“There” was four miles down the road: Pokrovsk, a Ukrainian mining city that is currently one of Russia’s major war objectives. The two Andreis are police paramedics in Donetsk Oblast, which has been violently contested since 2014. Driving an unarmored civilian car with a life-size rubber severed hand jammed in the dashboard as a macabre gag, the two men brave Russian shellfire, rockets, and attack drones daily in order to treat and evacuate wounded civilians and soldiers from Pokrovsk and the rest of Donetsk. Like virtually all Ukrainian medical personnel, the two Andreis are volunteers.

“Don’t go down there,” warned Andrei, a Ukrainian police paramedic, as he stubbed out his cigarette and scratched his beard. He and his boss, another paramedic named Andrei, then got back in their car and drove off to work. (The two men did not give their last names to protect their anonymity.)

“Don’t go down there,” warned Andrei, a Ukrainian police paramedic, as he stubbed out his cigarette and scratched his beard. He and his boss, another paramedic named Andrei, then got back in their car and drove off to work. (The two men did not give their last names to protect their anonymity.)

“There” was four miles down the road: Pokrovsk, a Ukrainian mining city that is currently one of Russia’s major war objectives. The two Andreis are police paramedics in Donetsk Oblast, which has been violently contested since 2014.