Load. Fire. Get to Cover.

Europe|Load. Fire. Get to Cover.

Sept. 19, 2023

“Today, the concern is precise bad.”

For weeks, this wood successful the Donbas portion had been reasonably calm, but this morning, with the Russians connected the offensive, things were heating up again, said a Ukrainian lawman commandant named Yevgen who was escorting journalists for The New York Times.

It was Aug. 9, and soldiers from the 95th Air Assault Brigade were acceptable up nether conifer trees that successful much peaceful times mightiness person been much apt to shadiness mushroom hunters than men successful camouflage.

The outpost that time was a swarm of activity. New soldiers were rotating in, and others were rotating out. There was a dependable watercourse of incoming artillery and mortar rounds.

Then orders came in, and respective Ukrainian soldiers went to their SPG-9 recoilless rifle. The weapon, which is much similar a rocket launcher than a rifle, sends shells arcing astatine precocious velocity toward targets a 1000 oregon much yards away.

As the men worked, the aerial successful the wood was pierced by the sounds of vigor chatter, soldiers shouting to 1 another, and the roar of incoming and outgoing fire.

When Yevgen gave the bid to fire, flames gushed retired of the SPG-9 and particulate roseate into the air, engulfing the men — and offering immoderate Russians who mightiness person been watching a telltale signature to target.

They repeated the process respective much times, removing spent propellant charges from the rear of the gun, tossing them speech and sliding successful caller projectiles. As their radios chirped caller instructions, they adjusted their trajectory. Then the limb — that one, anyhow — fell silent.

Yevgen offered a salute, and his men sought safety, oregon the closest happening to it 1 could anticipation for connected the beforehand lines. The weapon was concealed again. Until the adjacent time. And past the commandant turned to his visitors.

“OK. Time to go.”