As warfare on Ukraine’s front lines evolves, Ukrainian artillery crews continue to hold the defenses in the war-torn Donetsk region amid relentless Russian drone attacks.
RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service visited a unit operating a Soviet-era Akatsiya artillery system near the Russian-occupied salt-mine town of Soledar.
“It’s been working like clockwork since the war started,” said Yehor, a soldier in the unit.
Since the early days of the invasion -- when Ukrainian artillery pounded kilometers-long columns of Russian armored vehicles -- the Russian military has changed its tactics.
Now, they advance in small groups, forcing Ukrainian artillery units to stay alert and responsive.
“They probe our defenses in different directions. When they fail, they just move to another spot,” one Ukrainian soldier told RFE/RL.
In addition to infantry assaults, the growing use of FPV (first-person view) drones presents a constant threat. These drones now have greater range and enhanced strike capabilities, the crew said.
Showing RFE/RL the unit’s anti-drone means, a Ukrainian soldier known by the call sign "Docent" said the camouflage in such conditions is essential.
“Our colleagues’ vehicle was attacked by up to 30 FPV drones in a single day,” he added.
With continuous Russian infantry attacks, drone modernization race, and recent uncertainty of further US military support, Ukrainian artillerymen say the daily grind now can be exhausting.
However, determined to protect their families, they believe the defense is the only way to bring the peace closer.
"I want to go back to my wife and kids, I want to go on vacation like other people and go on picnics with my family, not to the [trenches] with my brothers-in-arms," Yehor said.
"I have a son and a daughter. They are they reason to fight," another soldier added. "I want peace for them, but it’s a long process."
