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ConflictsUkraine

Retired Ukrainians in their 60s help fill frontline gaps

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Mariel Müller in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine
December 15, 2025

Too old for combat, some Ukrainians in their mid-60s have formed the volunteer unit "Steppe Wolves." DW meets the men who fire repaired rockets back at Russian forces, close to the front line in southern Ukraine.

Driven by personal loss and a sense of duty, the "Steppe Wolves," a volunteer unit of men in their mid-60s, take on tasks regular soldiers are barred from doing close to the front line in southern Ukraine.

As Russian advances stretch Ukraine's military thin in the Zaporizhzhia region, the group helps fill critical gaps.

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