Ukrainian soldier fights back tears as he talks about death of comrades

A Ukrainian fighter has shared a sorrowful video about losing comrades-in-arms he had served with for almost a year.

The video posted by Dmytro Gapchinsky on social media is now going viral after it was posted online earlier this month and has since been viewed almost three million times.

Holding back tears, the soldier shared with his TikTok audience the moment he found out his friends had died.

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Dmytro mused over the casual way in which he received the news and how "ordinary" it seemed.

"A serviceman came in the evening with a thermos with food," Dmytro explained. "He pours soup, says: 'They died'."

Dmytro was wiping away tears when he said: "So casually, over a bowl of soup he talked about the tragedy.

"About emptiness, about the abyss, over a bowl of soup."

Dmytro is an artist who is currently serving in the Ukrainian armed forces.

According to his TikTok page, his role is to dig trenches, which is incredibly difficult during the winter as the ground is frozen and must be tackled with a pickaxe.

Having posted his first TikTok at the end of last year, Dmytro has been sharing aspects of his life in the trenches with his 84.7K followers.

In a description of one of his TikToks from 10 February, he wrote "while you are sleeping, we are working."

Dmytro explained that "this is just a record of another night on the frontline".

It is too dangerous to dig during the day, as any movement detected can create a target for the Russian forces, so trenches are dug during the night.

Dmytro uses his TikTok page to show his audience his daily life on the frontline, often showing his viewers the type of food that he eats and how he keeps himself warm in the snow.

The second TikTok posted on his page shows him having his breakfast in a trench, while rockets fly overhead.

While holding a bag of rations, Dmytro shouts 'are you alive?' to a fellow serviceman off screen.

Once he receives a positive answer, he continues eating.

A TikTok user by the name Pam Higginbotham commented: "So sorry this is how you have to eat breakfast – in war with shelling and gunfire.

"Prayers this will change soon. Can't believe your calm demeanour!"

Friday will mark one year of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The country has suffered immense destruction with the deaths of tens of thousands of its people and around five million becoming refugees.

Dmytro's TikTok bio says: "In general, I am an artist, but, for now, in the Ukrainian armed forces."