Boris Johnson: Into Ukraine’s Kill Zone (C5)
Rating: Five out of five stars
Boris Johnson was genuinely enraged after seeing the remains of a bombed train car in Ukraine. He was particularly horrified to discover the attack had intentionally aimed at the families – the wives and children – of Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the front lines.
He called the attacks “complete terrorism,” questioning what Putin and his military leaders hope to accomplish by targeting innocent people. He believes these actions are portraying them as cruel and uncivilized.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in eastern Ukraine, a region heavily damaged by fighting, filming a documentary with Daily Mail journalists Richard Pendlebury and Jamie Wiseman. The 90-minute film, titled ‘Boris Johnson: Into Ukraine’s Kill Zone,’ was produced by Daily Mail Originals, a new production company launched by the Daily Mail.
Tonight at 9pm on Channel 5, a unique documentary follows war reporter Richard and photographer Jamie, who have been covering the conflict in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Their experience offers a perspective unlike any seen before from Western politicians.
They’ve spent years creating popular combat documentaries – like ‘Frontline’ and ‘Crossfire’ – for the Daily Mail’s YouTube channel, racking up over 40 million views globally.
The people working here face extreme danger every day. This film clearly shows just how risky life is for those living in the Kill Zone – the area right behind the 1,330-mile front line.
Boris was lying awake in his home in Zaporizhia, a city often targeted by Russian attacks along the Dnieper River, as he listened to drones hitting buildings close by.
He explained that he was woken up around four in the morning by a loud noise. At 4:07 AM, there was another large impact – it turned out to be two drone strikes. He added that if the strike had hit their window, they wouldn’t have realized what happened.
I recently visited Komyshuvakha, and it was heartbreaking. So much of the village was destroyed – farm buildings were just piles of rubble, and apartment buildings had gaping, still-smoldering holes in their sides. Despite everything, I was surprised to find one supermarket still open, bravely serving the community.
A constant beeping sound trailed behind him, similar to the rapid clicking of a Geiger counter. A soldier from a local unit, responsible for protecting the Daily Mail reporters, was carefully watching the sky for any drones that might be coming near.
The device began to make a much louder noise, signaling an incoming glide bomb. An evacuation order was given, and Boris and the other journalists rushed to their vehicle and quickly drove away from the village.
At times, the 62-year-old former Prime Minister seemed genuinely frightened – to use a casual phrase he often likes. While being driven away from Kyiv in the Daily Mail’s old Land Cruiser, nicknamed Daisy, he was surprised to hear Richard explain that some believe journalists shouldn’t wear blue helmets. The idea is that camouflage is safer, as Russian forces are reportedly targeting journalists.
‘Oh really?’ he replied, in a tone of voice that conveyed much more than the mere words.
Boris has a tendency to get easily distracted, making it hard for him to stay focused on serious matters. Even when experiencing strong emotions like anger or shock, his mind quickly wanders to less important or amusing things.
In Zaporizhzhia, hotels are often targeted by Russian attacks, likely to discourage Western reporters from covering the conflict. Because of this danger, he and his team chose to stay in a private apartment where they concealed any information that could reveal their identities and potentially lead to retaliation from Russia.
Richard and Jamie unfortunately left their food out in the open. When they woke up the next morning, they found that someone had eaten a piece of cheese and two Snickers bars.
The ex-Prime Minister insisted they hadn’t been properly supervised, and jokingly added that he definitely hadn’t eaten anyone’s cheese.
Near Kyiv, at an anti-aircraft artillery base covered in frost, he examined the remains of a downed Shahed drone. Remarkably, it had been destroyed by fire from a heavy machine gun – a weapon type also used during World War II against Nazi forces.
“You did it!” he told the artillery crew. “That was a perfect shot. No wonder you beat Napoleon, and everyone else!”
The soldiers guarding those guns looked exhausted after long nights, but they were incredibly proud to show a British politician – a longtime supporter of their fight – videos proving their skill at shooting down enemy planes, which they described as destroying targets.
Boris was cold outdoors, regretting his decision not to wear warmer clothes – he really should have put on long underwear! Despite this, he climbed onto the back of a mobile anti-aircraft gun to take a look at it.
He was struck by the fact that these people were bravely protecting their families with gear that hadn’t been updated in over a century. He called them heroes, but expressed his disappointment that more wasn’t being done to support them.
Throughout his journey, he repeatedly thought about this idea, and shared it with viewers through direct-to-camera interviews filmed after the visit. These interview clips were then woven into the footage of his travels.
Ukraine’s strong and persistent defense, even against much greater military force, has led the West to assume things will continue to go well. As one observer put it, ‘We’ve become too comfortable believing Ukraine will succeed, and that’s a dangerous mindset.’
Most news reports don’t reveal the downsides of military operations, but this film does. The roads in the combat area are nearly empty, and covered with tangled wires designed to disrupt drone attacks on the occasional vehicle that passes through.
To avoid being targeted by Russian drones, drivers are speeding and sharply maneuvering around obstacles – sometimes reaching 90 miles per hour – making it more difficult for the drones to track them.
Farmlands that used to feed much of Europe are now covered with landmines, even small ones designed to injure rather than kill. This cruel tactic aims to overwhelm the enemy by forcing them to spend resources on treating wounded soldiers, and the entire conflict is deeply disturbing.
Despite being exhausted by war, Ukrainians are determined to continue fighting because they believe life under Russian rule would be even more difficult. One volunteer, 24-year-old Dasha, shared with Boris that her father was initially furious when she enlisted and didn’t speak to her for months. A veteran himself, he was focused on protecting their family, and felt Dasha’s decision to fight at the front put them all in danger.
Her selfless courage was so remarkable, it achieved the unthinkable, and left Boris lost for words.
The difficult reality is that Britain wouldn’t be able to mount the same kind of defense Ukraine is currently demonstrating. A recent YouGov poll showed that just 6% of people in Britain would volunteer to fight if the country faced an immediate invasion.
This highlights how crucial it is to stop Russia. Ukraine is currently defending against what could become a much larger conflict across Europe. Boris Johnson recognizes this danger and effectively communicates its importance to others.
He stated he’d rarely seen a situation where the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, was so obvious. He firmly believed they would be victorious, and thought providing them with necessary resources could speed up their success.
Standing alongside the anti-aircraft gun crew, he flashed a double thumbs-up to the camera and yelled, ‘Glory to Ukraine!’
2026-07-24 18:50