‘These Losses Are Very Hard’: On the Frontlines With Ukraine’s Soldiers

 At 7:36PM on the 11th of January, Viktor Kucherenko was at his post in the Ukrainian army trenches, observing enemy positions a few dozen metres away, when a sniper’s bullet pierced his skull, killing him instantly.

Up until then, it had been a quiet day at the front line in Novotoshkivske, Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine. Ceasefire violations have petered out in recent weeks, as diplomatic talks to avert a Russian invasion of Ukraine stepped up.

“As usual, it began with machine gun fire,” said Timur Stetskyi, Kucherenko’s commanding officer. “Their sniper worked under the cover of that automatic fire. He fatally shot Viktor.”