A battalion commander’s view of Ukraine’s desperate fight against Putin’s forces: ‘Russian corpses everywhere’

As the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaches, near the front line between Zaporizhzhia in the south and Donetsk in the east, Askold Krushelnycky speaks to a lieutenant colonel – codename ‘Kremen’ – about a spike in assaults from Moscow’s troops after Kyiv’s withdrawal from the symbolic town of Avdiivka

There has been fierce fighting around the front lines in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia for months (AP)

Thousands of Ukrainian troops, many wounded more than once, all mentally drained, with Russian corpses piling up in front of them, are putting up a desperate fight to keep Vladimir Putin’s forces from advancing in eastern Ukraine.

That is the picture painted by Lieutenant Colonel “Kremen”, the codename of the commander of a Ukrainian battalion on the front lines southwest of the town of Avdiivka, which has become symbolically significant to both Kyiv and Moscow. He says one thing is clear, that in the days after Ukraine withdrew its forces from the town – in the Donetsk region – his men have come under heavily intensified attack from the Russians.

Kremen believes his battalion is now facing Russian men and weaponry freed up by the capture of Avdiivka to attempt further advances while they believe Ukrainian forces are reeling and off balance. Moscow sees Avdiivka as a stepping stone as part of its broader war aim of taking control of the whole of the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. But given the town has been destroyed in months of intense fighting, for Kyiv it is about showing it can keep Moscow’s forces at bay, while the withdrawal from Avdiivka gave the Kremlin a propaganda victory.