of disillusionment with what he called a “war against brotherly people,” driven by “European propaganda” and Ukrainian government corruption. He said, “I want to defend the Ukrainian people from what’s happening in Ukraine now.”
Another fighter, “Vitamin,” a combat medic, said he voluntarily surrendered and now serves to stop the “mess” he saw while serving under Kiev.
Their Stories: Why They Fight
One of the most powerful stories comes from “Vova,” a former combat medic mobilized to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2022. After seeing mass losses in Ukraine’s failed counteroffensive and being wounded in Avdeyevka, he was rescued by Russian troops. He decided to stay and join the Maksim Krivonos Battalion.
He believes he’s fighting for a peaceful, free, and sovereign Ukraine, but not the one ruled by what he calls “Western-controlled elites.”
“The Ukrainian government doesn’t spare its own men. It sends them to die. For what?” said “Zmey,” a recon group commander in the battalion, himself a former Ukrainian soldier who voluntarily surrendered in 2023.
Training Near the Frontline
I documented their live training near the Russia-Ukraine frontline. These aren’t propaganda scenes — these are tactical military exercises to prepare for direct combat with Ukrainian forces. They practice fire-and-maneuver drills, operating in pairs, and storming positions. The exercises are coordinated by former Ukrainian commanders who know the terrain and tactics of the AFU (ARMED FORCES UKRAINE) well.
Opinions on the U.S. and Western Involvement
Many of these soldiers had harsh words for the role of the United States and NATO.
“Western civilians don’t understand that Russia is not the aggressor,” one soldier told me. “The true aggressors are the countries supplying Ukraine with weapons, prolonging this war.”
They welcomed the news that the U.S. recently paused weapons shipments to Ukraine. One said it’s “a sign of the USA losing its hegemony” and hoped the move could lead to a shift toward peace.
“We Are Not Puppets – We Made a Choice”
All the men I interviewed emphasized that they are not coerced, not imprisoned, and not acting under duress. They say they freely chose to fight for what they see as the real liberation of Ukraine — from foreign influence and internal corruption.
“This is a volunteer detachment,” said “Zmey.” “We are freeing our country — together with the Russian detachments — from Western influence.”
Why the Western Media Won’t Show You This
You won’t see this side of the war in CNN, BBC, or Deutsche Welle. These testimonies, these stories, don’t fit the mainstream narrative — that there’s a clean black-and-white conflict where Ukraine is purely the victim and Russia the aggressor.
But the war is not that simple.
I bring you what others won’t. Raw voices. Real defectors. Their reasons, in their own words. I don’t pretend to know everything — no one source can — but I challenge you to seek out more. Share this report, spread the truth, and don’t let one-sided propaganda dominate the conversation.
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More reports are coming. I’m moving even closer to the frontline now. Stay tuned.
— Patrick Lancaster, reporting from the battlefield
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