Arni joined the Ukrainian army in 2022 to fight for his country’s survival. When we bump into him 30 months later, he describes a new motivation. “Peace.”
“No-one likes war, we want to finish it,” he says while leaning against his camouflaged pick-up truck.
For the troops we encounter close to Russia’s border, there’s a desire to end Russia’s invasion on acceptable terms.
That is not to say survival isn’t a core driver – it is – but they seem to be striving for a finish line.
“For Ukraine, our people, we’ll stand until the end,” adds Arni.
Until 6 August, Ukraine’s sole objective was one of liberation. The complete repelling of Russian forces to its borders from before Russia first invaded in 2014.
Albeit at a grinding pace, the reverse has been happening for the past year-and-a-half with Moscow eroding Ukrainian territory.
Then came the “all in” poker play which surprised everyone apart from the battle-hardened Ukrainian soldiers who carried it out: a counter-offensive into Russia’s Kursk region.
BBC
