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In this episode of States of Play, Sam Olsen speaks with Elizabeth Bullock, a British civilian who spent three years working on the ground in Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Bullock recounts her journey from evacuating women and children to operating in frontline zones across the Donbas and southern Ukraine, delivering medical aid, restoring water supplies, and later supporting reconstruction in liberated areas.
Drawing on firsthand experience, she challenges Western misconceptions about the war, details Russia’s deliberate targeting of civilians and infrastructure, and explains why the conflict cannot be contained within Ukraine. The conversation explores hybrid warfare, national resilience, and why Russia poses a direct strategic threat to Europe.