Artillery and rocket fire can be heard almost constantly in the village Talakovka, about 10 kilometers from the strategic port city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army has dug in here, fearing a possible last-minute assault by pro-Russian separatists ahead of a planned ceasefire late Saturday. Armored vehicles with cannons mounted on top fired from a front line position with tanks standing nearby.
The unit commander, who only identified himself as “Pavel,” said he did not believe the ceasefire would hold.
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“We don’t need the Ukrainian army here,” she said “We don’t need army. Everyone who came here with weapons started wars. Please make them go away from here.”
But for now it appears as though both sides are digging in, with very little trust that this time a ceasefire might lead to a lasting peace.
