Russia-Ukraine war: Meeting the recruits preparing for battle

While we’re unable to ascertain the level of Ukrainian losses, it’s clear that Producer has been busy bringing back damaged and destroyed vehicles from inside Russia.

“I want this war to come to an end,” he tells us wearily in very good English.

“That’s because there is no reason for this (war). One man, Vladimir Putin, attacked our country. So what do we have to do? We must defend our home. Defending, defending, defending. But Ukraine is the smaller country.”

The mismatch between Moscow and Kyiv remains a key thread of President Zelensky’s ongoing call for greater Western help.

Through taking the fight into Russia, Ukraine galvanised its public but worried some allies who remain fearful of Vladimir Putin’s response and the spectre of a wider conflict.

So far, President Putin has largely ignored, at least publicly, the wound inflicted on his country’s side.

Ukraine says that, unlike Russia, it doesn’t have unlimited reserves of conscripts to catapult to the frontline.

We saw a glimpse of the deployment dilemma with our own eyes in the locations we visited this past week.

President Zelensky argues that much greater American and European assistance in air defence is more vital than ever and that permission to use foreign-made long range missiles to strike further into Russia urgently needs to be granted.

Especially now that Kyiv is fighting a battle at home and abroad.

As we leave the training ground, the exhausted soldiers loll on the ground – water bottle and cigarette in hand for many.

Rostyslav, who longs to return to his Odesa, believes his president is absolutely right.

“The Russians can reach our territory with long range weapons and we don’t have such a weapon to reach their territory. We can’t stand this anymore” he explains.

“We would like to hit Moscow to end this dirty war. Children and civilians suffer, everyone does.”

Another rocket-propelled grenade thunders across the parched training field.

Next time, it won’t be a drill.