Macer Gifford is a former currency trader who volunteered to fight for the Kurdish People’s Defense Units, or YPG, against the Islamic State in 2015, and for the Ukrainian army against Russia in 2022.
Gifford speaks with Business Insider about what it was like being in Kyiv during the outbreak of the war and his motivations for joining as a volunteer fighter. He recounts stories from his reconnaissance unit, the 131st, and their activities in Lyman and Kherson. He also explains how FPV drones and antidrone technology are used.
Gifford covers Zelenskyy’s call to action; Putin’s military tactics; Russia’s links with North Korea, Iran, and China; the conditions and medical welfare of Russia’s troops; and his predictions for the upcoming months of the war.
He is the author of “Fighting Evil.”
2025 marks three years of the Russia-Ukraine war.
