A 35-year-old Ukrainian soldier, who escorted THE WEEK’s Deputy Photo Editor Bhanu Prakash Chandra to the warfront in eastern Ukraine in July this year, was gravely injured in a Russian cluster bombing in Velika Novosilka town five days ago.
The soldier, who belongs to the 20th separate special purpose brigade of the Ukrainian Army, comes from Kyiv region and goes by the call sign 'Panda'.
Panda is part of the team that launches self-made Grad rockets towards Russia from the outskirts of Velika Novosilka town near the frontline. Panda had driven THE WEEK to the position in an army car on July 22 to show the landmines laid by Russians along the frontline. He also took us to a command centre, where drone operations are conducted for his team, in a destroyed and abandoned house in the town.
On September 5, a Russian aircraft fired cluster ammunition when Panda and another soldier were at their position. While Panda sustained severe shrapnel injuries, his fellow soldier escaped with minor injuries. Panda's photographs from the bed at a stabilisation point in Dnipro show deep wounds on his left cheek and several shrapnel injuries all over his body.
Cluster bombings, whose use have been termed controversial, are used by the Russian Army against Ukraine. The US, in July, agreed to supply the same weapon system to Ukraine to use against Russia. Unexposed cluster ammunition can often pose a grave threat to civilians, especially children, long after the end of the war.
Panda helped THE WEEK's Deputy Photo Editor Bhanu Prakash Chandra communicate with Ukrainian soldiers in his broken English. He had worked in the Gulf before joining the Ukrainian army, and that is where he picked up a little bit of English. Panda was also generous to THE WEEK, as he gave the team petrol to travel from Velika Novosilka to Kramatorsk, where fuel stations were closed during curfew hours that begin as early as 9pm in eastern Ukraine. He dropped THE WEEK’s team at Bohatyr, beyond which the team's car was not allowed to travel to the frontline. Later, he also offered dinner at his barrack, as the restaurants, too, were closed. He along with his fellow soldiers showed us the chest plates recovered from Russian soldiers. Compared to the heavy Russian plates, the Ukrainian protective gear was lighter but stronger—they protect vital organs; the only injuries that occur are to the face and limbs.
The number of casualties has increased ever since Ukraine's counteroffensive began three months ago. According to the US, Ukraine has got only 30 days to achieve its goal before the winter season starts.
The Week travelled along the eastern part of the front line in July this year to report the war. A cover story dated 13 August 2023 was published with reports and pictures. Panda is one of the many Ukrainian soldiers who accompanied THE WEEK in different positions eastern frontline.