The final time “Luh” served within the army, he was a Soviet conscript, crusing the Arctic Ocean with the USSR’s northern fleet over 4 many years in the past.
When Russia seized the Crimean peninsula and Russian-backed proxies moved into his residence area of Luhansk practically a decade in the past, he cheered on the Ukrainian military however thought his preventing days had been behind him.
Then final February, the 64-year-old signed up once more to serve. “I didn’t volunteer in 2014 as a result of I believed the nation might do that with out me, however then final 12 months I noticed they couldn’t.”
It was volunteers like Luh – a railway engineer in civil life – who helped propel Ukraine to victories over Russia’s army final 12 months that surprised even shut allies.
Now they goal to do it once more, in a counter-offensive anticipated to start out inside weeks, maybe even days, that will likely be a essential check for Ukraine.
The battle has settled into practically static frontlines for a number of months, with Russian forces nonetheless holding practically a fifth of the nation, and the price of army and monetary assist to Ukraine apparently beginning to fear some western allies.
The approaching months of preventing will present if Ukraine is ready to come good on guarantees to reclaim all its occupied territory, after greater than a 12 months of occupation has allowed Russia to dig in in depth fortifications.
Essentially the most optimistic amongst Ukraine and its allies hope for a repeat of the dramatic army triumphs of final spring and autumn, when Moscow was pushed again from Kyiv after which compelled out of swathes of the nation’s east and south in just a few weeks.
The women and men who’ve frolicked going through Russian troops within the trenches are much less sanguine about progress, though additionally sure concerning the eventual end result. “Everyone seems to be ready for it and thinks we are going to clear up every thing with one hit. It can take time, and will likely be onerous,” mentioned Luh.
The Observer met Luh, who underneath army protocol requested to go by his call-sign somewhat than his title, at a coaching camp just a few dozen kilometres from the frontlines in southern Ukraine. His infantry unit had withdrawn briefly from the preventing to practise techniques for storming Russian trenches. On the makeshift firing vary, different teams fired off mortars and anti-tank missiles, heavy machine weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. Most had been engaged on bettering the velocity and communication that may be the distinction between life and loss of life in battle.
A former tattoo artist and a development employee with dreadlocks had been drilling veterans like Luh, alongside comparatively new recruits.
“Darkish”, who’s 30, signed up in January after serving to his spouse and son settle into a brand new life exterior Ukraine. “Somebody has to defend the nation,” he mentioned about his determination to volunteer. He has had two journeys to the frontline already, however hopes to get extra expertise earlier than the full-scale push begins. “We aren’t prepared, we have to practice extra, we want extra time.”
His issues echo these of many in Washington and different European capitals which have poured billions into supporting Ukraine however fear concerning the state of its army after a punishing 12 months. The official casualty toll is a secret, however leaked US army briefings put the variety of Ukrainian useless at between 15,500 and 17,500 with greater than 5 occasions that injured.

Russian deaths are estimated to be at the very least double Ukrainian losses, and different casualties tens of 1000’s increased, however a draft legislation and recruitment from prisons have elevated troop numbers.
US intelligence warned in February that Ukraine would possibly fail to amass ample troops and weaponry, and fall “properly brief” of its objectives for regaining territory, a trove of leaked defence paperwork revealed. That was regardless of the counter-offensive serving as a driving drive behind a fast coaching programme and big supply of assist over the winter.
Nato secretary normal Jens Stoltenberg mentioned final week that Ukraine had taken supply of 1,550 armoured automobiles and 230 tanks, together with giant quantities of ammunition from the alliance and accomplice nations. Nato international locations have additionally educated and geared up 9 new armoured brigades leaving Ukraine in a “robust place” to proceed to take territory, Stoltenberg instructed journalists in Brussels.
As the brand new gear has rolled over the border, and the primary weeks of spring have handed, there was more and more intense conjecture about when and the place the counter-attack would possibly begin.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and his ministers haven’t been averse to increase the approaching offensive – speaking about it helps to spice up home morale and hold Ukraine within the information in western international locations who’re sending important assist. Doubtlessly, it might additionally undermine morale in Russia.
Nonetheless, the spiralling hypothesis is irritating some prime officers, who’ve known as for endurance, at residence and overseas.
“Quite a few counter-offensive eventualities that at the moment are being launched to [the] public could possibly be used as screenplays for movies. However we are going to write our historical past ourselves,” mentioned deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar in a latest convention.
Presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak was extra scathing concerning the commentary exterior Ukraine, calling on allies to deal with getting weapons to the frontline somewhat than enjoying armchair normal.
“‘Navy observers’ argue whether or not the “second season” will likely be as profitable as the primary one. Political analysts warn that if viewership drops, buyers will contemplate whether or not to resume the collection for a 3rd season,” he wrote in a sharply satirical publish on Twitter. “The ‘followers’ are dissatisfied: images of destroyed landscapes and wounded individuals not tug on the heartstrings, and show-runners present the shortage of creativity.