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Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Under fire on front line, Ukrainian soldiers doubt talks will bring peace
By Herbert Villarraga and Alina Smutko KYIV (Reuters) - While Russian and Ukrainian officials arrived in Turkey for a fresh attempt at direct peace talks, Roman, a 26-year-old Ukrainian artillery commander, raced to man his artillery gun after Russian strikes landed near his position. The scene on Thursday evening served as a reminder that, on the front line, peace is a distant prospect, even as Russian and Ukrainian officials assembled in Turkey for the first talks since 2022. Speaking to Reuters before the exchange of artillery fire, Roman - who uses the call sign "Cowboy" - said he had little faith Russia would agree to a demand from Kyiv and Western states for a 30-day ceasefire. "At the moment peace is not possible," Roman said. "We are certain that the enemy is not going to stop. Our task, as soldiers, is to hold our positions, keep on fighting, not to give up." The group of soldiers commanded by Roman - who did not give his full name in line with Ukrainian military protocol - was dug into woodland in Ukraine's Donetsk region, which is largely controlled by Russian forces. Late on Thursday, they had received orders to direct fire on Russian positions from their 2S1 Gvozdika, a Soviet-designed self-propelled howitzer. Before they could begin firing, Russian rounds could be heard landing a few hundred metres (yards) away. That was followed by the sounds of return fire from other Ukrainian positions in the area. Roman and soldiers under his command ran into trenches and headed for their Gvozdika. They removed the branches and camouflage netting used to conceal it from Russian drones, and then loaded a shell into the gun. They fired off a round. At the same time in Turkey, Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams had failed to meet, instead blaming each other for stalling. They did eventually meet on Friday in Istanbul. One of Roman's men, Serhii, said when asked if he saw a prospect of a ceasefire: "No hope." "Because there was a lot of conversation before. No results," said Serhii, a 36-year-old with the callsign Steward. "I just do my work. For our victory, to stop the war." Russian officials say they are committed to a peaceful end to the war, and accuse Kyiv of blocking that by making unrealistic demands and failing to acknowledge the need for compromises. (Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Alex Richardson)
The Star
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Under fire on front line, Ukrainian soldiers doubt talks will bring peace
Roman, 26-years-old, artillery division commander of the 141st Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the call sign 'Cowboy', prepares to work next to a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer before it fires towards Russian troops, at a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Alina Smutko KYIV (Reuters) - While Russian and Ukrainian officials arrived in Turkey for a fresh attempt at direct peace talks, Roman, a 26-year-old Ukrainian artillery commander, raced to man his artillery gun after Russian strikes landed near his position. The scene on Thursday evening served as a reminder that, on the front line, peace is a distant prospect, even as Russian and Ukrainian officials assembled in Turkey for the first talks since 2022. Speaking to Reuters before the exchange of artillery fire, Roman - who uses the call sign "Cowboy" - said he had little faith Russia would agree to a demand from Kyiv and Western states for a 30-day ceasefire. "At the moment peace is not possible," Roman said. "We are certain that the enemy is not going to stop. Our task, as soldiers, is to hold our positions, keep on fighting, not to give up." The group of soldiers commanded by Roman - who did not give his full name in line with Ukrainian military protocol - was dug into woodland in Ukraine's Donetsk region, which is largely controlled by Russian forces. Late on Thursday, they had received orders to direct fire on Russian positions from their 2S1 Gvozdika, a Soviet-designed self-propelled howitzer. Before they could begin firing, Russian rounds could be heard landing a few hundred metres (yards) away. That was followed by the sounds of return fire from other Ukrainian positions in the area. Roman and soldiers under his command ran into trenches and headed for their Gvozdika. They removed the branches and camouflage netting used to conceal it from Russian drones, and then loaded a shell into the gun. They fired off a round. At the same time in Turkey, Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams had failed to meet, instead blaming each other for stalling. They did eventually meet on Friday in Istanbul. One of Roman's men, Serhii, said when asked if he saw a prospect of a ceasefire: "No hope." "Because there was a lot of conversation before. No results," said Serhii, a 36-year-old with the callsign Steward. "I just do my work. For our victory, to stop the war." Russian officials say they are committed to a peaceful end to the war, and accuse Kyiv of blocking that by making unrealistic demands and failing to acknowledge the need for compromises. (Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Straits Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Under fire on front line, Ukrainian soldiers doubt talks will bring peace
Roman, 26-years-old, artillery division commander of the 141st Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the call sign 'Cowboy', prepares to work next to a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer before it fires towards Russian troops, at a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Alina Smutko KYIV - While Russian and Ukrainian officials arrived in Turkey for a fresh attempt at direct peace talks, Roman, a 26-year-old Ukrainian artillery commander, raced to man his artillery gun after Russian strikes landed near his position. The scene on Thursday evening served as a reminder that, on the front line, peace is a distant prospect, even as Russian and Ukrainian officials assembled in Turkey for the first talks since 2022. Speaking to Reuters before the exchange of artillery fire, Roman - who uses the call sign "Cowboy" - said he had little faith Russia would agree to a demand from Kyiv and Western states for a 30-day ceasefire. "At the moment peace is not possible," Roman said. "We are certain that the enemy is not going to stop. Our task, as soldiers, is to hold our positions, keep on fighting, not to give up." The group of soldiers commanded by Roman - who did not give his full name in line with Ukrainian military protocol - was dug into woodland in Ukraine's Donetsk region, which is largely controlled by Russian forces. Late on Thursday, they had received orders to direct fire on Russian positions from their 2S1 Gvozdika, a Soviet-designed self-propelled howitzer. Before they could begin firing, Russian rounds could be heard landing a few hundred metres (yards) away. That was followed by the sounds of return fire from other Ukrainian positions in the area. Roman and soldiers under his command ran into trenches and headed for their Gvozdika. They removed the branches and camouflage netting used to conceal it from Russian drones, and then loaded a shell into the gun. They fired off a round. At the same time in Turkey, Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams had failed to meet, instead blaming each other for stalling. They did eventually meet on Friday in Istanbul. One of Roman's men, Serhii, said when asked if he saw a prospect of a ceasefire: "No hope." "Because there was a lot of conversation before. No results," said Serhii, a 36-year-old with the callsign Steward. "I just do my work. For our victory, to stop the war." Russian officials say they are committed to a peaceful end to the war, and accuse Kyiv of blocking that by making unrealistic demands and failing to acknowledge the need for compromises. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'There is no truce': Ukraine's soldiers and civilians on Russia's ceasefire
Hours into the ceasefire Russia had called for, we drove into the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine to see what, if any, impact it was having. The Ukrainian military escorted us to an artillery position, south-west of the fiercely contested city of Pokrovsk. Overcast skies made the drive through mud tracks running past wide open fields slightly less vulnerable to attacks from drones. Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed a three-day ceasefire starting at midnight local time on 8 May, to coincide with the anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe – a public holiday in Russia on Friday known as Victory Day. But from the artillery position we heard the sounds of continuous explosions – incoming and outgoing mortar fire - evidence that there was no ceasefire in the trenches and on the frontlines. I asked Serhii, one of the soldiers of the 3rd Operational Brigade of the National Guard if there had been any attacks from Russia overnight. "Yes, they have been attacking overnight. We have had glide bombs and drones here. Russia can't be trusted. In the evening they call a truce and in the morning they attack. There is no truce. We are always prepared for anything," he said. Some minutes later, he was sent the co-ordinates of a target over the radio. A few soldiers ran through deep muddy trenches, to a clearing where a howitzer was hidden from sight, covered by branches and leaves. They uncovered it, pointed it in the right direction and fired. It let out a deafening sound, and the recoil blew up leaves and dust from the ground. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had rejected Russia's unilateral three-day ceasefire. Instead, he has called for a longer 30-day truce, as proposed by the US, a proposal that has once again been reiterated by its President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform on Thursday night. Trump has even threatened that Washington and its partners would impose further sanctions if the ceasefire is not respected. As the war of attrition grinds on, each side trying to wear the other down, I asked, Max, a 26-year-old soldier how he felt about global diplomatic efforts pushing for a ceasefire. "You don't think about things like that when you are here. You have to have 'tunnel vision'. You can't let emotions dictate your actions. You wait for a command and act, and if there is no command you find a way to spend your time. But you don't let thoughts like this enter your mind," he said. We drive north from the artillery position, to the city of Dobropillya, which is roughly 12 miles (19km) from Russian positions. Thousands of people still live in the city, among them are many of those who've been forced to move here because their home towns have become too dangerous to live in. We meet Svitlana who is from Pokrovsk but has now relocated to Dobropillya. I asked her if she thought Russia's ceasefire call had made any difference on the ground. "You can hear the sounds here," she said, referring to the continuous sounds of explosion, like rolling thunder, that we could hear from the outskirts of the city. "That is the sound of Russia's ceasefire. That's why I say we should never trust them." Twenty-six-year-old Serhiy chimes in: "The ceasefire is announced just to confuse people and deceive them, and so they (Russia) can say to the world 'we are so good, we are trying to get Ukraine through peaceful means' but in reality, everything they do is the opposite of it." In Dobropillya's main market, we meet 65-year-old Oleksandr. "It was quieter last night. Before that we used to hear Shahed drones flying regularly," he said. "But now we are hearing alarms again, and I'm not sure I can see any truce." As he talks, his face crumples into a sob. "I'm afraid. I have my wife and son here. I'm very scared for my family. I'm scared we might be forced to flee our homes," he said, breaking down. Additional reporting by Imogen Anderson, Volodymyr Lozhko, Sanjay Ganguly and Anastasiia Levchenko. Ukraine labels Russian ceasefire a farce after reports of hundreds of violations Russia says 60,000 air passengers stranded after Ukrainian drone attacks
The Guardian
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘I know I might not come back': the young Ukrainians enlisting early to fight Russia
'I'm not just here to avenge my brother,' says Luntik, 20, one of Ukraine's newest soldiers, as he takes a break from training. He has joined up, he says, to try to liberate the territory of Ukraine from the Russian invaders: 'When the thief is coming to your house and you are afraid he might harm you or kill your wife, you will take actions and, if necessary, kill the thief.' The mild spring day, somewhere in Kharkiv region, belies the seriousness of the conversation. Luntik is one of a dozen or so young recruits, all aged between 18 and 24, who have agreed to join Ukraine's army before the age of 25, at which men can be forcibly mobilised. The lure is a bonus of 1m hryvnia (nearly £18,000), 0% mortgages and a short one-year contract; the scheme, launched in February, is a fresh effort to repopulate Ukraine's frontline. Luntik is a model recruit for the 92nd brigade, though his family story, like so many others three years into the full-scale Russian invasion, is difficult. His parents died before he grew up and he was raised by foster parents in Lviv. He lost one of his brothers, Serhii, 22, in fighting near Bakhmut earlier in the war, 'shot by a bullet in the neck', but despite this, he says he is not afraid of death. 'I didn't come here to play cat and mouse. I know all the risks. I understand there is a situation where I might not come back' Luntik says. On today's frontline, the typical Ukrainian soldier is far older, often in their 40s or 50s, frequently fighting with drones or other technologies that require patience and endurance, not physical strength. For the first two years of the war, the minimum age for potential conscription was 27, the maximum 60. It was lowered to 25, but the Biden and Trump administrations both pressed for it to be lowered to 18, arguing Ukraine was not doing enough to address shortages of personnel. Though Russia and Ukraine's armed forces are estimated to be roughly of a similar size – just over 600,000 – the Kremlin can draw on a far larger pool of people, particularly from the country's poorer regions. Russia's population, 140.8 million, is roughly four times those remaining in Ukraine (35.6 million). Most of the Ukrainians who were willing to join up and fight did so a long time ago, and many others who have not been drafted would rather leave the country than risk losing their lives in a war that, for all the talk about a ceasefire, continues to grind on. Though 10,000 young people initially expressed interest, fewer than 500 have signed up, an adviser to Ukraine's president has said, though a further 1,500 are said to be in the process of doing so. In the past month or so, the country's best-regarded units have been allowed to recruit young people – 'Mum, I joined Azov,' reads a fresh campaign from one – but it is not clear this has much of a positive impact on numbers either, raising the question of why the extra money and short tour of duty has not proved particularly attractive. Volodymyr is 22, going on 23, he says, and is another of the new recruits. He says he wanted to join the army because 'if my children ask me some day: 'Dad what were you doing during the war?' I just want to have a proper answer for them. I want them to understand I was defending my country, the same as our fathers.' But he acknowledges that even though he was keen to sign up, it took a while and the new scheme for him to do so. Before the war, Volodymyr spent time as a DJ between the ages of 16 and 18, followed by a short spell working in construction in Volyn region, which borders Poland to the west. After the full-scale invasion, he signed on for a territorial defence unit based there, but realised there was no prospect of the war coming to his part of the country. Wanting to do more, he tried to join the Third Assault Brigade, but said he was talked out of it by friends. 'They said if you go there you might die soon,' and so he hesitated until the new contact offer arrived. Oleksiy Moskalenko, an analyst at the Come Back Alive foundation, which provides support to Ukraine's military, said that young people were often subject to a lot of pressure from friends and family, and the long years of war made it clear to people that 'it is easy to lose your life'. In February, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 46,000 Ukrainians had been killed and 390,000 wounded and there is no shortage of stories of newly trained soldiers losing their lives within days or weeks of reaching the frontline, sometimes on hopelessly risky missions. But Moskalenko also argues that 'younger people were more disconnected from the public discourse' because blotting out the war in their minds is 'a strategy to survive – it's rational to distance yourself from it'. At a lower intensity, Ukraine's war with Russia has been running since 2014, he adds, meaning it has always been part of the background of young people's lives. It helps, he adds, that 'it is always an option to hide, to run, or find other ways not to be recruited' – though Ukraine is trying to make it harder for adult men to leave the country. The young recruits say they are not expecting to be sent to the frontline until June. Luntik will be in a reconnaissance unit, he says, while Volodymyr has been earmarked for a more dangerous infantry role, where combat life expectancy can be short. Both say they expect to rejoin the military after they serve their initial year, albeit after a short break for a as Luntik emphasises: 'The first thing I need to do is survive.'
