"Aktuaalne kaamera" saw firsthand how front-line Ukrainian cities are still being reduced to ruins as a result.

On Tuesday, the crew drove through Kostyantynivka, Donetsk oblast, which has been under constant fire recently.

While looking for an old acquaintance, taxi driver Valeri, the ERR crew of Anton Aleksejev and Kristjan Svirgsden were able to learn that he had recently been injured, but fortunately had just been discharged from the hospital, on Monday.

He recounted what happened, while out driving.

"Ba-bamm, and I had no idea what was happening," Valeri recalled.

"Shrapnel was flying, the windshield shattered. The explosion was loud; it was terribly scary. Glass fragments flew into my eyes. Some people ran to my assistance, asking if I was still alive and conscious. I was able to say yes. Then they called an ambulance, after which I was taken to the hospital where the fragments were removed," he continued.

ERR's team have traveled literally thousands of kilometers in Valeri's car up to now.

"I usually sat in the front, Kristjan in the back," Aleksejev said.

"If we had been in that car even two days ago, I would likely have been injured like Valeri, but Kristjan Svirgsden… Well, I don't even want to think about it."

At a command post belonging to the 93rd Brigade, just a few kilometers from Kostyantynivka, a Ukrainian officer explained how the enemy's tactics have changed.

The serviceman, who gave his name as Mykyta, said: "The enemy no longer uses its materiel in our area of operations because it had become futile."

"We had destroyed much of their equipment with kamikaze drones, artillery, and minefields. Now, the enemy is massively deploying manpower, trying to approach from the flanks. They are probing our defenses," he continued.

To counter the enemy, Ukrainians use their bombing drones, which are capable of bearing grenades and other munitions.

In the exact section of the front where the crew had been present, seven Russian soldiers were wiped out on the Tuesday morning; several more were injured.

Despite incurring heavy losses, Russian forces are trying to advance in Donbas and are now less than 10 kilometers from Valeri's hometown – an industrial town with a pre-war population of around 67,000.

"Kostyantynivka is currently the key location. All our logistics routes run through this hub, so a lot hinges on it," Mykyta continued.

With that in mind, he advised Kostyantynivka's civilian residents to evacuate (in any case a mandatory evacuation was called in late August).

Valeri's relatives call him every day for the same reason, urging him to leave the city. But all to no avail.

"Everything is fine, dear. I'll call you back. I'm fine," as he put it to one family member he spoke to.

Kostyantynivka has been struck multiple times since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022 with dozens of civilians killed during that time, including children. As of September its population was estimated to have decreased to 25,000.

An interactive map of the Ukraine fronts updated in real time is here.

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