Squall Unit: Prison Soldiers Fighting for Ukraine

Between the Russian attacks that make international headlines, Kyiv is hit almost every hour.From October 6 to 13, Frontsight documented every Russian strike on the Ukrainian capital we could reach. Drones hit apartment blocks, warehouses, a school playground and a store. Ballistic missiles struck power plants until city officials announced that all of Kyiv's power generation had been destroyed. The metro went dark for the first time in nine months. Then the early warnings stopped. Without the advance notice Ukraine had relied on from US intelligence, missiles arrived with air raid alarms sounding just one minute before impact.At least 14 civilians were killed and dozens more were injured over the week. The attacks we covered are likely less than half of the total. Strikes on utilities and infrastructure are heavily censored, and most never make the news.CREDITSReporting, images and story: Robert Spangle, Louis Lemaire-SicreVideo edited by Yevhen "Kim" Tytorenko

Go behind the scenes of Ukraine’s most talked-about military unit. In this podcast, journalist Robert joins Front Sight Media’s Dylan Roberts to break down his latest reporting on the Azov Brigade, exploring their evolution from irregular 2014 street fighters to a premier, core-level military asset that often surpasses NATO standards.

Frontsight Media goes inside Port-au-Prince embedded with Haiti's elite Gang Suppression Force — the only unit actually fighting to take the city back. Armored patrols, ambushes, vehicle fires, and a capital city 90% controlled by gangs. This is what it looks like when a country is left to fight alone.

On the winter solstice, soldiers of Azov's Whisky Battalion — a unit made up largely of foreign volunteers from the US, UK, Poland, and beyond — gathered in freezing fog on the banks of a Ukrainian river for the Mysteriya: a ceremony honoring their fallen. Shields bearing the names of seven Azov fighters killed in the past year were laid on the ground, torches were lit, and rounds fired into the sky.The ritual draws on ancient Ukrainian and pagan solstice traditions, organized by Azov's Harunjee — combatant-chaplains unique to the unit — who believe the winter solstice is when souls most easily pass from earth to what Azov soldiers call "Azov Heaven."For a unit long associated with Ukrainian ultra-nationalism, the presence of foreign fighters reflects both military necessity and a deeper tradition of outsiders serving alongside Ukrainians dating back to Cossack times.

In Ukraine’s northeast, where Russian drones circle overhead and artillery tears apart entire villages, a small group of police officers known as the White Angels carry out one of the most dangerous missions of the war: evacuating civilians who cannot escape on their own.In this episode of The Observer Show, photographer and correspondent Robert Spangle embeds with the unit as they race through the shattered outskirts of Sumy. Their task: reach the elderly and infirm before the next barrage or loitering drone arrives. What begins as quiet countryside becomes a gauntlet of bombardment, panic, and split-second decisions as the team navigates collapsing neighborhoods and residents who must choose—stay and risk death, or flee everything they’ve ever known.

The Observer with Robert Spangle: The New No-Man’s-LandOn Ukraine’s eastern front, the battlefield has changed. Drones dominate the sky. Evacuation is deadlier than combat. This episode follows the Da Vinci Wolves — Ukraine’s volunteer combat medics — as they risk everything to rescue the wounded from what soldiers call “The Grey Zone.”In this new kind of no-man’s-land, ten kilometers behind the trenches, constant Russian surveillance and drone strikes have turned every road, every evacuation, into a deadly gamble.You can read the article and photo version here: https://www.frontsightmedia.com/the-new-no-mans-land

Drawn from prison cells and thrown into Ukraine’s bloodiest battles, the men of Squall fight at the most dangerous points on the Eastern Front — assaulting trenches, holding ground under fire, and seeking redemption in war.Article and Photo Version: https://www.frontsightmedia.com/dispatches/squall-unit-prison-soldiers-fighting-for-ukraineBy Robert Spangle

Interview with Robert Spangle - Behind the Scenes of 24 Hours On The Front: A Fight in All Directions. Robert shares an inside look at his story, offering a firsthand account of Ukraine’s war. ▶ Watch the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBJugYXUaps 🔗 Learn More: https://www.frontsightmedia.com/24-hours-on-the-front-a-fight-in-all-directions Embedded with the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, Spangle takes us deep into the realities of modern combat—where soldiers endure relentless artillery fire, freezing conditions, and the constant threat of drone warfare. In this episode, Spangle shares his firsthand experiences, the challenges of frontline reporting, and the untold stories of the men fighting for survival.

Journalist Robert Spangle reports from Ukraine's Eastern front, embedded with the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion. This story delves into the harsh realities of frontline life: freezing temperatures, relentless artillery fire, and the growing threat of drone warfare.Through Spangle’s on-the-ground reporting, gain a rare perspective on the soldiers’ daily struggles and their moments of resilience in the face of constant danger. From close calls to moments of camaraderie, this coverage captures the stark realities of war and the human spirit that endures amidst it.This story is available to read, watch, or listen to—allowing you to choose how you engage with this vital reporting from one of the world’s most active conflict zones.Read or Watch: https://www.frontsightmedia.com/24-hours-on-the-front-a-fight-in-all-directions

Welcome to the Safe House, presented by Frontsight Media. In this show we go deep into how open source technology can be a threat to you in your everyday life, but also how it helps field operators in their day to day work. In this episode we dive into Russia and Ukraine, motivations to build technology to fight the Russian military, finding best-in-class founders in a warzone, and how a background in the intelligence space helps to find deals in the venture capital industry. Special guest with former United States Department of Defense Intelligence Officer and current General Partner at Green Flag Ventures, Justin Zeefe.