**Ukraine’s Soldiers Are Tired and Exhausted**
After three years of fighting, Ukraine’s soldiers are tired and exhausted. They’re struggling to resist Russian advances in the east, but they’re almost surrounded near the town of Kurakhove.
**A Group of Friends Fights for Ukraine**
The Black Pack, a mortar unit, is trying to prevent their encirclement around Kurakhove. The team includes a vegan chef, a mechanic, a web developer, and an artist – all friends who volunteered to fight. Their commander, Surt, joined the army soon after Russia’s invasion and thinks the war could last another ten years.
**Talks of Peace, but No Agreement**
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s president have indicated they’re prepared for talks, but Donald Trump’s goal to end the war seems hard to imagine. Surt worries about the outcome of any negotiations, saying there will be no justice for Ukraine.
**Fighting or Negotiations?**
Most of the unit agrees with Surt that fighting is better than negotiating. Serhiy, the vegan chef, thinks negotiations would just temporarily freeze the war and return in a year or two. The unit spends a week on the front and the next resting, but even when they’re resting, they continue to train.
**War Weariness in Ukraine**
Dnipro, Ukraine’s third-largest city, reflects the sense of war weariness too. It’s regularly targeted by Russian missiles and drones. Some Ukrainians are hoping for a longer-lasting release from the war. Opinion polls suggest there’s increasing support for negotiations.
**A Ceasefire Might Be Necessary**
Some of the strongest calls for a ceasefire come from those who’ve been forced to flee the fighting. A group of elderly women, including 87-year-old Valentyna, say they want negotiations for peace. They’re worried that Ukraine may have to sacrifice land for peace.
**The War Continues**
Additional reporting by Daniel Wittenberg and Anastasiia Levchenko shows that if there are negotiations, these women could end up having to make the greatest sacrifice. The war continues to take its toll on Ukraine’s soldiers and civilians alike.