By Davit Kachkachishvili
KUPIANSK, Ukraine (AA) - Infantrymen near the city of Kupiansk in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region play an important role in the army's defense of the front line with Russia.
The front line near Kupiansk is one of many key points, including Bakhmut and Avdiivka in the neighboring Donetsk region, in ongoing clashes in the Russia-Ukraine war, which has been raging since February 2022.
"We are on duty on the Kupiansk front in the Kharkiv region. We’re defending our country against the enemy. We want the war to end quickly and to gain victory in a short time," a Ukrainian soldier, who gave his name as Boder to protect his real identity, told Anadolu.
Saying that they are only about 600-700 meters (about 2,000-2,300 feet) from Russian positions in the region, Boder added that they are at "ground zero," with no one between them and where Russian forces are located.
Boder further said that there are frequent clashes between the sides, adding that tanks, artillery systems, and mortars are the biggest threat to infantrymen in the trenches.
Another Ukrainian soldier, codenamed Maska, told Anadolu that it is extremely important for them to use machine guns effectively in clashes against Russian forces since they are on the front line.
Telling how they are on duty 24 hours a day, Maska said that they are constantly on guard since they cannot know in advance when clashes will break out.
"Now we’re used to working in the trenches in cold weather. The temperature here drops to 24 to 26 degrees Celsius below zero (about minus 11.2-15F)," Maska also said, noting that it's not easy to stay in trenches during the winter.
He said that there is only a "gray zone" between them and Russian soldiers, adding that everyone in the trenches has to be extremely careful and that they use night vision equipment to guard against possible attacks at night.
* Writing by Burc Eruygur in Istanbul