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

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Produced by the Borderlands Foundation.

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

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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

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.

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Produced by the Borderlands Foundation.

#Ukraine #UkraineWar #RobLee #DroneWarfare #MilitaryAnalysis

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

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

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

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

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📩 Two Marines (Rob & Dmytro): https://ukrainemilitaryhistory.s.gy/wt9OCKCreated by the Borderlands Foundation.#Ukraine #UkraineWar #DroneWarfare #MilitaryHistory #RobLee