As the Ukrainian soldiers raced through the ruins of the destroyed city under the spying eye of Russian drones, the skeletal remains of blasted-out buildings cast eerie shadows in the light of a full moon. Burned-out cars littered the road next to craters from artillery strikes in this city, Toretsk, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, that is now on the front line of the war with Russia. The hot July night smelled of violence — smoke and dust from destroyed buildings mixed with the sulfurous scent of explosives. The brigade allowed us to accompany them recently to view the destruction of Toretsk up close and the challenges Ukrainian forces face as they battle to keep control of the city. The only restrictions were that we not provide specific locations or other operational details that could compromise security.

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Organizations: 32nd Mechanized Brigade Locations: Ukrainian, Toretsk, Donetsk, Ukraine, Russia