Istoryk, a 26-year-old soldier in eastern Ukraine, finally managed to fall asleep one morning, ex-hausted from the relentless battles against Russian forces in the pinewood forests near Kreminna.
His rest was cut short just an hour later when a fresh firefight broke out, forcing the senior combat medic back into action in a fierce and lengthy exchange.
“We had a firefight for over 20 hours,” said Istoryk, identified by his military call sign. “Non-stop fighting, assaults, evacuations, and you know, I managed it,” he told a Reuters reporter visiting his position on Thursday.
“And we all managed it. We aren’t very fresh, and right now we need to find strength.” His description of recent clashes, and the fatigue that he and his unit are experiencing, underscore the huge strain that the war, now in its 21st month, is putting on Ukraine’s limited resources and on its troops.
The soldiers also know that Russia has a far bigger army and more weapons and ammunition, raising the uncomfortable question of how Ukraine can ever repel the invaders once and for all in Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War Two.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Valery Zaluzhnyi, described a “stalemate” on the battlefield in an interview published this week, adding that a protracted, attritional war would favour Russia and could threaten the very state.
Only new capabilities, including more supplies from Western allies as well as locally produced drones, would tip the balance back in Kyiv’s favour, Zaluzhnyi said.
The highly respected general’s stark assessment coincides with the advent of seasonal rains, which makes it harder to advance over muddy ground, and follows a summer counteroffensive which has liberated far less territory than Kyiv had hoped.
For those in the trenches, while exhaustion is unavoidable, motivation remains strong.
Istoryk, speaking in a broad west Ukrainian accent, recounts his grim experiences with a winning smile.
Asked whether he could continue to fight for another year, or even two, he replied: “I think so. For sure.”
Istoryk serves in a rifles battalion of the 67th Mechanised Brigade in the Serebryanskyi forest in the Luhansk region.—AFP
