As the Ukrainian soldiers raced through the ruins of the destroyed city under the spying eye of Russian drones, the skeletal remains of blasted-out buildings cast eerie shadows in the light of a full moon.
Burned-out cars littered the road next to craters from artillery strikes in this city, Toretsk, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, that is now on the front line of the war with Russia.
The hot July night smelled of violence — smoke and dust from destroyed buildings mixed with the sulfurous scent of explosives. The only signs of life were the soldiers of the 32nd Mechanized Brigade, who were trying against the odds to hold their positions in an abandoned pharmacy under withering Russian bombardment.
The brigade allowed us to accompany them recently to view the destruction of Toretsk up close and the challenges Ukrainian forces face as they battle to keep control of the city. The only restrictions were that we not provide specific locations or other operational details that could compromise security.
“The most important task for Ukrainians is to survive,” said Maj. Artem Osadchiy, 28, the commander of a drone battalion with the 32nd. “For the Russians, it is to wipe out this Ukrainian city.”