Every morning follows the same grim routine along the stretch of the eastern front that Andriy and his company defend. At 3am he wakes in his dugout and goes to rouse his soldiers. He then carries out checks on their ammunition supplies and, if there is still time, has something to eat before the start of another enemy raid at dawn.

Andriy, a paratrooper with one of the airborne brigades defending the line outside Kurakhove, a town in the Donetsk region, estimates that between 20 and 30 Russians are killed during each of their daily sallies on his company’s position, falling under a hail of machinegun fire and shelling.

The Kremlin is throwing untrained soldiers on to the front line to sap Ukrainian resources. As Russia gains territory, it’s crude but effective, say officers.

Kurakhove, Ukraine

Read the full story: https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/russians-are-being-sent-to-die-in-daily-meat-grinder-it-works-r2j6sjjn6