There is a moment before the camera begins rolling when the young Ukrainian commander says, “History is repeating itself for us in the Donbas. Unfortunately.” Then he falls silent.
A few minutes later, the man, known by the call sign “Fleshka,” takes a seat on a weight bench in the garden of a house in an eastern Ukrainian village, just a 30-minute drive from the nearest Russian troops. Every morning, he benches 80 kilograms here before returning to the screens where he coordinates the destruction of Russian assault units through the live feeds from his drone operators.
“I hope it will be a long fight. This is our land, and we will fight for…
