A quiet Kyiv cemetery witnessed a poignant farewell as Natalia buried her husband Vitaly for the second time. Vitaly was first laid to rest in Slovyansk, their hometown in eastern Donbas, where he was killed three years ago fighting Russian forces. However, with Russian advances and daily attacks threatening Slovyansk, Natalia chose to exhume and move his remains to Kyiv for safety. "When we buried him in Slovyansk, land was being liberated and we thought the war would soon end," Natalia shared tearfully after the military honour reburial. She feared Vitaly’s grave would fall under Russian control as the frontline nears. Vitaly was a ceramics artist turned soldier who volunteered when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. He died before meeting their daughter. Natalia said, "He didn't want to, but he had do it. He was a patriot." Currently, Moscow pushes to control more of eastern Donbas, while Kyiv wants to freeze the frontline without ceding more land. The U.S. supports some territorial concessions, but many Ukrainians oppose giving in. Natalia described life in Slovyansk now: "There are drones in the streets, hitting minibuses, and glide bombs fall in the city centre, leaving craters." Up north near Kharkiv, soldiers prepare defenses against Russian drone strikes and work to repair Ukrainian UAVs. Roman, a soldier of the Typhoon unit, said, "We need to unite, and fight the Russians." Despite heavy losses and many soldiers missing, he and others believe giving territory to Russia will invite more attacks. Maksym, another soldier, said victory now means preserving Ukraine's statehood even if only a small area remains. Back in Kyiv, Natalia feels relieved to have her husband close where she and their daughter, Vitalina, can safely visit. She hopes to soon tell Vitaly about her pregnancy using sperm they had frozen before his death. Many soldiers do this before going to war. Natalia mourns that many of Vitaly’s soldier friends did not survive to attend the reburial. She strongly believes Russia will not stop its advances: "Russia may pause for a year, then there will be another breakthrough and they'll be in Kharkiv. I just don't believe Russia will stop."