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War in Ukraine
Democracy Dies in Darkness

For these young soldiers, Ukraine has been at war for half their lives

By
and 
August 1, 2023 at 1:00 a.m. EDT
Soldiers with the call signs Labrador, left, Witcher, 19, center left, Chuck, center right, and Miami get ready on a base in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, to go to the front line before dawn in July. The Washington Post spent the night and morning with a unit from Ukraine’s 78th Assault Regiment using Kamikaze and surveillance drones on the Zaporizhzhia front line. (Ed Ram for The Washington Post)
10 min

MALA TOKMACHKA, Ukraine — The young drone squad barged into the base camp near here, boots thumping across the floor where other Ukrainian soldiers slept, as smartphones sounded a 3 a.m. wake-up call.

“Good morning, Vietnam!” one shouted, as the recon team, several of them still teenagers, rousted others. They talked and joked as they collected electronic gear and ammo from their makeshift headquarters, a community center in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region. One wore cowboy boots and a bush hat.