On the frontline in eastern Ukraine, Pokrovsk stands ready against the advancing Russian troops

Jogging along in a flak jacket and helmet, passing bemused pensioners wearing flip flops and wheeling shopping carts, is one of the more awkward parts of war reporting.

I flash the odd apologetic smile at raised eyebrows long gone grey. We’re in the frontline town of Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine. The soldier accompanying us doesn’t want to linger because not long ago he was travelling in a car which was hit by a Russian drone. He escaped but his friend was burned alive inside.

The pre-war population of this town in the Donbas was 50,000. There are around 15,000 remaining, mainly elderly people. None of them bat an eyelid as we pass when the sound of another shell landing echoes off the buildings. War has become normal, even mundane here.

Russian forces have been making slow and steady progress along the frontline here for weeks now. The town of Vuhledar, south of Pokrovsk, fell to the Russian army on Wednesday. Further north, the town of Ukrainsk was also taken in the past week. A medical unit commander, treating wounded frontline soldiers, tells me that they’ve had to move their ‘stabilisation unit’ three times in the last month because the Russians are advancing quickly.

The logistics and transport hub of Pokrovsk is the real prize, though. It’s not my first time here. Back in 2022 the town was our base as Bakhmut was being razed to the ground, about two hours’ drive east. The fear is that the same fate awaits this place.

We’re being brought to a secret location in Pokrovsk, where young soldiers, from all over the country, have signed up to a drone reconnaissance unit. It has frat house vibes but replace parties and PlayStation with a live feed of the Russian assault on the town. The drone operators are watching wave after wave of small groups of five-six Russian soldiers assault Ukrainian lines. One of the operators points at the screen.

“I don’t understand what they fight for, maybe it’s money. Hundreds over the course of the day being thrown at the frontline? Constantly, constantly.”

We’re watching the Russian military meat grinder, live. The problem for Ukraine is that this bloody strategy appears to be working in this part of the frontline. Privately other Ukrainian soldiers I’ve spoken to have blamed the redeployment of troops to the Kursk offensive in Russia for the weakening of their positions on this front. As President Zelenskyy continues to talk up his ‘Victory Plan’, he needs to prove to western allies that this war is winnable. What’s happening on the eastern front does not help his argument.

Andrei and Sergei are newbies in their mid twenties. The young volunteers became friends during their 35 days of training a few weeks ago. They are just about to be deployed to a frontline position. They behave like they’ve known each other forever. I ask about how they’re feeling about their first frontline deployment? They finish each other’s sentences.

“Excitement. I feel calm.”

“For now.”

“I think one hour before the mission I’ll be scared.”

“But now calm.”

How would they feel if Ukraine ceded any occupied territory to Russia as part of a peace deal.

“So many guys died. So negotiate over what. Let’s ‘negotiate’ to take back our old territory, yes, guys died for these territories.”

“So for you, there’s too much Ukrainian blood in that soil?” I ask.

“Yeah, so that’s non-negotiable.”