Voices from the Front: Holding Russia to Account

Aim

What began as a crowdfund to help a friend in need has grown into a movement sharing real stories and voices from Ukraine’s frontlines.

Shaun Pinner — Author, Speaker, and Veteran

I am an author, public speaker, and recipient of Ukraine’s Order of Courage for selfless acts in the defense of Ukrainian sovereignty.

A proud husband and father born near Watford, England, I served for nine years in the British Army’s Royal Anglian Regiment, with deployments to Northern Ireland and under the United Nations in Bosnia during the early ’90s.

Drawn to Ukraine’s struggle for freedom, I joined the Ukrainian National Guard in Mariupol as a sniper instructor before transferring to the Ukrainian Marines in 2020, where I met Brahim Saadoun. I became the first foreigner to command a frontline position as a Ukrainian Marine and completed full parachute training, earning the prestigious Blue Beret with the Air Assault Company of the 1st Battalion, Ukrainian Marines.

During my fourth deployment — and second as a section commander — I was stationed at a forward listening post when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. I led a fighting withdrawal back to Mariupol over several days, a story told in my book Live. Fight. Survive.

The book traces my journey from soldier to survivor: my life before Ukraine, my frontline service, and the brutal battle for Mariupol. Most powerfully, it recounts my capture, torture, and death sentence alongside Brahim at the hands of Russian proxy forces (the so-called DPR), and our eventual release in a dramatic prisoner exchange brokered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Roman Abramovich, and the Ukrainian government.

Today, I divide my time between the UK and Ukraine, supporting my wife’s humanitarian work and standing firmly with those still fighting — or held captive — for Ukraine’s future.

From One Voice to a Movement for Justice

What began as a mission to help my friend and fellow POW, Brahim Saadoun, has grown into something far greater: a movement to confront Russian injustice and fight for those still suffering in silence.

In May, we stood with Brahim in Kyiv as he launched legal action against the judge who sentenced him to death in a sham trial. Three years on, with no passport and legal avenues narrowing, Brahim still cannot move forward — but we haven’t stopped fighting.

Your support has helped fund his legal case and brought us closer to a landmark lawsuit against the Russian state, which we aim to enforce through the UK courts. If successful, it could set a historic precedent — one individual holding a state accountable for torture and war crimes. A victory here could open the door for thousands of Ukrainian victims to seek justice.

But this is no longer just about one man. It’s about exposing the truth, supporting the forgotten, and holding Russia to account — one case at a time.

🔗https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/04/12/7451056/

Voices from the Front has now become a multimedia movement — featured on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Substack, YouTube, and X — documenting Ukraine’s ongoing fight against Russian aggression. This year alone, we have spoken at the UK Parliament, interviewed survivors and Russian POWs, and addressed thousands at Trafalgar Square. Through countless interviews, articles, and documentaries, Voices from the Front continues to challenge Russian disinformation and ensure the real story of Ukraine is heard.

Thank you for standing with us. 

Shaun

🔗My Linktree: https://linktr.ee/old_dog_ua?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=77ec78cb-f13e-4b4b-af55-5d047dce7805

#POWRights #Ukraine #Justice #Supportfor Ukraine

🔗Brahim: https://www.kyivpost.com/post/49104
🔗 Live. Fight. Survive: https://shaunpinner.com/book
🔗Captivity: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/33790189/shaun-pinner-pow-ukraine-life-stories/

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made