Most people think war is an exchange of gunfire. But that’s not what this war between Ukraine and Russia looks like anymore.

Many of the soldiers out here spend much of their time in bunkers and shelters, waiting for the next artillery strike or drone attack. It’s a different kind of battlefield than most people imagine.

It’s hard to describe what war does to people. I’ve seen the toll it takes on both soldiers and civilians living near the front. Even towns 30 miles back are still being hit by FPV drones, glide bombs, and missiles. There is no real sense of normal when the threat can come from the sky at any moment.

The hardest part isn’t just the destroyed buildings—it’s the people. Families torn apart. Empty seats at the dinner table. Children growing up without a parent. Husbands and wives trying to carry on after losing the person they loved. That’s the reality for so many people here.

Unless you’ve been here and seen it with your own eyes, it’s hard to understand the weight people carry every single day.