Ukrainian servicemen are being forced to spend weeks in trenches without rotation as Russian drones maintain constant pressure over the front line, severely eroding morale. Politico reports this with reference to Ukrainian soldiers.

According to the publication, a 20-kilometer stretch of the front has turned into a chaotic «gray zone», where drones hunt down troops, wounded fighters are left to die because evacuation is nearly impossible, and delivering ammunition, food, or water has become a daunting task.

Vladislav Voloshin, a representative of Ukraine’s southern Defense Forces, said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine suffer their heaviest losses precisely during rotation attempts. Politico cited him as saying that most soldiers are killed while units are being rotated.

The report notes that Russian drones regularly target vehicles responsible for moving Ukrainian troops in and out of the trenches. Ivan Sekach, a representative of a Ukrainian mechanized brigade, explained that vehicles now stop roughly five kilometers from frontline positions to avoid being struck. As a result, Ukrainian fighters must cover that distance on foot — a journey during which many lose their lives.