07/18/2026
part 4
Facing exhaustion and North Korean troops, these soldiers fighting for Ukraine say the war needs to end. A CBC News team spoke to them before they headed back to the front line, trying to hold territory seized in Russia's Kursk region. They described facing relentless waves of determined North Korean troops, Russian units with improved tactics and Ukraine's own struggles with exhaustion and sinking morale. The soldiers are only identified by their call signs in accordance with Ukrainian military rules. In this video, reporter Briar Stewart speaks to 26-year-old Google, who recently got married and worked as a sales manager until he was drafted nine months ago, and 25-year-old Yaryi, an MMA fighter before being mobilized. She also speaks with Chapi and Voodoo, two volunteer foreign fighters. Watch more on CBC News: The National’s YouTube channel.