Ivan underlines the main difference between the Ukrainian and Russian armies in Zaporizhzhia: his squadron surrounded a Russian position defended by professional soldiers from an airborne division. The opposing force eventually ran out of ammunition and were repeatedly urged to surrender, according to his account. The enemy blew themselves up with grenades instead: “I don’t know any Ukrainians who have done this. They have a different conception of life: Russians are more prepared for war, and to die.” His words coincide with statements made to The Economist by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. His biggest mistake, Zaluzhnyi admitted, was to believe that the 150,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine, by his count, would be enough for the Kremlin to stop the war.