ERR reports from Ukraine: fighting spirit remains unbroken despite hardships

Despite relentless Russian bombardment, mounting pressure in Donbas, and corruption scandals shaking Ukraine's institutions, Ukrainians continue to resist. ERR correspondents report from the ground that the will to fight has not been broken. The situation remains dire but determined.

Despite months of intensifying Russian artillery strikes, advancing enemy forces in the Donbas region, and a series of corruption scandals rattling public trust in Ukrainian institutions, the country's fighting spirit remains largely intact. ERR journalists reporting from Ukraine paint a picture of exhaustion mixed with resilience.

## War Fatigue and Resilience

The psychological toll of nearly three years of full-scale war is undeniable. Civilians and soldiers alike describe a growing sense of despair as Russian forces press harder along the eastern front. Yet that despair has not translated into surrender — communities continue to support their defenders, and volunteers keep showing up at recruitment points.

Corruption remains a serious wound on Ukraine's home front. A series of high-profile scandals has shaken confidence in state institutions at a moment when public unity is most needed. Critics warn that impunity at the top risks hollowing out the moral foundation that sustains resistance.

## Donbas Under Pressure

Russian forces have stepped up their offensive push across Donbas, grinding through Ukrainian defensive lines at considerable cost to both sides. Ukrainian commanders acknowledge the situation is difficult but insist their troops are holding key positions. Civilian evacuation from frontline towns continues as shelling intensifies.

On the streets of cities further from the front, life carries on with a kind of determined normalcy. Cafés remain open, children go to school, and cultural events still take place — a conscious act of defiance that Ukrainians say is itself a form of resistance. ERR's reporting underlines that while the war is far from over, Ukraine has not broken.