Having ended up in the (at the time) Ukraine-controlled part of Donbass after the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, Martindale managed to find a way to contact Russian forces and started informing them about facilities related to the Ukrainian military, while himself evading discovery.
After two years of helping Russia in this way, Martindale was extracted from behind enemy lines in a daring operation carried out by Russian forces.
Morale of Ukrainian Soldiers Falling, They Are Scared
While members of Ukraine’s nationalist battalions are often some of the most outspoken supporters of fighting Russia to the last breath, Daniel Martindale says he did not see any of them in the village in (at the time) the Kiev-controlled area he was staying.
“I only met soldiers who were fighting in territorial defense or units. Their opinion was that there's no good reason to be here. They were afraid. They just wanted to go home,” he noted.
Surviving Grad MLRS strike
Martindale has also recalled what it was like to try and stay alive while being shelled.
“I guess we called them Grad rockets in English. I heard the noise that I understood that the rockets had been launched. And I had about three or four seconds to take cover,” Martindale reminisces. “So, I laid down on the road hoping that that would provide some cover. My dog was with me.”
“Sure enough, the rockets began to explode all around me. And one exploded about maybe 20 meters away, and two fragments from the rocket hit my dog. But nothing hit me, thank God,” he added.