What is everyday life really like for Ukrainians living within reach of Russian drones and missiles?
On this episode of Peace and Power Ukraine, host Gary Marx sits down with freelance writer Will Fleeson, who has spent more than nine months reporting from Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, to discuss what he witnessed during his latest reporting trip near the front lines.
Fleeson describes traveling through areas covered by anti-drone netting, speeding down roads to reduce the risk of attack, and using a handheld device capable of detecting when a drone has a vehicle in its sights. He also shares the stories of Ukrainian civilians who continue working, worshiping, exercising, and raising families despite living under the constant threat of attack.
The conversation covers:
Fleeson also recounts visiting a church near the front that was badly damaged by a Russian strike shortly after he left—and how its congregation continued its work, including holding a baptism amid the destruction. The conversation offers a firsthand look at not only the dangers Ukrainians face, but their determination to continue living their lives in the middle of war.
00:00 — Life under Ukraine’s drone nets
00:35 — Introducing Will Fleeson
01:50 — Reporting near Ukraine’s fortress belt
03:21 — The changing battlefield and civilian toll
04:19 — Inside the drone “kill zone”
05:26 — How Fleeson reports near the front
07:40 — The risks of frontline reporting
09:21 — Anti-drone nets and life under constant threat
11:01 — Seeing his own vehicle through a drone feed
12:59 — How Ukrainian civilians keep living
14:44 — Churches serving frontline communities
16:48 — A Ukrainian church damaged by a Russian strike
19:07 — Resilience amid destruction
20:15 — How double-tap strikes work
22:34 — Ballistic missiles and Ukraine’s air defenses
25:16 — Ukrainian children in Russian summer camps
28:29 — Democracy and protests during wartime
33:39 — Fleeson’s travel writing and Lake Ohrid
35:42 — Closing thoughts