If Ukraine’s counteroffensive has moved more slowly than many in the West had hoped, it has also proven more costly in terms of human lives.

The fighting has been brutal – and bloody – as the Russians use mass artillery and minefields to defend territory seized earlier in the war.

An information blackout has been imposed by the Ukrainians to protect operational tactics, but post-battle accounts by individual combatants reveal the perilous nature of the fighting at the front.

The toll, both physically and emotionally, has been considerable.

Sky News has interviewed two foreign volunteers who have been fighting in the Ukrainian army for the past 17 months. Their accounts have been supported by additional testimony provided by several other foreign volunteers.

Read more: yahoo