STEEL RESOLVE: A UKRAINIAN SOLDIER'S STORY

The air was thick with/of/laden with the scent of/from/carried by burning fuel and damp earth. Serhiy gripped his rifle, its cold steel a familiar comfort/solace/assurance against the raw fear that clawed at his gut. For weeks, he’d been on the frontline/battlefield/perimeter, a soldier in Ukraine's unyielding/resolute/stubborn defense against th