The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - The Inside Story From The Frontlines of Ukraine

Episode Date: May 30, 2023

A young Canadian medic fighting with the Ukrainians takes us inside the story with his first-hand account of what it's like at the frontlines of the war.  His name is Brandon Mitchell and he's from Miramichi, New Brunswick.  His story is one that tells us what this war is really like.  Brian Stewart also drops by for a condensed Stewart Report on the latest developments in the war.

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You are just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge, Ukraine, an insider's account from the front lines. It's a Canadian's story. And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here from Toronto for this day. Yes, special program today. We are going to deal with Ukraine as we always do on Tuesdays, and we'll deal with it, among other things, with Brian Stewart. But the special part of today is going to be an insider's story. The story of Brandon Mitchell. He's from Miramachin, New Brunswick. He's a medic inside

Ukraine. He's out right now on a short bit of leave, and then he'll be going back in, and he has quite the story to tell. I'm looking forward to talking to him in the next little while. We could talk about Alberta today. I mean, the election result came last night. Danielle Smith will be still the Premier of Alberta, and with all the consequences that may bring. The pollsters were divided on what was going to happen in this election, or at least their forecast, at different points during the campaign. Seemed to have it up in the air.

But as it turned out, Smith won a majority government. Clear victory for her. What will it do to the national landscape? Well, that's probably going to take a little bit to figure out. You can be sure we'll talk about it tomorrow on Smoke Mirrors and the Truth with Bruce Anderson. But today, we're sticking to our guns. We're sticking to Ukraine as our story. And we'll start with a short, this time a very short, you know, four or five minutes

with Brian Stewart to sort of capture where are we on this story this week. So let's get right to that. Let's listen to Brian and see what he has to say about that. Here he is, our foreign correspondent and war correspondent, Brian Stewart. Brian, it seems like we've been talking for weeks, if not months, about the expected Ukrainian offensive. Obviously, we're closer to it now than ever, but what's the latest we know about it? Well, the latest we know is all the pieces seem in order right now in terms of the place. We just don't know where that place is or where it's going to move.

But definitely the signals coming out of Kiev are that it's going to come very soon, a day, maybe a week. You know, Peter, to me, it has a feel of like May 29th or May 30th, 1944. Everyone knows that D-Day is coming. It can't be more than a week or two weeks away. The nervousness is everywhere throughout the world, really, because the course of the war is going to depend upon what happens on D-Day. And so we have that sort of tension today where everybody's concerned about it. What's striking in terms of the Ukrainians are they're making all the kind of moves of striking deep inside Russian lines,

at defenses, at command posts, at ability to move that is very equivalent to the strikes inside the German lines just before Normandy, the landing at D-Day. The Russians are doing the same thing. They're throwing everything they can, though they don't have much precision weaponry, at the buildup of the Ukrainians. They've managed to hit a few major ammunition dumps, and apparently just recently an airfield in Ukraine, which has taken five of Ukraine's very limited aircraft out of operation.

So both sides now are making the moves you would expect on the very eve. And the Ukrainians are doing everything they can to scramble the Russian mind and leave them as uncertain as possible. You know, I love that you're using the D-Day 44 comparison. We're coming up just next week on the 79th anniversary of D-Day. And as a result, next Tuesday, we're going to use our time with you to actually sort of reflect back on D-Day. I mean, it was, you know, you've often said to me, not only was it the greatest, you know, seaborne invasion in history at that moment, but was probably the biggest gamble of any gamble taken by a major force in terms of a battle.

Absolutely. And everyone was holding their breath. I mean, had D-Day been a failure, you know, a lot of historians say there's no value in the what-ifs of history. I think there's enormous value in looking at the what-ifs. If D-Day had failed, that would have eliminated the liberation of Europe in 44-45. I think the Allies would have had to regroup through Italy and the South. And I think the war would have ended likely with a Russian push coming in from the East, but also the use of atomic weapons in Germany. I think we have to remember they were well underway, the Manhattan Project, in America, the states at the time,

and they would have had them ready for use in late 45, or at the same time they used them in Japan. And I think that would have gone into use in Germany and ended the war there. But it's incredible changes would have taken place. Well, we will discuss that and other aspects. Both you and I have spent a lot of time on looking back at D-Day from the very site as we've both attended a number of the different anniversaries

that have taken place on the Normandy beaches. Okay, back to Ukraine for a moment in this shortened version this week. One of the things that's happened here most recently is there have clearly been incursions into the Russian territory, but it appears they're being made on behalf of the Ukrainians, but by Russians themselves, rebel Russians. What can you tell us about that force? Yeah, they're a small force, maybe 150, nobody knows for sure. They got in for over two days inside Russia and the Belgorod region. And they managed to, you know, take a village and move around for two solid days

and then retreat in good order. And that's kind of shocking news. I mean, where were the Russian defenses? How could they possibly retreat in good order? Once again, the Russian Air Force was a no-show. Can you imagine if a force like that went into the United States, what the U.S. Air Force would have been able to do literally within hours? The Russians failed.

But I think more than anything else, I don't think it was entirely operated by the Ukrainian government. But I think the purpose was to show the Russians that their lines, this 800-kilometer-long front, is actually add another 300 to 400 kilometers to that. Because the Russians are very short of manpower as it is. This is going to force them to start building their forces along their own border much more. It's going to take up more of those weapons. So that puts a real nervousness into Russia. But where they may straight strike next and also how on earth do we manage to have enough manpower for both the war

in ukraine and now to guard our own borders sufficiently well this is creating great nervousness in russia and certainly a lot of uh vocal complaints and worries among the military bloggers, the right-wing nationalist force in Russia that are able to speak out in criticism of the current government. All right. Brian, just giving us the headlines this week, but look forward to our discussion next week on D-Day and looking forward to the conversation we're about to have with a Canadian medic who has been working in Ukraine right at the battlefront. So, Brian, for this, thank you very much.

Talk to you next week. Okay, my pleasure. Thank you. Brian Stewart joining us as he has done for most of the past year, giving us the latest update on the situation in Ukraine. But as we said, this is a special day today because we have another guest on the Ukraine story, and a guest basically from the front lines. He's a Canadian by the name of Brandon Mitchell.

He's from Miramachin, New Brunswick. A young fellow who joined the Canadian militia, military militia, after he'd finished the schooling that he chose to do. And then he joined the British military and worked with them for a while. Then he was off after the British military experience. In fact, he was working, I think, for IKEA assembling furniture at a certain point when he decided, I want to go to Ukraine. I want to help. I want to help.

I want to do something to help the situation there. And so he took medic training. And, well, he'll tell this whole story to us because he's been involved right at the front for a good length of time now. He's seen some, well, you can imagine the kind of things that he's likely seen. We're going to talk to him. But first of all, let's take a break so we don't have to interrupt our conversation with Brandon Mitchell. So first of all, this quick break.

We'll be right back. And welcome back you're listening to the bridge on this tuesday you're listening on series xm channel 167 canada talks are on your favorite podcast platform all right time for our special interview uh with brandon mitchell a can Canadian who has been serving in Ukraine. So let's get to that right now. So, Brandon, whatever made you want to go to Ukraine to get right into the action and the battle zone? What made you want to do that? I didn't plan on that. That just sort of happened um for me i'd been out of the army a long long time never been on a combat tour that's the

british army right i joined the canadian reserves right i was engaged town for a couple years uh i had an option to join the brit Army, and that seemed like an adventure. Where was I going to go? I was going to go to Petawawa, or I'll take a chance somewhere else. I was 18, 19. Yeah. I didn't go to Ukraine with any of those expectations at all, Peter. I went there possibly to be a humanitarian worker. I did not know what that was. I was asked after my first week, do I want to join a combat medical battalion? So I came to help.

So I had a little ponder for about 30 seconds, and I signed up. Okay, I want to get to that decision-making. But first of all, so it was Canadian military reserves, then British Army for a while. Then you ended up in Sweden working at an IKEA store building furniture and then all this happened. The whole Ukraine idea happened. Long, rich tapestry of life.

But, yeah, I was quite proud. I worked with stone i made some beautiful kitchens i can help you out with that someday okay i may need that okay so you so in in 30 seconds or what have you when asked whether or not you could go right into the basically go into the action as a matter you fact, you decided yes. Now, like, what made that decision? Why did you, I mean, you knew what you were getting into by that point. This is a brutal, ugly war. And you knew you were going to see it right up front.

What made you want to do that? Well, I wanted to help. I don't have any children. I'm actually a member of a 12-step program, which are really well-known in Canada. A big part of it was community service. You know, over 11 years without a drink or a drug, I learned a lot about community service, volunteering with kids and amateur boxing.

That was a big joy. But just on the pure chance to help. And what am I going to do in ukraine i don't know uh but that was my chance do you take it do you step up to the plate or do you not nobody's interested in something you didn't do but that's that's not why i went there i had an opportunity, and I'm an atheist, if I can be honest, but I talk to God sometimes. I've been talking to God over the past year, year and a half. And what does God tell you about the kind of things you've seen,

which you must have seen very early on in this venture of yours? Well, for me, the biggest thing that helps, and I've learned this over the years, I've got a choice to make right or wrong, you know, anything in life, anything at all. You know, when it comes down to something, the answer comes to me in a millisecond. And everything else that comes after one second later, that's rationalization.

That's fear. That's justification. That's lazy. That's nine times out of ten. And if I follow that impulse, when I'm in a good spirit, it's never led me wrong. When did you first realize not realize I'm sure you realized it even before you got there but when did you first see the horrors of this war how long did it take

before you were like right in front of it so we went to Kiev we joined our battalion I did a 10 day medic course very extensive course. By the end of that, the Battle of Kiev was mostly over. I was sent to the Zaporozhye Front on the south of the war. That's quite neglected.

My first month before I ever seen any combat, I worked in a hospital, and it was the closest hospital to the Russian lines. A quiet day was 20 guys that would come through. I seen what good and bad hospital care is pre pre hospital care. I learned to work on them straight off the ambulance. And I also seen civilians. I seen women, older women injured there too. Yeah, I was, I was there probably around the six-week to two-month mark.

Yeah, I had blood on me. Now, how did you deal with that? I mean, I assume somewhere in there you knew what you were likely to see and deal with, and yet then suddenly when you're confronted with the reality of it, it's a whole different thing. I never said this before, and I've done a few interviews, never with someone such as yourself. But it sounds a bit sick, but I was quite pleased with myself by how I was able to conduct myself. I learned training.

And it's so simple. When a casualty comes in, there's an algorithm, a protocol to follow. And all that is, is to clear a pathway for a surgeon and an anesthesiologist. And it's 20 minutes, 25 max, and they're off to Dnipro to further cities, you know, for further care. I turned 30, I turned 35 years old in that hospital, you know, I've done a lot of things in my life, a bit of this, a bit of that, but I was real proud of myself, you know, how I conducted myself. And it was, it was real simple, Peter. Only once did I ever get sick there and that was actually a conscious woman. I don't want to be too graphic on your show,

but she'd lost half her hand and I was holding her skin and also a vomit bag, but she was crying and I got really dizzy. But the doctor had seen that before many times. He didn't speak good English. He said, are you going to be okay? And I didn't know. And I just took 10 seconds, five seconds, who knows how long I took.

But I said, yeah, I'm okay. That's the only time I've ever paused. That was two months into the war, two and a half months into the war. I've done paused. That was two months into the war, two and a half months into the war. I've done more since. When you say you are proud of yourself, I think I understand what you're saying, but let me just explore that for a minute. When you say you're proud of yourself or you became proud of yourself,

is it because you didn't turn away, because you didn't kind of run from it uh well no mostly in the hospital it's how i was able to conduct myself to help others um but to be an asset you know like to be to be like a referee like a good referee you'd never know he was there you know what i mean he he's not interfering too much but he's definitely part of the game. That's what I was proud of. It was almost like, I don't want to talk down to myself. It was almost like a dog. Like I was saying to myself, good boy, good boy. When it came more to the front,

casualty evacuations, civilian evacuations later on, I've even been wounded myself. I didn't internalize it so much like that. Scared going in, very scared going in, not scared during the work. And then at the end of the day, whenever you can put your head on the pillow, or I started smoking again during the war quite heavily. I said, by God, we did that. So in the hospital, I could internalize it like that good boy, just like my dog. I don't know how else to describe it.

Not so much in the war war. So at a certain point, you went from hospital to the front. Yes. How did that come about? Was that your decision, or did they ask you to do this? Well, my battalion, my battalion, hospitalers, we're unique. We send ambulance teams, we send medical support teams to join a different brigade, a different battalion all across the war. And it could be for a month, two uh whatever the need you know in emergencies they've gone for

less i have but uh it was simply we're leaving the hospital we're moving down to the line within that same area so the hospital would have been 25 kilometers from the line now we're going to live now we're going to live about five kilometers from the russians and and sit on a radio and wait wait and wait and wait you ever hear about the waiting in war you know people read book i read books about war before war um there's a lot of waiting peter yeah you know we're sitting here um you know you're you're in sweden i'm in i'm in canada as we do this and you know behind me you can see it, the audience can't see it because they're just listening, but behind me are pictures of my dad and the aircraft he served in during the Second World War

in the RAF, and one of them is a Lancaster bomber. And he used to talk about that too, the waiting, right? They didn't fly every night of the war. There were a lot of nights. There were some nights they didn't know whether they'd be flying or not, but it was waiting, waiting to fly and waiting to go on missions. Knowing full well that the odds were often stacked against them that they'd ever get back.

And on some of these things that you did, some of these situations at the front you were in, there were a lot of people getting killed or severely wounded. And not just the soldiers fighting, but including the medics trying to help them. That's correct. That's correct. You knew this going in.

You knew this every day. How did you deal with that? So I feel, you know, that good boy. I feel an obligation. I have friends and I have good personal friends that, you know, I can't control the way the world works. Those are the people you should be talking to. But I'm Canadian.

I grew up in Canada. That's what earns me the privilege. And because I got blown up and CBC foreign correspondents like me, I did well on the analytics. I've learned about these things. Those are the people you should be talking to. But I can't control the world. They're good to me. And I don't know, they're as friendly as a Newfoundland kitchen party.

They could teach us a few things, but the more they did for me, the more I felt invested. You understand? Really invested. I don't get scared of what you might think i get scared of what i thought i would get scared of i get scared i won't do the right thing uh i i used to run the trucks uh the casualty evacuations for the back to an ambulance from a four-wheel drive um and when you have to go back in after it's been quite violent, the town of Soledar, northeast of Vaucmul, that's most of my war.

I know Soledar. My biggest fear was when I was driving them out to switch them to an ambulance that I'd get scared and I wouldn't go back in. I was scared of getting scared. But I always did my job and a little bit more evidence, you know, just like, you know, like a professional athlete. Have you ever listened to them talk after their career is over and they reflect, they didn't know what they could do till they did it. But the more they did it, the more confident they were. They were just shooting pucks.

I don't want to compare it to that, but no matter how much experience, I'm still scared that someday maybe I won't do the right thing. But that's it. Some of your friends were in that situation, and we heard just again recently of a couple of Canadians who were in similar roles as you performed who didn't make it out.

I know the road. I know the very road they were killed on. Yeah. I never met those boys in particular, no. Tell me about some of the, you know, I don't want this all to be about you, and I know I don't want this all to be about you, and I know you don't want it all to be about you, but, you know, I do want to talk about the people you were helping there.

But just before I get to it, tell me about, I guess, the missions that will haunt you for the rest of your life, the moments that you won't forget. Tell me about one of those yeah i um before you even finish your sentence i knew what i was going to tell you about um in september we took back a significant amount of of of territory from the russians and everyone always hears about bakhmut in the news and that's the way it works but north of there was a city called limon as we call it and all those villages you can drive up you can drive across a bridge that you probably shouldn't drive across and you go to all these villages and uh you know names that you couldn't even

pronounce and I've learned to and I remember being involved with the civilian evacuations these were people who who lived under Russian occupation for and they would tell us stories you know I'd spent a lot of weeks working in those towns they told us it was bad when they came in and it was bad when they went out um yeah no i'll tell you too quick one day and we couldn't work at night an old man and he might have had dementia um he was a bit troublesome, you know, and stubborn to leave. And we were going to be working that town for a week to try to get people out to humanitarian organizations. Medicine Sound Frontier can help as well.

They don't go to these places. Yeah, I said no, because we can't drive after dark. We can't use the lights. And I said, we'll get you again. Two days later, his house was burning. I went back through that village and the shelling. And we got a woman, but he lived two houses down. I couldn't find the body, but the house had been hit maybe an hour before we came.

He was an old man, Peter, but he was a human being. And I, you know, I don't blame myself, but I blame myself. I've also seen a man, his children, he refused to leave his home, not even five kilometers away from there. And the police came with us one day, and the police don't come. It's only the army. But they were child welfare police, very special police officers, 10 year old, 12 year old boy and a girl. And I used to give them Snickers. See, I used to, you know, I watch all the old movies, you know, I know how you do it as a soldier. You bribe the people with chocolate, cigarettes for the men. But I used to give them Snickers, and he didn't want to leave.

He didn't want to leave because he wanted to bring all his worldly possessions. And I had to, well, someone took the kids, but I had to put him in a body bag. His children seen him. A Russian mortar came and hit the, yeah, me and a 19-year-old girl, a paramedic, a Ukrainian girl, we bagged him up, and I knew the children. That's enough about, yeah, that's the stuff. That's the stuff you wanted to hear.

Yeah, I don't know whether I wanted to hear it, but I certainly wanted to try to have a feeling of what it must have been like for you to go through some of these things. And whenever you mention the children, it seems, you know, we like to think that when it gets that ugly and that bad and the fighting is going on that long, that somehow the children are moved out of those areas. But clearly they're not.

I mean, you're still seeing kids in these areas, you know, around Bakhmut and not far from Bakhmut, that are left there while the shelling is going on. Well, I'm speaking beyond my bounds, but I've been around long enough. I suppose I can do it a couple of times here and there. The government in Ukraine, a couple of people have tried to trick question me. Have you ever seen an atrocity that the Ukrainians committed? But maybe they have happened, but I've not seen one.

I honestly haven't seen one. It seems to me that the government and much of the army is so concerned about doing things right, like to maintain that moral high ground. There was never a legal mandate to force people from their homes. That has never been set in Ukraine. And I know that for a fact, because i've assisted with the civilian work but people people say to me no that couldn't happen you know i grew up in new brunswick and i know people who who from maramichi new brunswick it's a nice little community but there's not much there there's people that might have been to montreal once in their life you know they go to cuba they

don't leave the resort. That's traveled. I'm not trying to be diminutive in any way, but I know one man who's been to Fredericton once or twice in his life. So if you can't imagine a world beyond, those are the kind of people that hold on till the end. The people with money are gone. Some things never change.

But you can't force them to leave. And it's not about Russia or Ukraine for a lot of them. It's about home. That's what no one understands in the West. It took me a long time to... I don't even know if I understand it, Peter. But you see that resolve, right? Even whether it's in Kiev even whether it's whether it's in kiev or whether

it's a small town like the the one you just talked about i guess they're not really small towns and the way we think of small towns in canada but there's smaller communities some of them are uh they i've been to places that uh had pre-war populations of 2,000. Sieversk would be a perfect example because I know the military administration, essentially the army mayor, there's still 100 under 18 left in a town that would have had about 15,000 during the war. So there's about 1,000 to 2,000, but he knows for a fact there's almost 100 under 18, but he knows for a fact there's over, there's almost 100 under 18 year olds still there. What's been the most rewarding thing for you

about this experience so far? You're going back, you're going back, what, another month or so? Trust, trust that I've developed, trust through big things or small things uh all through my YouTube and my social media and it's the same with Ukrainians if you don't have a social media and you don't fundraise you have less so and I speak English so usually I make good on my promises eight out of ten times if I'm honest. So I have trust there, but my professional competency, it's not great. I'm now qualified to work under 10 drugs. But after 13 months, the first time in a combat setting had I ever applied an IV. Now, that was a big mental hurdle when I learned to pierce somebody's veins and to run drug protocols.

But my last month in Avdivka, we got hit by a missile outside of our house and two of the guys were injured and we lost our cats. But it was the first time I did it. I've done it in hospitals. I've done it in medical points and buildings and vehicles. I'd never done it was the first time i did it and i've done it in hospitals i've done it in in medical points and buildings and vehicles i'd never done it in the dark in the mud the blood the glass

i had two guys and you know what that's not special like for a paramedic but it was special to me i was i was the guy for you know for five minutes i made that's simple but i was really proud of that and a couple of those boys are my friends those are the real soldiers like the those are the real soldiers how do you um how are you using this time to to decompress i'm not i not. You can't or you're just not? Well, I had to come home here to sort out some personal matters. And I thought I would use it as an opportunity to speak to people like yourself. CBC in London has been so supportive of me. Chris and and steph fantastic they've helped me meet people uh times radio for example there's professionals on i'm not i'm not trying to blow sunshine up you but i've talked to professionals on your level who've achieved uh in british media uh who've interviewed prime

ministers also with youtube we have a big big community on there. If Ukraine won't be covered in the mainstream, well, some stars have risen. I've been to Estonia, to Finland, to Denmark, to England, and now I'll come to Canada and I'll finish off with Texas with about 30 engagements and probably about four or five people on, if I can say so on your level, or, you know, I'm tired. I'm very, very, very tired. But I've been very successful for our work. What are you trying to achieve through these, you know, interviews and sessions with journalists and others around the world? Well, I'm a foreigner who got blown up in a minefield.

And that made my stock rise a long time in August. And I seen how the social media worked for the war. The biggest thing that I've achieved on this trip so far was actually the most abstract thing you would ever think. I did an interview for the German Firefighters Magazine. But we have a German organization who supports our medical efforts, firefighters and the army. They will get direct donations from a very specific publication and type of reader. That will have the biggest direct impact. Times Radio, which is fantastic. I did well with them. I was asked to go back again with a woman named Kate Gerbeau. They're interested now in what's called a frontline series where perhaps I could introduce some of the company commanders that I've worked for who speak good English. And like I bought this microphone just to talk to you, you know, it's 200 and some dollar microphone. It's a nice one. But I didn't bring my laptop to the war, but this time I'll bring it back. There's people out there who want to hear this stuff. Most of the world doesn't. So I'm

very grateful for your time. But in my estimation, there's about 10 or 20 million people without ukrainian blood that that every day they're looking in on us and they send donations they send they don't let us go that's what i'm doing i've been amazed actually brandon when you when you mention it that um just how engaged the canadian audience is to the story, certainly the audience for my program here. We've devoted one day a week, basically since it began, to just Ukraine. And we haven't wavered on that.

And clearly the audience is engaged because they listen to it and they respond to it and they talk about it. And, you know, Canada obviously has a connection with Ukraine more so than most countries in the world. Very much so. And they're still engaged. Let me ask you a personal question because it kind of refers back to something you said as we began our conversation about your relationship with God. Yes.

You know, I've been in some difficult places in the world. And while I don't have the strength of that relationship that you have, I do question God as a result of some of the things I've seen. You know, if there's a God, how can this happen? How can we witness, how can I see this and still believe that there's a God? So, you know, you've seen far worse things than I've seen, and you've been in the middle of stuff, and you've, you know, as you said, you were bombed yourself. Do you ask that question?

And what's the answer? I act as if God exists. But I've seen, and I struggle with this because I said, I debated with God for many, many years, you know, growing up in a Catholic family. Then I even tried on my uncle's Baptist faith, but it didn't sit right for me. Wonderful man. I've seen it through people. I've seen it through people. I've seen God through people. I've seen it through young girls who are medical students who leave Lviv. They don't have to, you know, they could have stayed. They work on ambulance crews. They work 12 hours a day. I've seen soldiers.

I've seen things almost verging on supernatural, Peter. There's people that don't die in this war. I don't know how you're not even going to take me serious if I said that to you. But there's some people that despite all they've been through and the worst place I've ever been, and they were there for five days after that. It gets worse, but they're still alive and they're still going every day. I don't know. Mathematically, it's it's and many people die every day, every, every, every day. And if a cat, I've done some things, Peter, but I'm not, I've seen, there's some people who've done a lot more. And there has to be something keeping them going other than just their professionalism, their luck, their, I can't explain it. It makes no sense. Yeah.

What are you expecting when you go back? Do you fear going back? Do you worry about that? You mentioned earlier how you're afraid going in, but when you're there, the fear kind of disappears or dissipates at least. That's the last. Yeah, you must be going through a bit of that as you approach a time in another month or so when you go back.

You must be worried about that. When I talk about that fear, that's the last couple of miles. You know what I mean? But right now at this point, I'd say my fear, my biggest fear is that I won't live up to it. Have you ever heard of imposter syndrome? People now, I don't want to call myself successful, but I came to Ukraine with no pretense. And I said, whatever you do, Brandon, just tell the truth. Whether it's your lack of experience or whatever.

But in terms of many foreign volunteers, I have contributed a great amount. And I hope to exceed that. And I see more value in my own life now because of what I've done. I hope I can do the same or better. If the same, it would only be different. I put all the pressure on myself. It's a great pressure. But that's okay, because you don't know what I know.

I'm the one who has to live with me. Have you made friends? And I ask that seriously, because there will be people who will tell you that in these kind of situations, you actually can't afford to make friends, because you don't know what will happen tomorrow. Well, we don't name the cats and dogs. We adopt them, the strays and all the army positions, if that's what you mean. But no, I've made real good friends, and the reason I stayed in Ukraine,

he's a grandfather. He shouldn't even be there. He was the chief medical officer for 1st Armored Brigade. That was my first war war. But as busy as it was, he came all the way over because I was the first foreigner they ever had. And he'd served with the Canadians. He served with other units on United Nations missions. He understood the value. But this is a man of Lieutenant Colonel rank who gave me a hug. That wouldn't fly in Ottawa, Petawawa, certainly with an RCR. I don't know about the Vanduus.

But do you understand we're in a different time and a different culture? Yeah, I got friends. I got friends who were worried about me. My friend Maxime, his neighbor's house got hit by artillery the other day because we rotate in and out from the front to rear houses. But he's worried about me because pictures of my social media doing all these interviews. He says, you look tired, my friend.

Yeah, I've got real good. I've got some damn good friends peter um yeah um you know what i i think we're gonna uh we're gonna call this a day on the on this interview but i know we're gonna talk again and uh you know at least i hope i can wedge myself into your busy media schedule when you get back to Ukraine. And we'll check in with you to see how it's going this time around. I mean, all we can all hope is that somehow this thing is going to come to, you know, it's going to come to an end of some sort sooner rather than later. But given how long it's already run, so much longer than we thought it would,

it's hard to make predictions on this front. But, you know, you've opened our eyes to a lot of what you've been through and really just, I guess, scratching the surface of what you've been through. But we'll do more in the days, weeks, months ahead. I'm so grateful for you having me. And I watched you growing up. I'm a high school dropout, but here I'm talking to Peter Mansbridge. My family's quite proud.

And friends of mine that are in Ukraine, a friend from Saskatchewan. You're talking to Peter Mansbridge? Holy, you know. But I just want to say thank you, because I know you've covered Ukraine every week. And I don't know if you'll edit this out, but that CBC foreign correspondence team, they fight hard for us, you know, Steph and Chris. And I know that. And they try to push it across the line with the editors in Toronto because they care about what they're doing. I know very well what you're speaking of and who you're speaking of. I mean, I've known Chris for a long time.

Chris Brown, for those who are listening, is a terrific correspondent. And Steph Jenser, I've known since the day she joined the CBC in the late 1980s. And I've been around the world with Steph in my CBC days. And they are, you know, they are a terrific pair, and so is their crew. And totally dedicated to the job they do and to fighting to ensure that those stories get on the air, which sometimes is a hard slog, trying to convince the editors in Toronto. There's a morality about them. There really is.

Yeah. They're terrific, terrific people. And they're in South Sudan now. So let's just hope they're safe. We're safer than them now. Yeah. Let's just,

well, the thing about them is they're, they're smart. They're not, they're not trying to be heroes. They're trying to tell a story and, and, and they're careful.

But listen, Brandon, thank you so much for doing this and we will stay in touch. It's just been really enlightening listening to you and informative very much. So thank you for doing this. Very grateful. Brandon Mitchell. Remember that name.

Remarkable young Canadian with a remarkable story to tell. And we wish him safe travels in his time ahead. He is eventually heading back to Ukraine. That's going to wrap it up today. Special Tuesday show on this day. Tomorrow we'll be back at it with Smoke Mirrors and the Truth. Bruce will be by. We'll talk about a number of things,

and I'm sure we'll talk a little bit about the Alberta election result as well. Thursday, I welcome your letters. Don't be shy. If you have some comments on this or yesterday's program, drop me a line at themansbridgepodcast at gmail.com. themansbridgepodcast at gmail.com. And Thursday, it's your turn, so that's our opportunity to hear from you and also the Random Rant here.

Friday, of course, is Good Talk with Chantel and Bruce. I'm Peter Mansbridge. Thanks so much for listening today. We'll talk to you again in 24 hours.