Fishnets and fortifications: Troops on Ukraine’s southern front dig in as peace talk hopes fade

By Rebecca Wright, Ben Wedeman, Daria Tarasova-Markina, Dan Hodge, CNN

Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine (CNN) — Three meters underground, a network of tunnels and trenches fortified with timber provides a safer spot for frontline fighters to rest and recuperate – and a deeper position to defend against a potential Russian advance into Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine.

Down here in the dirt, it feels far from the capital Kyiv, and light years away from the United States – where a dramatic flurry of diplomatic activity in the past week means little to those on the battlefield.

“We want to believe the war will end, but it doesn’t feel likely anytime soon,” said Viktor, a 53-year-old infantryman in the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade. “How can we believe (Russian President Vladimir Putin) when there has been so much deception?”

Any hopes of any progress are beginning to fade after Russian officials made it clear that a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky is an unlikely prospect – despite the Alaska summit between Putin and US President Donald Trump, and the subsequent talks between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders on Monday.

On Wednesday, Zelensky said “some compromise” will be needed, but on Thursday Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Zelensky is “not interested in a sustainable, fair and long-term settlement.”

Trump appeared to create a justification for Ukraine to take a more aggressive approach to Russia, saying it would be “very hard, if not impossible” to win a war without attacking the country which invaded, in a post on Truth Social on Thursday – a shift from previous statements in which he appeared to blame Ukraine for starting the war in 2022.

That change could be helpful for Ukraine, as Zelensky warns that Russia is “building up its forces” and beginning to mobilize troops from the Kursk region into Zaporizhzhia – contradicting Moscow’s rhetoric on peace.

“Russians are preparing for escalation here, that’s for sure,” said Serhii Skybchyk, Communications Section Commander in the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

‘We stand to the last’

Preparations – and offensive actions – are already underway.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian brigades carried out a coordinated drone strike on a Russian fuel train in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region – sending plumes of black smoke billowing into the air for miles around – in an effort to sabotage the supply lines for a potential Russian advance.

Building crews are also grafting in the summer heat to erect poles and wires covered with fishing nets – to cover more than 100 miles of Zaporizhzhia’s roads with anti-drone nets, some made from old-fashioned fishing nets. They’re aimed at protecting the logistics routes for the troops – as the style of combat shifts from traditional artillery and tanks to the dominance of drone warfare.

But the fighters say they need much more advanced equipment.

“We’re in a technological phase where the ‘kill zone’ increases almost monthly,” Skybchyk said. “It used to be about 5-7 kilometers (roughly 3-4 miles) – now it’s up to 30 kilometers. That means we need more long-range weapons, and of course, electronic warfare systems. These things are lacking across every part of the front.”

The 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade – which took part in the assault on the train – is experiencing the brutality of this war, spending up to two weeks at the front before returning to the rear trenches to regroup.

Their latest mission took place just hours before CNN’s visit to their makeshift home.

“They fired on us from the very beginning of our approach,” said Yevhenii, a 32-year-old infantry squad commander in the brigade. “We found one enemy, destroyed him. But we could not gain a foothold due to heavy fire.”

Out of six in his group, he said one was killed, two were wounded, and two were concussed due to drone attacks, mortars and shrapnel. They were pinned down from 8pm until 5am with “no chance even to stand up or crawl forward.”

For career soldiers like Yevhenii, who joined the military at 18, the fight is bigger than this war.

And any talk of a ‘peace deal’ which involves ceding the land they routinely risk their lives defending would be quite simply, impossible.

“The option to retreat on our own does not exist for us,” said Viktor, a 53-year-old infantryman in the brigade. “We stand to the last.”

‘It’s terrifying’

These weary soldiers are also carrying out routine missions to defend the nearby town of Orikhiv, just a few miles from the frontlines, which is caught in the crosshairs of the war.

Around 800 residents remain – compared to the pre-war population of approximately 14,000 – many of them elderly and unwilling, or unable, to leave their homes.

Every day, the threat of drones looms over the residents – an eerie silence hanging over the town as people listen out for the dreaded buzz as they try to collect their pensions from the post office, and secure some provisions – risking their lives just leaving their homes.

“In the morning, when it hit – I thought that was the end of everything,” said Liudmyla, a pensioner living alone with her two dogs, who felt explosions near her home on Thursday morning.

“During the day, it just keeps pounding and pounding. It’s terrifying,” she added.

The thought of civilians still living in Orikhiv “motivates” the troops to keep fighting, the officer Skybchyk said.

“The presence of civilians reflects their trust in the Armed Forces, and that gives us strength,” he said. “We don’t want to let them down. We will not abandon this place.”

Back in the dugout, the soldiers try to get some rest before their next mission.

By trench standards, it’s almost luxurious – with a well-stocked pantry, makeshift shower, and Starlink internet, plus a TV. A wood stove also keeps them warm through the winter underground, when temperatures can reach -20 degrees Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit) or lower.

They sleep in sturdy wooden bunks topped with small mattresses – more pleasant than the trenches at the front, but still hemmed in three to a room.

“Life here is comfortable, sort of,” said Yevhenii. “We just want more freedom, and civilian life.”

“It’s safe here. Better than living in a house,” he added.

A family of cats also roams the tunnels – essential members of the team to keep the mice population at bay.

“We even have cat food,” Volodymyr, a sergeant in the brigade, said as he prized open the tins to feed them.

Small pleasures to take the edge off the realities of war – before the next operation.

“You know how we say — “hope dies last,” Viktor said.

Victoria Butenko and Svitlana Vlasova contributed reporting

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