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.
Life In The Dirt: Ukraine's Forces Hunker Down Near Kupyansk
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.
Kushnir had to walk under threat from Russian drones to reach the trenches, moving under cover of darkness.
A half hour after his arrival, Russian shelling targeted their position, shaking the sandy soil of the dugout.
The soldiers live much like their counterparts who fought and died in the trenches of World War I.
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.
With space inside their dugout at a premium, the soldiers must take turns sleeping while others sit and wait in the darkness.
A soldier lights a trench candle, the only source of heat and light...
...that keeps the men from being completely absorbed into the pitch-black darkness.
Sitting in the shadows, the soldiers reminisce about a favorite pizza restaurant in a village behind the front line.
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.
They also speak of how they are the last defense against the Kremlin's forces who threaten their families back home.
Amid another round of shelling, the soldiers listen quietly as the trees crackle and splinter above, while the ground shakes from artillery impacts.