INTERVIEW: "The Russians fight in a semi-Soviet manner"

Emile Ghessen is a former British Marine who reports as a journalist from war zones. He is currently in Kiev. We wanted to know what he has seen and experienced.

SPARTANAT: Emile, you are now on the ground in Ukraine as a journalist. What is your first impression?

Emile Ghessen: I served in the military and fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, and since leaving I have documented many wars, including Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, and Nagorno-Karabakh. However, the current war in Ukraine in 2022 is completely different because it is a large-scale war being fought on multiple fronts by a "superpower" Russia against a well-trained, determined enemy, Ukraine. The Russians still seem to be fighting in a semi-Soviet style, with heavy indirect artillery fire and large tank columns.

SPARTANAT: You have seen volunteers who want to fight in the Ukrainian Foreign Legion. What do you think about the volunteer movement from the West?

I have covered two previous documentaries about international volunteers in the "Robin Hood Complex" series, which can now be seen on YouTube. An estimated 20,000 international volunteers from 52 different countries have come to Ukraine. As I have observed in Iraq and Syria, these volunteers have many different reasons for taking up arms. There are men who have a close connection to Ukraine, either through their heritage or friends, and there are those who have no connection but see this war as an opportunity to pick up a weapon. The vast majority have no military experience and have not seen combat, but they feel the need to support Ukraine. I have met several men with military experience who are now training Ukrainian volunteer units. So the volunteer units are very diverse, with men holding different opinions.

SPARTANAT: Have you had contact with Russian forces? What is your impression of their performance?

I have not had any connections to Russian forces myself. I am focusing on the Kiev region and have spoken with several civilians who were trapped in their cities and villages during attacks by Russian troops. The civilians have pointed out to me that the Russian troops have very limited food rations and therefore go from house to house to get food because their logistical supply chain is so poor. Many civilians believe that the troops apologize to the residents and say they do not want to fight this war but are forced to.

SPARTANAT: What are your plans? Will Ukraine be your next documentary film?

My current plans are to stay in Kiev and report on the war from here and see if the Russian forces try to advance into the city. Right now I am only reporting on the war as I recently completed my last documentary film "45 Days: The Fight For A Nation."

EMILE GHESSEN on Facebook