On SpyCast: A debrief from Ukraine's frontline
The deputy commander of Ukraine's elite Third Assault Brigade opens up about the past three years of war and what could lie ahead.
It was especially important to me to feature a Ukrainian voice in this week’s SpyCast, as we mark three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
I spoke with Lt. Col. Kyrylo Berkal, call sign “Kirt,” as he sat inside a camouflaged tent at the front. Kirt is the deputy commander of Ukraine's elite Third Assault Brigade, which has played a crucial role in fighting Russian forces and developing new technologies to both gather intelligence and enhance combat techniques.
Kirt spoke about the emotional toll of the war — seeing the corpses of children, defending the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, and enduring months of imprisonment. He described the physical and mental pain, including torture and psychological warfare. “They broke my hands,” he told me. “They tried to break my spirit from inside.”
I was especially moved by how he survived his time in captivity. He said he thought about the late Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who was captured and tortured by the Vietcong. But he also returned to memories of walking with his wife on a vacation in Istanbul. “Sometimes I wake up in the night and my nightmare is the same,” he confided. “I'm returning to captivity.” But he keeps on fighting.
We also spoke about Ukraine’s future, as President Volodymyr Zelensky tries to come to a deal that satisfies President Donald Trump. Kirt believes that Russia will not honor peace negotiations and that the only path to peace will come from strength and decisive action.
Length: 30 minutes
Where to listen: On Apple | On Spotify