1. The nature of the fight has changed for the Ukrainians from up-close urban fighting and hit-and-run attacks on Russian armored columns around Kyiv, at which they excelled, to long-distance artillery battles and airstrikes on the eastern front, where Russia’s superior firepower gives it the upper hand. Soldiers who served in the trenches last week near the village of Dovhenke near the contested region of Donetsk described hiking to positions and digging in as tank shells, mortars and cluster bombs landed around them. “We were digging in on our knees and in the mud because it was raining,” said Samara, 48, the deputy leader of a unit who has completed five rotations on the front line. Like most soldiers he asked to be identified by his code name for security reasons.

“The last 48 hours we did not have moment of silence,” he said.