In this exclusive interview for interference, journalist Luca Steinmann shares his firsthand account of what he witnessed inside Donetsk in the days leading up to the full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine.
Steinman discusses the divided identities of Donbas residents, the motivations of ex-convicts fighting in Wagner units, and the widespread belief among Russian fighters that they are confronting the collective West. With no handlers, no state translators, and no embedded restrictions, he moved freely through occupied cities, speaking with civilians, soldiers, and militia groups.
In this conversation, he reveals what public opinion really looks like on the ground, why morale among Russian troops is more complex than Western narratives suggest, and how propaganda on all sides obscures the deeper realities shaping the war.
