Donetsk Region, Ukraine — Under a dusky sky, the last storks of Donbas soar toward distant horizons for the winter. Their graceful wings glide over fields of dried sunflowers, disappearing behind massive slag heaps that rise like sentinels from one valley to the next.
Philippe, a 30-year-old soldier in Ukraine’s 68th Jaeger Brigade, pushes the accelerator, his focus unbroken.
After crossing the wrecked bridge in Pokrovsk, destroyed weeks earlier by Russian forces, he heads south toward Selydove, the site of fierce battles.
Heading in the opposite direction, dozens of cars and trucks carry the last civilians fleeing the city.
Next to Philippe, 31-year-old Oleksandr points toward a dark plume of smoke on the horizon.
“That’s Selydove!” he shouts over the roar of the engine.
Columns of smoke rise on both sides of the road, lighting the sky in flames. Suddenly, a loud explosion erupts behind the car—a shell crashes into a nearby field. Just meters from the impact, an elderly woman stands unfazed by the military vehicles racing past her tin-roofed home.
Beyond the first village, the car veers into the woods. Upon entering the combat zone, Philippe jumps out and activates a small black box with antennas at the back of the vehicle. “Drone jammer,” he explains.
A Worsening Conflict
Since the summer, Russian forces have launched a full-scale offensive in the Donbas, making their largest gains since the war began in February 2022. They’ve pushed their troops to within kilometers of Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub for Ukraine’s military.
Facing mounting pressure, the 68th Brigade was redeployed weeks ago to halt the Russian advance. For now, the front line has stabilized, but no one knows how long it will hold.
In a clearing, Ukrainian soldiers from the 68th Brigade gather around an old Soviet-era cannon, seized during the Kharkiv counteroffensive of 2022. They laugh and chat under the command of Taras, a bearded 31-year-old officer.
“We mainly do counter-battery fire,” says Taras. “On a typical day, we fire between 20 and 30 shells.” However, he remains cautious about the future.
“The front has stabilized for now,” he says, “but it’s hard to say for how long we can hold Pokrovsk.”
As he speaks, a phone call interrupts the conversation. Taras answers briefly before rushing toward the artillery gun, calling out: “Positions!”
In seconds, the soldiers execute a well-rehearsed routine, readying the cannon. “Armata!” one soldier yells. “Ostril!” responds Taras. The ground trembles as the cannon fires, flames erupting from the barrel.
After the shot, the soldiers retreat into a trench.
“We’re hiding from Russian counter-battery fire,” Oleksandr explains. “We wait five minutes. If the Russians don’t respond by then, it means they haven’t located us.”
The first minute is tense, silent. “It takes 50 seconds for a Russian shell to reach us,” one soldier remarks. By the second minute, Philippe lights a cigarette. When the time passes without retaliation, the soldiers relax, laughing and dusting off their uniforms.
“No counterattack today,” Oleksandr says with a grin.
A Fragile Defense
Like the 68th Brigade, soldiers of the 15th Brigade have been relocated to this sector to hold back the Russian advance.
Mikhaïl, a 47-year-old tank commander from Lviv, is cautiously optimistic. He believes Ukraine can hold the line for a few more months.
“We have a chance,” he says. “It all depends on how quickly the Russians advance and our ability to stop them. If we can hold Selydove until the rains begin, we should be able to hold Pokrovsk through the winter.”
The Rasputitsa, or rainy season, which typically begins in mid-October, could slow the conflict. The terrain quickly becomes a muddy quagmire, making the movement of military vehicles nearly impossible until winter’s freezing temperatures solidify the ground.
Mikhaïl is confident that this year, his unit is better prepared for winter. Unlike the previous year, Ukraine now has more ammunition, largely thanks to international efforts, such as those led by Czech President Petr Pavel, who helped secure nearly a million artillery shells.
“While we still need more, it’s nothing like last year when we were severely short,” he adds.
However, despite the improved supply situation, Mikhaïl warns that Russia’s slowed advance on Pokrovsk is tactical. The Russians are repositioning to expand their hold around the city, securing their supply lines.
Oleksandr is acutely aware of this strategy.
“Street fighting in every village costs the Russians dearly. Instead of pushing directly, they’re trying to encircle and choke them off,” he says.
Despite the challenges, Oleksandr holds onto hope that Ukraine can defend Pokrovsk. But as they drive back, signs of the Russian advance loom. Every few kilometers, along the road from Pokrovsk to Kramatorsk, new trenches are being dug, and anti-tank obstacles, known as dragon’s teeth, are piled high on dump trucks, ready to be deployed.
Philippe, staring out at the horizon, knows the truth: the Russians are advancing.
