When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the world watched as tank columns bore down on Kyiv and the country braced for a fight that would reverberate far beyond its borders. For one French psychologist, the moment was a personal call to arms. “At that moment you understand — it’s not only about Ukraine. It’s Europe. It’s our home,” he recalled in an interview with ArmyInform, reflecting on what drove him from volunteer programs to the frontlines near Slovyansk. His journey, and the broader Ukrainian struggle, reveals not just the brutal realities of modern warfare but also the invisible battles being waged in hearts and minds.
His path began far from the trenches. Initially, he volunteered with an American NGO, teaching civilians and soldiers Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC). Later, he joined the French army reserves, receiving basic infantry training. But it was the images of advancing Russian armor and the sense of a continent under threat that propelled him to Ukraine’s embattled east, where he would serve several months with the 66th Brigade near Slovyansk.
The conditions he encountered were nothing short of punishing. Promised heavy weapons like the MK-19 never materialized; instead, soldiers dug holes in the earth, camouflaging themselves from the ever-present threat of FPV drones. “We were told we would get an MK-19, but in the end we just dug holes in the ground and tried to camouflage ourselves from drones,” he explained to ArmyInform. Rest was a rare luxury between relentless missions. The experience also laid bare the technological and tactical gaps between Western militaries and the evolving demands of the Ukrainian battlefield. In the French reserves, he noted, soldiers still trained with rifles from the 1970s, with little to no instruction in drone defense or fortification. “We weren’t even taught how to dig positions, let alone defend against FPVs. Here, in Ukraine, you can’t survive without it.”
This harsh education led him to a new conviction: that the psychological dimension of warfare—how people think, feel, and are influenced—could sometimes matter more than outdated tactics or even weaponry. Now, he lectures at universities in Kyiv and conducts workshops for both soldiers and civilians, focusing on social psychology. This discipline, he points out, was born during World War II when émigré scholars helped the U.S. Army counter Nazi propaganda and design influence operations. “We face the same problems now with Russian propaganda,” he observed.
His teachings start with a deceptively simple lesson: people rarely act the way they claim. He cited an American study from California, where households were urged to save electricity. While many assumed appeals to save money would work best, only one message truly made a difference: “your neighbors are already doing it.” As he put it, “We unconsciously follow the group.”
In a country at war, these principles can tip the balance. Hotline campaigns might convince 200 Russian soldiers to surrender each month, but by applying tested psychological models, that number could double. Recruitment, morale, and desertion prevention all improve when shaped by social norms. “Small effects add up. In a war of attrition, compounding matters,” he explained.
To illustrate the universality of these ideas, he told the story of Kurt Lewin, a German émigré during WWII who was tasked with convincing American housewives to cook organ meat—prime cuts having been reserved for soldiers. Standard lectures worked for just 15 percent. But when women were asked in groups to publicly commit, acceptance rates soared fivefold. “Organ meat, electricity saving, desertion prevention, counter-disinformation — the principle is the same: group influence works,” he said.
Against this backdrop, the psychologist emphasized the scale and sophistication of Russian disinformation efforts. According to his observations, Russia invests billions in multichannel propaganda—spanning TV, culture, religion, academic networks, and political groups across Europe. “They flood society with signals on many levels. That’s what makes them effective,” he noted. For Ukraine, countering this requires more than just online messaging. Narratives must be reinforced through culture, education, religion, and the texture of everyday life. Citizens, he argued, should be “inoculated” against disinformation: with apps that provide counter-arguments and social media prompts like “Have you read this article?” to slow impulsive sharing.
“Guns win battles, but psychology shapes wars. If we can explain better, persuade better, and protect people from propaganda, it may be as important as any new weapon,” he concluded in his interview with ArmyInform.
While the psychological fight rages, the physical battle on Ukraine’s frontlines continues to demand extraordinary valor and resilience. A journalist from ArmyInform recently witnessed the fighters of the 503rd Marine Battalion, part of the 38th Marine Brigade, as they overcame a grueling obstacle course to earn the coveted sea-green beret. The test was more than symbolic; it was a testament to the grit required to endure Ukraine’s ongoing conflict.
Stories of survival and heroism abound. Sergeant “Passepartout,” a member of an armored group, described a harrowing escape from enemy encirclement after being concussed twice inside a burning M113 armored personnel carrier. “I slam the pedal to the floor, and it goes. It’s on fire, but it goes,” he recalled, crediting quick thinking and sheer luck for getting his crew out alive.
Innovation on the battlefield is also saving lives. Operators of the ground robotic systems “Uptown” and “Dexter” from the “NOVA” unit recounted a mission in which the evacuation of a severely wounded infantryman went so smoothly and quickly that the soldiers compared it to the intervention of “higher powers.” Such stories highlight not only the dangers Ukrainian fighters face, but also the ingenuity and teamwork that are becoming hallmarks of their resistance.
Yet, the enemy adapts. One of the most perilous challenges now confronting Ukrainian forces is the tactic of total infiltration into the close rear of the Defence Forces—an ever-present threat that demands constant vigilance and rapid response.
Perhaps nowhere is the intersection of physical and psychological struggle more evident than in the saga of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd Mechanized Brigade. According to Militaryland, this unit was pivotal in defending Kyiv during the early weeks of Russia’s invasion. After the Russians retreated from north-central Ukraine in spring 2022, the brigade moved east to Vuhledar, in Donetsk Oblast. There, starting in January 2023, they faced off against Russia’s formidable 90th Tank Division in what would become one of the epic battles of the war.
For months, the 72nd Mechanized Brigade “relentlessly defended the city until October 2024, when the remnants of the brigade withdrew from the bastion,” as Militaryland reported. Vuhledar eventually fell, overwhelmed by superior Russian numbers and firepower. Yet, the brigade’s determination in the face of overwhelming odds became emblematic of Ukraine’s broader struggle—and its refusal to give up, even when the situation seemed all but impossible. The battle ended in a veritable draw, with the brigade regrouping for battles yet to come.
As Ukraine’s war grinds on, it is clear that victory will not be determined by firepower alone. The stories of soldiers, volunteers, and psychologists alike reveal a deeper truth: that the fight for Ukraine’s future is being waged not just on the battlefield, but in the minds and spirits of its people. The outcome may depend as much on influence, unity, and resilience as on tanks and artillery.