Ukraine war: One of the fiercest battles of the conflict is intensifying as volunteers work to evacuate civilians

The Ukrainian soldiers fired an American round from a French mortar at a common enemy.

They said the target was a storage site for Russian munitions close to the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, where one of the fiercest battles of the war is intensifying.

“Fire!” yelled one of the troops.

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A soldier, kneeling down, pulled a metal cord that triggered the MO-120 rifled towed mortar – a Cold War-era weapon with a new purpose.

It blasted the round into the cloudy sky and over snow-covered fields.

A third soldier stepped forward holding a second M1101 mortar round – shaped like a mini green rocket.

He dropped it down the barrel so the weapon could be fired again.

They launched three rounds in total before quickly moving to a more sheltered position – all too aware of the risk of Russian forces firing back.

An officer from the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, said his troops would win despite being pitched against much larger numbers of mercenaries as well as Russian soldiers along this frontline.

Situation ‘looks like the First or the Second World War’

Senior Lieutenant Yaroslav described how waves of Wagner mercenaries would be ordered to advance despite running directly into Ukrainian fire.

“When our fighters saw this, they were super surprised,” he said. “What is happening near Bakhmut looks like the First or the Second World War, with people [mercenaries] running forward, straight upright [rather than ducking low]… They have nothing to lose.”

At an artillery position a 15-minute drive from the mortar site, Sky News met troops keeping warm from the freezing temperatures in a makeshift bunker accessed via a short trench.

The men, seated on a line of wooden planks that framed the cramped, underground chamber, wore white-coloured waterproof tops and trousers over their combat gear to make them harder for the Russians to spot when they were outside in the snow.

‘I’m feeling fury and I want to win in this war’

Two of them described how they only joined the military after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion almost exactly a year ago.

“I’m feeling fury and I want to win in this war,” said one of the servicemen, called Bohdan, who spoke in broken English.

Asked if he felt scared, he said: “No, I’m in my country. I save my country.”

A second soldier, Artem, said: “I joined this war in March. Then, I had energy and motivation, and the same now. Nothing’s changed.”

As for what the toughest part was about living in trenches, he joked: “Digging. It’s the hardest thing. You have to dig constantly. Dig and dig.”

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Russian forces inching slowly forwards

Despite Ukraine focusing significant firepower on fending off attempts to seize Bakhmut, Russian forces do seem to be inching slowly forward after months of bloody clashes.

One sign of this advance can be felt in the nearby town of Chasiv Yar – which would be next in Moscow’s path should Bakhmut fall.

It has started to come under Russian shelling, prompting many residents to flee.

More than 10 people have been killed, according to the local mayor, Serhiy Chaus, who described the situation as “hard but stable”.

Asked if he was worried the Russians might capture the town, he said: “Who isn’t worried? Of course, we are worried, but as they say, ‘We believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine’.”

Teams working to evacuate civilians from risk areas

The growing risk means evacuation teams are driving in and out every day to rescue those unable to leave by themselves because of age, poor health or a lack of transport.

We met one group of civilian volunteers – four young men who said they wanted to be useful despite the danger – about 10 miles further back in the city of Kostiantynivka, which has become a staging post for those seeking to push forward.

Donning body armour, helmets and tourniquets, they climbed into two minibuses – one purple, the other yellow – and set off with aid parcels and the names of prospective evacuees.

‘I am trying to be brave’

One of the men, 31-year-old Oleksiy Zabrodin, who used to run a small business selling briquettes before the war, said he felt a little bit scared “but I am trying to be brave”.

Speaking in English, he added: “I understand it is important for our people. It’s our country.”

The volunteers pulled up outside a culture centre in Chasiv Yar, which had been turned into a distribution point for aid.
A small line of residents stood outside the front door, waiting to pick up basic supplies, such as pasta and bags of oats.

The team unloaded cardboard boxes of food and medicine before heading to the first evacuation address, taking just one of the minibuses.

‘We abandoned everything’

Wrapped in a bright red coat and orange headscarf, Nina, 73, was waiting at her bungalow on a narrow residential lane covered in snow.

She said her home had been shelled four times and she was scared for her life.

One of the volunteers took her by the hand and gently guided her into the vehicle, while others collected up some items she wanted to bring in a few bags.

Her daughter, Svitlana, sat with her mother to offer support as the minibus drove off.

Both women were crying.

“Don’t you know how people feel when they abandon everything that they worked hard towards for years?” the daughter sobbed.

Nina said: “We abandoned everything… The house is smashed.”

The volunteers worked as quickly as possible because of the risk of more shells landing.

A simple act of affection

They stopped at a second, tiny, single-storey house, where 83-year-old Maria and her husband lived.

She could not walk and seemed very confused.

The volunteers carefully carried her out on a stretcher, while her husband followed on foot – a few of their belongings also packaged up in bags.

Once in the minibus, the elderly man offered his wife a hand to clasp as she lay on the backseat – a simple act of affection to ease the disorientation.

Forced to leave

The final stop, before heading out of Chasiv Yar to relative safety, was back at the culture centre to pick up a few more residents wanting to flee.

Among those climbing on board the minibus was another woman called Svitlana, with her seven-year-old daughter, Maria, wearing a large, silver puffer jacket to fend off the cold.

“Life and the situation forced us to leave,” the mother said.

Asked how she was feeling, the young girl said: “Bad.”

As for what she wished for, she just said: “Peace.”