In brief
In the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, civilians and soldiers are confronted with the grim realities of ongoing conflict as they contemplate potential peace deals. Amidst Russian advances and skepticism towards negotiations, many express deep reservations about ceding territory. While some families are fleeing to safer locations, others are reluctantly considering the sacrifices necessary for peace. The uncertainty of future discussions leaves the region in a state of turmoil, with soldiers and civilians alike sharing their stories of despair and hope.
Trains no longer run to Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region - part of the Donbas claimed in its entirety by Russia's President Vladimir Putin. It's another sign of the steady Russian advance.
Instead, the last station is now on the western side of the Donetsk border. This is where civilians and soldiers wait for a ride towards relative safety - their train to get out of Dodge.
Putin has been sounding more bullish since the leak of US proposals to end the war, widely seen as being in tune with his maximalist demands. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says territory remains the most difficult issue facing US-led peace talks.
At the last station on the line, soldier Andrii and his girlfriend Polina are parting after an all-too-brief time together. Andrii has to return to the front and they don't know when they'll see each other again.
He laughs when I mention peace talks, which have seen Donald Trump's envoys speak to Ukrainian negotiators before heading to Moscow, and dismisses them as chatter, just chatter. He doesn't think the war will be over soon.
There is scepticism, too, among other soldiers who board the train west for a brief respite from the fighting. They are taking some of their 20 days of leave. Most look exhausted.
Russian forces now control some 85% of the Donbas, made up of Luhansk and Donetsk. On Tuesday they claimed to have captured the key strategic town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk. Ukraine said fighting was continuing in the city.
Denys, who has been serving in the Ukrainian army for the past two years, tells me everyone's drained, everyone's tired mentally and physically.
Some of his comrades have already fallen asleep. His unit has been fighting in the besieged city of Kostyantynivka.
It's scary, really scary, he says, describing drones flying around like flies. But he makes it clear they are not ready to give up after sacrificing so much.
Nobody will give Putin the Donbas. No way, it's our land, he says.
Ceding territory where at least a quarter of a million Ukrainians live - the Donetsk fortress belt cities of Slovyansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka - will not be acceptable to most Ukrainians.
However, US officials believe Ukraine is both outnumbered and outgunned.
There's already been an exodus of civilians from the Donbas. It's continuing as peace talks take place. Witnessing dozens arriving at a reception centre just over the border in Lozova is a familiar sight.
They had taken advantage of heavy fog to make their escape. Around 200 people arrive at this one reception centre every day.
Yevheniy and his wife Maryna have just arrived from Kramatorsk, along with their two children. She tells me there are more drones now. It's getting harder and harder to even go outside. Everything is dangerous, she says. Even going to the shop, you might not come back.
While many believe some concessions might lead to peace, the brutal reality of war remains palpable as families and soldiers face the logistical and emotional burdens of conflict.
