Former MSNBC analyst joins Ukrainian resistance fighting Russian forces

(The Hill) — A former MSNBC foreign affairs analyst has joined Ukrainian forces fighting back Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops.

Malcolm Nance, a longtime analyst for the network on national security, intelligence and military matters, joined Ukrainian fighters earlier this month, motivated, he said, by the atrocities committed by the Russian military against civilians over the last several weeks.

The former U.S. naval intelligence officer joined the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, a fighting force comprised of volunteer soldiers from dozens of countries around the world.

MSNBC told multiple outlets this week Nance is not a contributor at the network, though the Hollywood Reporter noted he had appeared on MSNBC as an analyst as recently as late February.

Nance popped up on the network again on Monday night, as a guest on Joy Reid’s evening talk program while wearing full military camouflage and holding an assault rifle.

“The more I saw of the war going on, the more I thought, I’m done talking, all right? It’s time to take action here,” Nance said.

“So about a month ago I joined the national legion. I am here to help this country fight what essentially is a war … of extermination,” he added. “This is an existential war and Russia has brought it to these people and they are mass murdering civilians, and there are people here like me who are here to do something about it.”