Even a little more than a week ago, Artem Cariakin and his unity were making regular trips across the borders of Ukraine to the Russian town of Sodza.

A video clip was shown on a phone for its last trip, as the Ukrainian forces retreated from the Russian Kursk region. It shows them their way beyond dozens of burned military and civilian vehicles.

An armed soldier, a rifle, the last defense line, wipes the horizon of Russian drones. From anywhere, one flies towards the back of his truck. The sparks fly, but they continue.

Artem says they were lucky – the explosive shipment was not great enough to stop them.

Another truck nearby was less fortunate. He was already in fire.

Artem admits to Ukraine’s retreat from its Soda, the largest city of Ukraine, which was established in Kursk, “is not well organized”.

“It was very messy,” he tells me. “Many the remaining units are in a state of chaos. I think the problem is that the withdrawal is too late.”

He says it didn’t help, because the units were working without appropriate contacts. Starlink satellite systems that they usually depend on do not work inside Russia.

The 27 -year -old soldier is still seen as a widespread successful. Artem says it forced Russia to turn its forces from the east. Most Ukraine forces are still able to escape in time – even if it was on foot.

But it is believed that Ukraine’s sudden penetration into Russian territory, which was launched last August, was very deep and very narrow – relying on only one major road for supplies and reinforcements.

While Artem and his men were fleeing for their lives, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were talking on the phone about trying to raise the war. Artem says he finds it “ridiculous.”

“For me, these calls between Trump and Putin are just surreal.” “Trump wants to end the war because he promised to do this – Putin wants Trump to deceive his war. I cannot take their talks seriously.”

Artem, whose home is located in the Russian Luhansk region, tells me that he is disappointed with the United States and Trump. “What can I feel when they just want to give up my house?”

Artem says he never thought Putin would be ready to exchange any part of Russia for the occupied territories in Ukraine. But he still believes that the Kursk attack was important to protect its borders. Perhaps the Ukrainian forces have been forced to retreat, but they are still running a little high over the border with Sumi.

Ukraine continues its border raids-not only in Kursk, but Belgorod as well.

A procedure battalion helps to plan these attacks-finding a road through Russian mines and anti-tank obstacles known as “dragon teeth”.

We joined him on a night mission to determine and restore armored vehicles that need repairs. It is the safest time to move to the Russian border.

He will make himself not strange to Russia: He was born there. He now has Pelorusian nationality, but he chose the struggle for Ukraine. He justifies the penetration of Ukraine in his previous home. As Russia also says, it is trying to create a buffer zone inside Ukrainian territory.

Sirhi travels in his Ukrainian armored vehicle, which lists potential threats, and now we are less than 10 kilometers from the Russian border: ice bombs, missiles, artillery, and drones equipped with thermal cameras.

His car is equipped with electronic anti -unmanned scales, but even those that do not work against drones work through optical fiber wires. They cannot be stopped, although Ukraine has now built netting to try to capture drones before they can reach its goal.

Our original search is abandoned near the Russian border to obtain a US -made Pradley armored vehicle when it receives intelligence that Russian drones are operating nearby. Instead, he tries to locate another broken Pradley as the risks will be smaller.

Its driver and his driver still have to overcome obstacles along the way. Trees and branches lie on their way – remnants of a modern Russian air strike. We see many other bangs in the distance, and they turned briefly into Orange Night Sky.

Ultimately, he finds a broken Bradley Serhai. It has already been recovered from the cross -border battlefield and has been loaded on a truck to repair.

Bradley leader assures me that they were fighting in Russia. He describes the positions across the border as “difficult, but we hold.”

Bradley is another reminder of Ukraine’s dependence on American military support. This now seems less confident than Trump’s concentration on peace talks. Sirhi says it is already clear to him that there is “resistance behind Ukraine’s back.”

I ask my chance if he believes that European countries can fill any vacuum that the United States has left. Is the European “alliance” enough to ensure the security of Ukraine?

“I think that if America does not help Ukraine, the ceasefire will soon be an agreement – but with very unfavorable conditions for Ukraine,” he replies.

“It is clear that Europe cannot solve this conflict on its own. It is not strong enough. It has focused on its economies rather than thinking about security.”

Sirhi says he wants to end the war. Like many Ukrainians, he would like to see peace – but not at any cost.

Additional reports from Volodimir Luzkho and Anastasia Livchanko