Życie na froncie: życie i przetrwanie w rosyjskiej wojnie we wschodniej Ukrainie

Scenes of conflict from Ukraine proceed to dominate reports concerning the ongoing Russian invasion. Despite this, the war moves at a alternatively slow pace at the front. This reflects the local population’s adaptation to the conflict, with people stealing tiny moments of normalcy throughout their day-to-day lives.

On a cool, bluish-green river just minutes from the east Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, Ukrainian soldiers from a mortar brigade search to relax. The dark green military 4x4 that brought them from the front now sits idle as they cast fishing lines into the water. The fishing is poor, yielding small more than ripples, but the catch does not matter. For these soldiers, the chance to grill meat, share drinks, and laughter in the open air is worth more than any fish they might pull out. Here, far from the war, time slows, and the simple act of being together in nature becomes a fleeting treasure.