Editor’s note: The Kyiv Independent is not disclosing the full names of the soldiers introduced in the story, as they didn’t have a formal authorization to speak to the press.
DONETSK OBLAST – Mykhailo arrived at a dugout less than an hour after it was hit by Russian drones.
The main reason for the absence of medical evacuation is simple and gruesome: The fighting is just too intense.
It can take a day or even two for soldiers to get in and out of the fiercest fighting spots – killing any hopes of medics coming to save the wounded.
Left alone at the positions, the soldiers often have to pull out their comrades on their own under heavy shelling, sometimes walking five to seven kilometers to the nearest evacuation points, where vehicles take them to makeshift hospitals.
When soldiers carry their wounded out, the group is easy to spot – and it immediately becomes easy prey to Russian first-person view (FPV) drones and artillery.
Russian propaganda and kompromat is working as intended. Putin has proven that the cohesion of western democratic states can be broken with almost no effort, as a result we will see a completely unprecedented rise in territory grabbing and fascist dictatorships over the next 20 years.
War is, and has always been about logistics and material. Russia has China propping them up now. The west cannot send money to fight bombs. Ukrainian forces need air support and artillery shells, full stop.
Until the Ukrainian Forces get a substantial arms package, Russia will keep throwing unskilled bodies at Ukrainian trenches.
This is how Russian doctrine has always worked. Throw bodies at the problem until there are no more bodies. Encourage women to have more children. Rinse and repeat.
NATO won't do enough because they've depended on the US for too long. Now, half the government is held hostage by Russian assets and they will let the world burn for a taste of power and wealth.
What an absolutely disgusting and idiotic take on the war started solely by the fascist and imperialist state of Russia.
There are one and only one people to blame for the deaths in Ukraine - Russia.
They chose to steal territory that is not theirs, they chose to murder people in their own homes. There was never any threat to Russia. This is purely about Russia's desire to steal and murder.
You trying to frame American support for Ukraine as using them as human fodder is absolutely pathetic. You deserve to live in Russia.
They voted to block bombs for israel as well while it was bundled with the Ukraine bill. Genocide Joe bypassed congress and secretly sent israel arms anyways.