Shaun Pinner was a retired and decorated British soldier, living a peaceful and happy life in Mariupol with his Ukrainian family. What follows is the true story of his six months spent imprisoned in Russian-occupied Ukraine. After the horrors of frontline fighting, Shaun had to survive his capture by the Russian soldiers, and his removal to a Black Site - an off-the-grid prison untethered to human rights conventions - where he was subjected to a campaign of torture by Putin's secret police that saw him shocked with electricity, stabbed, beaten, and almost starved to death, all while trying to maintain his morale with the other POWs. Born in Watford, Shaun Pinner served for nine years with the British Army's Royal Anglian Regiment, latterly as part of 24 Airmobile Brigade on operations for the UN in Bosnia. He joined the Ukrainian military in 2018 as the country rebuilt its armed forces following the annexation of Crimea. He was deployed to a forward position with the Air Assault Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Brigade, Ukrainian Marines when Russian invaded in February 2022. Captured after the siege of Mariupol, he spent the next six months as prisoner of war. Following his release in September 2022, Shaun was awarded Ukraine's Order of Courage by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He has since travelled extensively briefing NATO forces on his experiences. He is currently living in Ukraine with his wife, Larysa.