Kathrine Frich
Life on the front line often drifts far from public view, yet for many soldiers the reality is a mix of exhaustion, fear and impossible orders.
In Ukraine’s east, where battles have dragged on for months at a time, survival often hinges on split-second decisions.
Now new footage suggests that some Russian troops have reached a point where they are no longer willing to follow commands they believe will end in certain death.
The city of Pokrovsk, long fought over and heavily bombarded, has become one of the most dangerous places on the battlefield.
Battle for the city
Russian forces continue their push toward Pokrovsk, a major transport and logistics hub that Ukraine has fought fiercely to defend.
Analysts call the city a gateway to Donetsk, and Kyiv has deployed special forces in an attempt to halt the advances.
Videos shared on Ukrainian and Russian social media channels show Russian units approaching the outskirts on motorbikes and in armored vehicles.
The images add to the sense that the long fight for the city is entering its most intense phase.
Ukrainian drones and infantry have destroyed many of the vehicles moving in, contributing to rising casualties on both sides.
Losses and resistance
Ukraine’s army chief, Oleksander Syrskyi, has said the battle is not over, though he acknowledged that conditions around the city are extremely difficult.
Independent analysts quoted in the British press say Russian losses have been severe.
According to defence analyst Jack Watling, Ukrainian forces have been killing more than twenty thousand Russian troops each month in operations linked to the Pokrovsk front.
With losses mounting, Russian soldiers increasingly view orders to assault the city as a near-certain death sentence.
Reports from the front suggest that some units are refusing to join assault groups despite the risk of punishment.
Video of defiance
One widely circulated clip shows a Russian officer confronting two soldiers who decline to go forward.
One displays a wound, while the other refers to a medical condition.
The officer rejects their explanations and threatens to stop their wages and send them to a penal unit.
Both men respond that prison is preferable to what they describe as a suicide mission.
Their exchange has fuelled further discussion about collapsing morale among Russian troops sent into the heaviest fighting.
City close to falling
Researchers at the Institute for the Study of War say Pokrovsk and the nearby town of Myrnohrad are close to being captured.
In their latest assessment, they noted that Russian forces are likely to take both locations but will need more time and will suffer additional losses before doing so.
For soldiers on the ground, the fight continues under increasingly harsh conditions, with the battle for Pokrovsk emerging as one of the most lethal confrontations of the war.
Sources: Express, ISW, social media footage cited by British media.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
