The main route back to Bakhmut has been lost to the Russians but President Zelenskyy's forces are confident they can hold on. However, the equipment Ukrainian forces are using on the frontline suggests further support from the West can't come soon enough.
There's an eerie sense of foreboding in the villages, towns, and cities of eastern Ukraine - especially those within firing distance of Russian artillery, and the fighting in the nearby city of Bakhmut.
At breakfast time citizens were startled by the sound of an explosion near where we are staying in Kramatorsk.
A residential neighbourhood had been hit by a Russian missile, at least one person died.
Whole apartments had been destroyed and as the emergency services started rescuing the injured,
survivors picked through the ruins looking for belongings.
Kramatorsk has been hit many times, but it's no less of a shock each time for those still living here.
About 12kms (7.5 miles) back from the Bakhmut frontline is Konstantinovka.
People still live here among the many ruined apartment blocks, schools, and government buildings, but
there is no quiet. The Ukrainians resupply their troops from here.
The main route back to Bakhmut has been lost to the Russians, so enormous tanks, trucks, armoured personnel carriers and ambulances rumble through residential backstreets to obscure single lane roads that allow them some safety on their way further east.
A soldier in frontline says: It is really difficult, we need more of everything we can get, because it's really hard now there, but we are holding on.
More of everything includes modern Western weapons of course.
Another soldier, if he was confident of a victory. His answer was revealingly honest. "I think it's 30 to 70 in our favour that we will win this fight for Bakhmut."
He confirmed Russia has many soldiers on the battlefield, too.
"Russia has a lot of soldiers there, but they are taking a lot more losses than we are, much more."
President Zelenskyy has said the defence of the east and the relief of Bakhmut is a priority for Ukraine.
Some military analysts disagree, but he has said in no uncertain terms that the fight for Ukraine will be won or lost in the east.
Rightly or wrongly, he says now is one of the most important periods of the war so far.
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