Ukraine soldiers and civilians to end the fire of Russia

Hours after the termination of fire, Russia called, we entered the Donetsk area in Eastern Ukraine to see what, if any, it affects.

The Ukrainian military accompanied us in an artillery position, southwest of the brutally contested city of Pokrovsk.

The decayed sky made driving through muddy tracks, passing wide open fields, slightly less vulnerable to drone attacks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a three-day termination of fire, beginning at midnight local time on May 8, to coincide with the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, an official holiday in Russia on Friday, known as Victory Day.

But from the position of the artillery we heard the sounds of continuous explosions – an entry and outgoing fire of mortar – proof that there is no termination of fire in the trenches and front lines.

I asked Serhii, one of the soldiers of the 3rd Operational Brigade of the National Guard, if there were attacks from Russia overnight.

“Yes, they attack overnight. We have bombs and sliding drones here. Russia cannot be trusted. In the evening they call a truce and in the morning they attack. There is no truce. We are always prepared for something,” he said.

A few minutes later, he was sent the coordinates of a target on the radio. Several soldiers passed through deep muddy trenches, to clearing, where the howitzer was hidden from the gaze covered by branches and leaves. They revealed it, pointed it in the right direction, and fired. He made a deafening sound, and the retreat blew leaves and dust from the ground.

Ukraine President Volodimir Zelenski rejected the unilateral three -day cessation of the fire of Russia. Instead, he called for a longer 30-day truce, as proposed by the United States, a proposal that was once again repeated by its President Donald Trump on his social platform for the truth on Thursday night.

Trump has even threatened that Washington and its partners will impose additional sanctions if the cessation of the fire is not respected.

While the tingling war is grinding, each side tries to put on the other, I asked, Max, a 26-year-old soldier how he feels about global diplomatic efforts, insisting on ending the fire.

“You don’t think about such things when you are here. You have to have a” vision of the tunnel. “You can’t let the emotions dictate your actions. Wait a command and act, and if there is no command, find a way to spend your time. But don’t let your thoughts get into your mind,” he said.

We drive north from the artillery position to the town of Dobropila, which is about 12 miles (19 km) from Russian positions. Thousands of people still live in the city, among them are many of those who have been forced to move here because their home cities have become too dangerous to live.

We meet Svitlana, who is from Pokrovsk, but has now moved to Dobropil. I asked her if she thought the call to end the fire of Russia had made some change on earth. “You can hear the sounds here,” she said, referring to the ongoing sounds of an explosion, such as Rolling Thunder, which we can hear from the outskirts of the city. “This is the sound of ending the fire of Russia. That is why I say that we should never trust them.”

Twenty -six -year -old Sergius rings in: “The cessation of fire is only announced to confuse people and deceive them, and so they (Russia) can say to the world” We are so good, we try to achieve Ukraine through calm means “, but in reality, everything is the opposite of it.”

In the main market of Dobropillya we meet 65-year-old Alexander. “Last night it was a ticho. Previously, we heard Shahed’s drones fly regularly,” he said. “But now we hear alarms again and I’m not sure I can see any truce.”

As he speaks, his face breaks down into sobs. “I’m afraid. I have my wife and a son here. I’m very afraid of my family. I’m afraid we may be forced to run out of our homes,” he said, and falls apart.

Additional reporting from Imogen Anderson, Volodymyr Lozhko, Sanjay Gangly and Anastasiia Levchenko.