The Story Four years of war: can Ukraine continue to defy Putin?
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Feb 24, 2026 Anastasiia Romaniuk, Kyiv-based researcher on elections in wartime. Anthony Loyd, frontline special correspondent with firsthand combat reporting. They discuss how the conflict has changed, the lethal role of drones, why holding free and fair votes during war is so difficult, and what realistic pathways to peace or continued fighting might look like.
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Couple Killed While Fleeing Hrabowska
- Anthony Loyd recounts Valentina and Valery Klotchkov trying to flee Hrabowska and being killed by Russian FPV drones while rescuers couldn't retrieve bodies.
- Drones struck a sledge and then a kneeling husband; their bodies remain unrecovered because drone threat makes rescue too deadly.
Drones Are The Main Killer On The Front
- Anthony Loyd: drones are now the dominant killer on Ukraine's front lines, causing up to 88% of infantry fatalities in some sectors.
- The front evolved from trench lines to fragmented "kill zones" of small bunkers where movement is lethal due to drones.
Near Miss In Kherson With An Attack Drone
- Anthony Loyd describes a near-miss in Kherson when a medium-sized attack drone whined overhead as his car stalled, then overshot them.
- The driver panicked, stalled, then performed a quick U-turn; the drone passed without hitting them.