The hotter the section of the front line you want to reach, the earlier you need to set out to avoid becoming a victim of enemy drones. The artillery troops of the 154th Brigade are holding back the Russian advance in the area.

Just like Pokrovsk in Donbas, Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast is currently one of the hottest spots on the front line.

"They [the Russians] have already crossed the Oskil River. We're trying to push them back, but there are just so many of them. That's why we need more shells — to kill them all," said Ukrainian soldier Kasik.

"They don't want a ceasefire. They keep pushing forward. They come and come. They're trying to occupy as much Ukrainian land as possible," added soldier Mustlane.

A year ago, there were high hopes for the so-called Czech initiative, which promised to supply Ukraine with a million shells.

"As for the Czech initiative, the reality is that there are very few shells. Ammunition is so scarce that we're trying to repel their attacks with just one or two shots," Kasik noted.

Most of these soldiers have been recently mobilized and would like to return home quickly if a ceasefire were reached. But how realistic is the prospect of a ceasefire at all?

"I would agree to a ceasefire if they left all of Ukraine. I just want to go home and get back to a normal life. Right now, there's talk of freezing the war along the current front line. I've heard that they want to freeze the situation as it is. [And what do you think about that?] I don't really know what to think. I just want peace," said soldier Patarei.

"The war could be frozen as the front line looks now. But then we'll have to be ready for the war to continue in two or three years. They won't stop here. No, they won't settle for Ukraine. They'll keep going," Kasik said.

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