Stephen “Elvis” Pressley has been fighting in Ukraine since March, arriving just weeks after Russia invaded. He’s a strong believer in protecting the lives of the innocent, and across his months living in the country he has become enamoured with Ukrainian hospitality, nationalism and pride. 

But the 27-year-old Californian has also become disillusioned with the way the army is run, saying the Soviet-era style of management was harming soldiers.

“I knew there was corruption coming to Ukraine as an ex-Soviet bloc country, but I just didn't understand how deep the rabbit hole went,” he said.