Ukrainian volunteer fighter gives frontline perspective

CHICAGO (NewsNation) — A volunteer member of Ukraine’s military says the numbers don’t tell the story of the war so far.

The Uhas confirmed 902 civilian deaths — although they admit the toll is likely much higher — and nearly 3.4 million people have fled Ukraine. Additionally, Ukrainian officials say at least 115 children have been killed and 148 injured.

Monday night on “The Donlon Report,” however, a volunteer member of Ukraine’s military detailed what they’re up against from up-close. From his perspective, things are going better than numbers suggest.

“I’m seeing that Russia is losing the war,” Maksym Skubenko said on the program. “I saw, a few days ago, how they were running through the forest … They’re losing hope.”

Skubenko is the chief executive of VoxUkraine — an independent analytical organization and fact-checking service in Kyiv. When Russia invaded in February, he set aside his work and joined the Territorial Defense Forces.

He had no previous military or weapons experience.

“On the first day of invasion, in, like, six or seven hours, we was already with guns and was fighting against Russian troops,” Skubenko said.

It was only after an instructor taught him how to shoot a rifle, fire anti-tank missiles, make Molotov cocktails and fight with a knife that he became comfortable and effective.

“Now, we are on the frontlines,” Skubenko said. “Now we have a base and ammunition. I’ve got training with javelins and knives.”

The former corporate figure has even shot at soldiers.

Skubenko’s account of Russia’s struggles on the battlefield aligns with other reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military tactics have turned into a logistical nightmare.

The Pentagon reported, for example, that Putin’s army is struggling to feed its troops and fuel its vehicles. Morale is also reportedly low, with captured Russian soldiers claiming they were under the impression they were taking part in a military exercise, up until the moment they came under fire from Ukrainian units.

“They have no commands,” Skubenko explains. “They do not know how to communicate with each other.”

Some expert observers are even calling the war a potential stalemate, despite Russia’s vast numerical superiority over Ukraine’s armed forces.

“Russian forces remain bogged down,” former Lt. Gen. Richard Newton said Sunday on “NewsNation Prime.” The fact that Ukraine’s badly outmatched forces have been able to halt the Russian advance on several fronts “shows the resiliency” of the Ukrainian people, and especially its military.

But former Army Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, a four-time combat veteran, says we shouldn’t rush to judgment on who will win.

“Right now, it’s way too early to call that and I don’t want anybody to get any false hopes that Ukraine can win because, military speaking, I don’t think they can over a long time,” Lt. Col. Daniel Davis said on “The Donlon Report.”

According to Davis, while the Russian’s original plan to quickly scare the Ukrainians into submission hasn’t worked, they’ve resorted to an alternative plan to “slog it out” with weapons.

“Even the Pentagon came out last Friday and said they still estimate that Russia has 90 percent of the combat power that crossed into the borders. That’s one of the reasons why I say its a little too early to say this is bogged down.”

Davis says the world can only hope and watch if things continue to go bad for Putin.

“Russia has not played a bunch of major cards they have in their hands,” Davis said, before describing Russia’s hypersonic missiles, 700,000 active duty troops and 2 million reserves. “I pray to God it doesn’t get to that point because that would have catastrophic impacts inside Ukraine.”