Life In The Dirt: Ukraine's Forces Hunker Down Near Kupyansk
RFE/RL correspondent Maryan Kushnir goes into the frigid trenches of northeastern Ukraine, where Kyiv's forces are enduring harsh weather and artillery strikes as they hunker down for a prolonged and seemingly endless war.
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RFE/RL correspondent Maryan Kushnir visited Ukraine's forces near Kupyansk in northeastern Ukraine, where they struggle against both the cold and Russian artillery. This soldier grabs some sleep during a lull in shelling.
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Kushnir had to walk under threat from Russian drones to reach the trenches, moving under cover of darkness.
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A half hour after his arrival, Russian shelling targeted their position, shaking the sandy soil of the dugout.
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The soldiers live much like their counterparts who fought and died in the trenches of World War I.
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The once-dense canopy of trees now stands splintered, creating a desolate and shattered landscape. The soldiers call it their "Verdun meat grinder," referring to the famous World War I battle.
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With space inside their dugout at a premium, the soldiers must take turns sleeping while others sit and wait in the darkness.
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A soldier lights a trench candle, the only source of heat and light...
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...that keeps the men from being completely absorbed into the pitch-black darkness.
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Sitting in the shadows, the soldiers reminisce about a favorite pizza restaurant in a village behind the front line.
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Though food is always an easy topic, their talk always returns to their families and how they yearn for everyday things such as chores, work, and family.
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They also speak of how they are the last defense against the Kremlin's forces who threaten their families back home.
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Amid another round of shelling, the soldiers listen quietly as the trees crackle and splinter above, while the ground shakes from artillery impacts.
