Ukrainians in conflict-stricken Donbas consider the possibilities of a peace agreement

Train services have ceased in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk district – an area fully claimed by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. This marks yet another indication of the ongoing Russian escalation.

Now, the final operational station is located on the western flank of the Donetsk frontier. Here, both civilians and military personnel await transportation to safer territories – their only hope to flee the chaos.

Putin’s tone has grown increasingly optimistic since the release of US peace terms, perceived as aligning with his highest demands. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky asserts that territorial disputes remain the greatest challenge in US-led negotiations.

At this last train station, soldier Andrii is saying goodbye to his girlfriend Polina after a fleeting reunion. Andrii must head back to the frontlines, unsure of when they will meet again.

He chuckles at the mention of peace discussions, which have involved Donald Trump’s representatives engaging with Ukrainian diplomats before traveling to Moscow, dismissing them as mere “talk, just talk”. He anticipates that the war will not conclude anytime soon.

Skepticism also prevails among the other soldiers boarding the train westward for a short break from combat. They are utilizing part of their 20-day leave. Most appear fatigued.

Russian troops currently occupy about 85% of the Donbas region, covering Luhansk and Donetsk. On Tuesday, they claimed to have seized the critical strategic town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk, although Ukraine reported that clashes continue within the city.

Denys, who has been with the Ukrainian military for two years, expresses that “everyone’s worn out, everyone’s exhausted mentally and physically”.

Some of his fellow soldiers have already dozed off. His unit has been engaged in combat in the besieged city of Kostyantynivka.

“It’s terrifying, really terrifying,” he states, talking about drones buzzing around “like flies”. Yet he emphasizes they are not prepared to surrender after having sacrificed so much.

“Nobody will concede the Donbas to Putin. Absolutely not, it’s our territory,” he asserts.

Giving up territory inhabited by at least a quarter-million Ukrainians – the cities of Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkivka in the Donetsk “fortress belt” – would be unacceptable for most Ukrainians.

Russia has devoted over a year in attempts to capture Pokrovsk, and Ukraine is hesitant to yield such strategically significant centers.

However, US officials feel that Ukraine is outnumbered and outgunned.

An ongoing evacuation of civilians from Donbas is in progress. This continues as discussions for peace take shape. We observe dozens, both elderly and young, arriving at a reception center just across the border in Lozova.

They utilized dense fog to facilitate their getaway, minimizing the likelihood of being targeted by drones. Approximately 200 individuals reach this single reception center daily. Basic supplies and some cash are provided to them.

Yevheniy and his wife Maryna have just arrived from Kramatorsk with their two children. She informs me that there are “more drones now”. “It’s increasingly perilous to even step outside. Everything poses a danger,” she remarks. “Even a trip to the store can be risky.”

The family plans to relocate to the capital, Kyiv. Yevheniy is skeptical about the peace negotiations. He states “that side [Russia] won’t comply with our demands. We recognize that nothing favorable will come from it”.

However, some seem more inclined to consider leaving their home altogether to secure peace.

Oleksandr believes it’s too perilous to remain. His children have already been sent to Germany. Though he brands Russia’s maximalist demands as “likely unacceptable”, he seems open to some elements of the leaked peace proposal – trading land for tranquility. The initial US draft suggested that territories in Donbas still under Ukrainian jurisdiction be surrendered to Russia in practice.

“Personally, I would accept those conditions,” he states.

Inna, fleeing with her five kids, also thinks it’s time for a deal. She could no longer conceal her children, aged from nine months to 12 years, from the hazards of life in Kramatorsk. She had attempted to explain to them that the blasts they heard while taking refuge in the cellar were merely fireworks.

“The most important thing is that there will be peace,” Inna expresses. When I inquire if that signifies surrendering her home entirely, she responds, “in this circumstance, yes”. They’re already formulating plans to establish a new life elsewhere.

Numerous soldiers dispatched to the Donbas are also choosing to leave. There have been nearly 300,000 instances of desertion, or soldiers going absent without official leave, since the commencement of Russia’s large-scale invasion – and the rate has surged significantly in the last year.

One such individual is Serhii – not his true name. We encountered him while he was hiding. His home has turned into a prison as he strives to avoid capture. Serhii volunteered for combat at the beginning of the year, whereas most men in his unit were compelled into service – “picked off the street”.

He states his unit was already undermanned when it was dispatched to the front near Pokrovsk, lacking proper training and equipment. “I found myself in a battalion where everything was chaotic,” he reflects, although he maintains that this was atypical, not the rule.

Serhii fled in May after two of his comrades went AWOL.

“I wouldn’t have left if there had been appropriate leadership and experienced individuals in command,” he explains. “I enlisted to serve, not to escape.”

Serhii is contemplating his next steps and the chance of rejoining the military. However, he echoes recent US concerns that the odds in this conflict are against Ukraine.

When asked if he believes Ukraine can prevail, he expresses doubt. “Thinking pragmatically, no. A nation of 140 million vs. us with 32 million – it just doesn’t add up.”

Additional reporting by Mariana Matveichuk