“Equipment. We don’t have enough equipment,” Dima says. “There are enough people to fight. We need more equipment. They have much more equipment than we do. Several times more. Their equipment is modern, too. What they show on TV, that all they have is old junk — yes, there is old junk as well, but it’s like background extras.”

He stresses that the Ukrainian defenders are completely outgunned, pounded daily by all varieties of Russia’s overwhelming firepower.

“Their aviation flies over us every day,” Dima says. “Tonight, we had five raids. If we had air defense, it wouldn’t be happening. We have it, but not enough. It’s from the ‘70s and ‘80s. It’s too weak. We need modern air defense. We haven’t received any yet. And you also have to learn to use it first. It’s not like driving a car. Aviation is fierce. Their aviation is just destroying towns. We are holding it back, not allowing it to go near enough for an artillery strike. But their aviation … a missile can go 100 kilometers [60 miles] just like that — they’ve got plenty of those. And those that are long-range can go farther. In Lyman, they shell residential buildings, suburban neighborhoods. People suffer; people die,” he says, exhausted.

Russia’s localized numbers advantage is also clearly felt: A spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy estimated the Russian advantage in areas of the Donbas is up to 7-to-1.

“They are advancing slowly but surely,” says Dima. “They are many, and they are advancing. Our military destroys a lot of them as well, but it doesn’t stop them. They continue advancing. If we destroy some number of them, they send even more of them and continue advancing.”