Soldiers spend weeks or even months in a cramped shelter in a so-called “kill zone,” a stretch as long as 20 kilometers (12 miles) that is largely controlled by enemy drones. There is no way to reach a position by vehicle or evacuate the wounded. Ammunition and food supplies are constantly interrupted.
All of this has become everyday life along the front line during four years of Russia’s full‑scale war against Ukraine. Ukrainian military personnel tell DW how the war has changed.
When soldiers think back to the start of the invasion, they remember the many volunteers and long lines at recruitment offices. That seems unimaginable today.
