A Ukrainian Military Forces soldier walks in a trench on the front line with Russia-backed separatists near to Avdiivka, Donetsk, in southeastern Ukraine, on Jan. 9, 2022. Along the “line of contact” between Ukrainian and Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, the diplomatic maneuvering can seem like an abstraction compared with the harsh realities of daily existence. Ukrainian forces hand-dug the trenches with shovels, often working under cover of darkness. The Ukrainian troops are well aware the harsh conditions hark back to battles from a bygone era. Every few hundred yards there are observation points where Ukrainian soldiers can view enemy movements through binoculars or periscopes.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 23, 2022 18:21 UTC