“I no get any plan for future, oh,” Oleksandr Bezhan dey talk, as he dey stand for empty, frozen ground wey e no dey fish again by Dnipro river for south Ukraine. “If I waka come morning, dat one be beta, no lie.
Malokaterynivka dey just 15km (9 miles) north of front line for Ukraine Zaporizhzhia area. If US President Donald Trump fit stop the war, Malokaterynivka dey hope say dem go dey on correct side of dat front line.
I last come this place for 2023, when Ukraine launch dat counter-offensive wey everybody dey wait for. At dat time, Ukrainians dey dream say dem fit win dis war. Dem don win Kyiv battle and free plenty land too.
But now, after 18 months, artillery wey dey sound like thunder show say dat operation no work well, and Russia dey still strong.
The front line still dey where e been dey – but the big river don vanish, no be small.”
“I no get any plans for future at all,” Oleksandr Bezhan talk, dey stand beside empty, frozen paddock wey e dey work before as fisherman for Dnipro river for southern Ukraine. “If I wake up for morning, that one don dey good already.” Malokaterynivka dey just 15km north of front line for Ukraine Zaporizhzhia region. If US President Donald Trump fit stop the war, Malokaterynivka dey hope say dem go dey for the right side of that front line. I last visit this area for 2023, when Ukraine start big counter-offensive wey everybody dey expect. At that time, Ukrainians dey dream say dem go win this war. Dem don win battle of Kyiv and free plenty territory before. But 18 months later, thunder-like artillery exchange dey show say that operation no work, and Russia still dey control. When Russian-occupied Kakhovka dam wey dey down river burst, dis place turn vast scrubland. The barren surround show say Ukraine dey frozen limbo. White House dey want end the war, but e no be as simple as just blow full-time whistle. “If the front line turn border, e go dey scary… fighting fit break out any moment,” Oleksandr explain. The riverbed wey dey open separate our location from Russian territory. Distant sunlight dey shine for metallic Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, wey Russia don hold since 2022.
Ukraine and US both want peace, but na there consensus dey end. Washington vision, plus battlefield reality, mean say Russia go likely still hold the land wey dem don take. Ukraine dey look for serious security guarantees to stop invading forces from crossing the river. But Trump don deny Kyiv dream of joining Nato as e dey focus on Russia. After I don watch and report Ukraine fight for more than three years, e gohard for the country to manage this situation.
Pee dem dey feel say dem don betray dem. People dey talk bad about Ukrainian President Zelensky or di new foreign policy from di big ally. “Di border no go depend on us,” Oleksandr talk. “E fit no work out, but Seoul dey 30km from North Korea, and dem dey live and jom without wahala.”
