Written by Andriy Perrin and Dan Pereshuk
LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – When Russia sent troops into Ukraine nearly three years ago, Yaroslav Simkiv predicted there would be a global backlash that would force him to quickly end a full-scale invasion. was.
Since then, the white-haired trumpeter has provided the harrowing soundtrack for hundreds of military funeral processions through Lviv’s cobbled streets.
“They can agree to something like a truce, but after that everything will be left to our children and grandchildren,” Simkiv said, adding that Russia will continue to put pressure on the country for years to come. It echoed the widely held belief in Ukraine that it would continue to call.
His grueling mission in the western Ukrainian city is a symbol of the devastating toll of a war that has reached its 1,000th day of fighting, killing front-line soldiers, robbing precious resources and depleting the population.
Despite an initial surge in support from Kiev’s allies and early military gains, Ukraine has recently been unable to stop Russia’s heavy advances on a vast front.
Kremlin forces are now increasing their forces at the fastest pace in at least a year, seizing villages to take control of the entire industrialized Donbas region.
The tragedy killed tens of thousands of soldiers and shocked families across Ukraine, making military funerals common in major cities and remote villages.
In Lviv, a bastion of national consciousness whose residents consider their city the cultural capital of Ukraine, the military cemetery has expanded to include more than 570 new graves since February 2022.
“This is the destruction of the Ukrainian state,” said Henady Derevyanchuk, 67, a recent visitor.
The city is a historic center of resistance to Russian rule and boasts physical and cultural proximity to Europe as Kyiv seeks to join the European Union.
As the procession passes through the Old Town, the sombre sound of Simkiv’s trumpets echoes between the charming Austro-Hungarian buildings, causing passersby to stop and kneel in respect.
His primary duty as the city’s trumpet player, wearing a bright red uniform with gold epaulettes, was to play at noon.
Is the end in sight?
Like many Ukrainians, Simkiv believes that guaranteeing Ukraine’s security in the form of NATO membership is the only effective way to end Russia’s ambitions.
But the prospect that US President-elect Donald Trump will cut vital military aid and seek swift talks with Russia is also adding to pressure on Kiev.
Some, like Olena Hruska, a sales manager who lost her husband in the war, believe it is time to consider a negotiated end to the war.
Ukrainian officials have so far insisted on a complete withdrawal of Russian troops and a return to the 1991 borders before holding talks with Russia.
However, a recent poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 32% of Ukrainians are willing to accept territorial concessions in exchange for peace, up from 14% a year ago.
“Ukraine without Ukrainians is no longer Ukraine,” Hruska said. “So it seems to me that it’s worth compromising something, even if it means losing territory.”
