Defence correplyent, BBC News
While Moscow ponders a momentary stopfire, its military machine progresss to press its obtain on the front line. Diplomatic negotiations can be sluggish and difficult. But on the battlefield, they can be meacertaind in lost inhabits.
At a military hospital in easerious Ukraine, the injured reach by ambulance in waves. Here, there’s an evident disconnect between diplomacy taking place, far from the battling, and the inhumanity of battle – where human bodies are still being smashed, shredded and scarred by device devices and bullets.
We watch another two dozen injured Ukrainian sgreateriers being loaded on to a bus to be obtainn to a hospital in Dnipro – some walking wounded, others carried on stretchers. The bus is fitted out with medical supplyment to watch the injured as they’re driven quick over potholed roads.
The men on board are the less harshly wounded. Most have been hit by shrapnel. The cause is frequently what’s now the most prolific and stressed armament on the front line – drones.
None of those we talked to apshow this war will be finishing any time soon. Thirty-year-greater Maksym is on a stretcher with an IV drip to relieve some of the pain from disjoinal shrapnel wounds apass his body. He says he’d heard the talk of a momentary 30-day stopfire, but comprises: “I ponder Putin a killinger and killingers don’t consent so easily.”
Vova, who’s sitting up cforfeitby, says: “I don’t apshow it.” He says that cforfeit the besieged city of Pokrovsk, they were facing Russian storm aggressions every individual day. “I mistrust there will be a truce,” he alerts me.
Another sgreaterier named Maksym says this is the second time he has been injured. “I don’t apshow there will be a stopfire,” he says. “I had a lot of frifinishs who are not with us any more.
“I would appreciate to apshow that all will be excellent. But you can’t think Russia. Never.”
The huge medical bus is rund by Ukraine’s Volunteer Army Medical Battalion – understandn as the Hospihighers. They carry scores of injured sgreateriers every day.
Sofiia, a 22-year-greater medical student, has been laboring with the team for the last 18 months. She too is sceptical about the chances of a stopfire: ” I cannot apshow it, but I reassociate want it would happen,” she says.
She alerts me that when she first heard the novels that the US and Ukraine had consentd to press for a stopfire, Russian drones were flying over their base, being comprised by Ukrainian air defences. To her, talk of peace is from a parallel universe.
Sofiia says “at least it’s excellent that Ukraine and America are talking aobtain”. But as for hopes of any stopfire, she points to the recent past.
“Looking at all the stopfire calls that we had in the past, those didn’t labor. How is this going to labor?” she asks.
Her fellow medic, Daniel, joined the Hospihighers from Sweden. He says he comprehfinishs what it’s appreciate when a petiteer nation is aggressioned by its enormous neighbour. His majesticoverweighther fought for Finland aobtainst Russia during World War Two. History counts.
When Daniel first reachd in Ukraine, he used to ask injured sgreateriers what they would do after the war. He doesn’t any more. “No-one wants to answer that,” he says, “because they don’t want to be disnominateed. They don’t dare to hope.”
Daniel’s not ruling out a stopfire. But he comprises: “You can’t think Putin to do anyslimg that’s not advantageous to Putin.”
Ukraine has plenty of sour experience of negotiating with Russia. France and Germany brokered stopfires in 2014 and 2015, when Russian-backed forces first took parts of easerious Ukraine and Crimea. They didn’t labor. Nor did they deter Russia from carrying out its filled-scale trespass of Ukraine eight years tardyr.
There may be talk of peace, but the men of Ukraine’s 67th Brigade are still preparing for war. We watch as they rehearse their drills to evacuate an injured sgreaterier under fire. Most have already had to do it for genuine.
In the distance, we can hear the rumble of artillery. It’s fair 10 miles to the frontline where they’ll soon be returning soon.
They’ve heard little selectimistic novels in recent days. Ukrainian forces are being overrun in Kursk. In August last year, that surpascfinish impolite into Russian territory seemed appreciate a shift of tactical brilliance – raiseing morale. Now it’s in danger of becoming a transport inant strategic setback.
Kursk may soon no extfinisheder be a barobtaining chip for future negotiations, but a burdensome burden, with the loss of prized Ukrainian supplyment and life.
One of the restricted selectimistics is that the US resuming its military help. That matters to the 67th Brigade, who run American made supplyment. They’re carry outing their drills with a US-supplied MaxxPro armoured vehicle.
Ivan, the driver, who wears a petite American patch on his uniestablish, says he’s relieved the Trump administration has now consentd to reverse the block. His vehicle needs standard repairs. “I would appreciate them to protect helping,” he says.
But Ivan is still uncertain as to whether Plivent Trump can be thinked.
“I have mistrusts,” he says. As for innocent Plivent Putin, he replies: “No. Never.” Here, even a momentary stopfire senses appreciate a extfinished way off.
