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A soldier from the greater Bolton area serving in Ukraine has shed light on the harsh realities of conflict on the front line amid dwindling American support. Marcus, not his real name for security reasons, is serving under a legion of former servicemen as part of Ukraine’s defence intelligence. He voluntarily chose to fly out to Ukraine last summer, having previously worked as a serviceman in the British Army.
Marcus, whose name has been changed for security reasons, began serving in Ukraine after leaving the British Army. (Image: Contributor) American President Donald Trump has stepped up pressure on his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to accept his demands for a quick ceasefire with Moscow - but still without any immediate pledge of a US security guarantee. The two leaders publicly clashed at the White House recently, with Trump claiming Zelensky was "not ready" to end the conflict.
Questions have now been raised around the US pause on intelligence sharing with Ukraine amid its waning support, as peace talks are set to begin in Saudi Arabia this week focusing on structuring a ceasefire and a peace agreement. Marcus, who is from the greater Bolton area, has shed light on the realities of life on the front line of an international conflict. (Image: Contributor) Speaking to The Bolton News via a video link from a remote village outside of Kyiv, Marcus appears tired but resolute when asked about the withdrawal of aid from the US.
He said: “We kind of expected it. “Ever since Trump came into office, we knew that in an attempt to wind this war down and end it quickly, it would start closing off the tap and the resources coming out here. “Obviously it's kind of forced Zelensky into a position where he needs to come to the table and negotiate.
Both he and Trump are going to have to make concessions on both sides. “Support waning is concerning to hear for us. With American aid stopping, we're going to have fewer rounds of ammunition, fewer Patriot air defence missiles.
“It's going to be very much on the back foot, trying to keep as much territory as we can. And it's not going to be enough.” Speaking on the ever-evolving situation surrounding the future of Ukraine, Marcus said: “Europe have supplied weapons, they've supplied money.
And there's a deal potentially going to be struck without the European Union involved. Marcus is currently serving in a Ukrainian defence legion made up of former servicemen (Image: Contributor) “But at the end of the day, the question is going to be raised, who's going to pay for the Ukrainian infrastructure to be rebuilt, for the towns and cities to be rebuilt? “At the moment it looks like America is trying to go along with a peace deal with Russia and try to freeze Europe out of it. But at the same time, expecting Europe to foot the bill once the war is over.
There are just too many parties who want to be involved one way or the other. “We just need to stop muddying the waters basically. Rather than America having one stance on achieving peace, Europe going about it a different way and promising troops on the ground, and Russia saying we're not going to budge regarding European troops on the ground.
There's just too many players involved. READ MORE > Ukrainian residents in Bolton attend town centre protest READ MORE > Mayor visits Bolton's Ukrainian Cultural Centre to honour work READ MORE > Zina’s Journey based on secret diaries of a Bolton grandmother “We need to just side with the one who is taking the lead and try and practice it quickly before more people get killed on both sides.” One major threat to life on the ground, Marcus notes, is the use of drones to target population centres and power stations in an attempt to deprive Ukraine of electricity and heating.
Marcus describes his role as providing a sustained rate of fire on the enemy, keeping their heads down and aiding in trench assaults. (Image: Contributor) Ukrainian armed forces use defence mechanisms such as small arms fire, machine guns, portable anti-air missiles and electronic jamming devices to try and shoot down drones. But, shooting down these drones can be difficult when they are sent in large swarming numbers.
Marcus said: “You've got drones observing the battlefield, so you do not have the element of surprise anymore. Because they can see you, like, kilometres away before you even reach the front line. It takes a toll on us.
“It’s fast vehicles which take us, what are they called, open-topped fast vehicles that take us to the front line. “They drop us off about a kilometre away, and then it's just a case of grab what ammunition we can, grab our packs, water, food for the week or however long we're going to stay, and make our way to the trench that we're going to be manning. “Before you even reach the enemy trenches, you're already taking casualties from the drones.
"It's just a case of luck, really, hoping to get to a tree line quickly enough and disappear, or at least they're not able to drop as accurately as they would if it's open ground. “There’s FPV kamikazes which are basically flown into personnel but then you've got the drop drones which should hover over your position to drop grenades or mortar rounds onto you. One of the many trenches on the front line.
(Image: Contributor) “My role is to basically back up the assaulting teams by providing a sustained rate of fire on the enemy, keep their heads down and where necessary to aid in trench assaults. “We know what we signed up for. We're well aware of the fact that we could die from one day to the next.
"There are so many ways to get killed out here. “But at the end of the day there's some good camaraderie among us. We've got each other's back.
"We’re lucky in a way, in that none of my legion were forced to come here, which isn’t the case for others. There is a strong sense of camaraderie in his legion, Marcus adds. (Image: Contributor) “Ukrainian winter is harsh, but we used to pray for bad weather as this negatively affects the drones’ ability to spot us and their battery life, resulting in them having to go back to friendly lines sooner than intended.
” He also remains sceptical about Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s four-point peace plan for Ukraine, casting doubt on Russia’s willingness to negotiate with the EU or allowing Western arms to strengthen Ukraine. For most of us, the thought of voluntarily fighting on the front lines of one of the deadliest wars to take place on European soil is unfathomable. But for Marcus, it boils down to protecting Western sovereignty.
He added: “I can understand that a lot of the British public was saying, why are we giving billions to a country which has a record of corruption? I totally understand it. “But at the same time, I'm not going to adopt the stance of if we don't stop Russia here, they're not going to stop. “They're not going to suddenly lick their wounds, find a load of trained personnel and take on the rest of Europe anytime soon.
For Marcus, choosing to fight is a case of protecting Ukrainian sovereignty. (Image: Contributor) “But it is a case of trying to preserve what we can of Ukrainian sovereignty so that others don't get the idea that through the use of force, they can get what they want. “It’s the case of we need to deter it now before it becomes acceptable by other powers.
” Speaking to family members and loved ones, albeit for a limited time period, is one of the few pleasantries available for those on the front line. “My father doesn’t know I’m serving out here in Ukraine” said Marcus. “He thinks I’m still in the British Army stationed in Poland.
I guess I had to fly over Poland to get here, so technically it’s true. “My mother and my sister are quite supportive. Obviously initially when they heard that I was coming out here they couldn't believe it.
"They were adamant that it was the wrong decision and that I'd probably end up dead, but so far my luck has held. “We have internet where we are stationed, via Elon Musk’s Starlink, so you never feel completely isolated from the world which is a huge advantage. “I don’t know what the mood would be like if we were completely isolated from the world around us.
“A lot of people will question why I’ve come out here, but I feel as though if I didn’t fight I'd hate myself forever missing out on the biggest conflict in Europe since the Second World War. "And when you've been a soldier, it’s not something I’d be able to live with later on in life. “I’m hoping to see my family again, maybe June or July, or even earlier depending on whether peace can be achieved – although I doubt this will be happening any time soon.
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