Anna Kudriavtseva is a camera operator for RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.
Ukrainian troops are defending Chasiv Yar amid fierce Russian assaults on the strategically important city. If it falls, it could allow Russia to push deeper into the Donetsk region, but Ukrainian gunners vow to hold their ground.
In Chasiv Yar region, Russian troops are actively using first-person view drones, guided aerial bombs, artillery, and assault units. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service visited the frontline positions of Ukrainian artillery forces.
The gunners of Ukraine's 25th Airborne Brigade are constantly fending off Russian advances near Pokrovsk. And they're operating a trophy weapon -- a Msta-S artillery piece left behind by the Russians. The unit is constantly on the move but holding their ground, they say.
As Ukraine marks the 39th anniversary of the world's worst civilian nuclear accident at the Chernobyl power plant, engineers are struggling to find ways to repair the complex's protective shield more than two months after a Russian drone left a large hole in the structure.
Small, fast, and maneuverable quad bikes are increasingly being used by Ukrainian forces to extract the wounded from the front line. "Kasper" says he has evacuated at least 70 injured soldiers, and delivers ammunition to forward positions. It's also harder for Russian drones to detect the vehicles.
On the eve of the Ukraine aid vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ukrainian frontline gunners told RFE/RL that they would lose the war without more ammunition. The troops say their artillery is the main thing keeping Russian tanks from overrunning Ukrainian infantry.
