12/18/2023 0 Comments Scorched 3d macHis face is that of a young man, but the salt-and-pepper hair hidden beneath his field hat and his calm self-possession amid chaos reveal he is a seasoned veteran who saw his share of combat before the current invasion. Mace is soft-spoken and cordial, lean and fit as an endurance athlete. But it’s clear that Russia is inching forward, each day bringing it closer to its goal of annexing the provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk and cementing the region under Moscow’s rule. I’ve heard conflicting reports about what is happening here, about whether the Ukrainian military is collapsing or the Russians are succeeding in breaking through the defender’s lines, cutting off thousands of soldiers. The casualties on the Russian side are almost certainly even higher, according to Ukrainian defense officials. I’m in eastern Ukraine in late May, in a region called Donbas, where the war has become a whirlwind of carnage that is claiming the lives of as many as 100 Ukrainian soldiers a day. We coast through the invisible barrier separating the “front” from the “rear,” then floor the gas and accelerate forward. They wave us through solemnly, without smiles or chatter. The Ukrainian soldiers manning the last friendly post have a singular focus and intensity that’s lacking behind the lines. NEAR LYMAN, Ukraine - Crossing the final checkpoint into a battle zone feels like a consecration.
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