a few kilometers from the front, these Ukrainian soldiers neutralize Russian incursions on the border

The war in Ukraine is also being fought far from the front, in areas where calm is deceptive. Positioned several kilometers from the border, soldiers monitor Russian incursion attempts at the border.

This is the other war, which is being fought in eastern Ukraine, but kilometers from the front line: surveillance of the border with Russia. On each side, soldiers hide and confront each other at a distance in a huge gray zone, where tempers can flare up at any moment.

At the end of a winding path, in a swampy area, a small group of soldiers hidden in a grove is preparing their weapons for the next operation. It is an anti-tank gun, an SPG-9, which fires shells against armored vehicles. Against men, too. “One of our objectives is to fight against enemy incursions, explains Yaroslav. With the border guards, we anticipate the paths they will take. And then, thanks to aerial intelligence drones, we assess the concentration of Russian troops on the other side.”

Are there frequent incursions? “Permanently !”, they respond in unison. And the cannon killed just the day before.

“A group of men crossed the border and entered our territory. We had information on their whereabouts, so we reacted. And we succeeded.”

Igor, a Ukrainian soldier

at franceinfo

The weapon, Soviet, is the same age as them: 55 years old. But it remains effective, if it is in good hands, assures Volodymyr.

The enemy can appear from anywhere

Suddenly, the chief sergeant shows us a moving point on his screen: an enemy drone is flying above us. In silence, of course. “No, you can’t spot it, says Igor. Neither visually nor by ear.” In the sky, unfortunately, it is the Russians who have the advantage. Ukraine needs drones, he recalls. The border is a few kilometers away. And in this gray area, calm is deceptive. “At any time, it could get hot here”warns Yaro.

His comrade adds that it is even more stressful than the front line because the border is immense, and we do not know where the enemy may emerge from. What are they holding on to, then? To this Christ in white rosary that Volodymyr wears around his neck? The soldier smiles. He’s not that religious, actually. But in war, he notes, “you find yourself praying to all the gods you want, just to survive”.