Killed on the “dance floor”: A Russian soldier films comrades partying and dancing in the trenches in Ukraine… then a month later shoots a video of his friends all lying dead

A Russian soldier has revealed the dark reality of life on the front line in Ukraine by documenting the aftermath of an attack on his trench near Bakhmut, just weeks after the unit threw a party to celebrate their arrival.

The shocking clip combines two videos – the first of which was posted and shared in a Russian Telegram group on September 12. It features a fresh-faced army unit laughing and joking while singing and dancing to upbeat pop music.

Their clothes look clean and fresh and the shelter is well stocked with food and bottles of wine.

But moments later, the video switches to a second clip, released on October 19, and the footage shows a very different scene.

A lone Russian soldier stands in the ruins of his trench, surrounded by the corpses of his comrades and splintered tree branches torn apart by heavy fire.

“Good morning,” he said quietly. “The boys are lying here. One here, there’s a second… in short, it absolutely sucks.

“I feel sorry for the boys who are lying here like this.” There are two more on the street,” he added, before the deafening blast of artillery sounded nearby and startled him.

“Rest in peace… they died heroes,” he says solemnly before cutting the video.

You will see a fresh army unit laughing, joking while singing and dancing to upbeat pop music

The men are seen drinking and standing arm in arm as they sing along to tunes in the well

Weeks later, the trench can be seen completely destroyed, with debris, spent weapons – and bodies – scattered across the crime scene

A Russian soldier who filmed the clip said the situation was “absolutely devastating.”

Fierce fighting has raged in and around Bakhmut for more than a year, with the industrial site in eastern Ukraine proving to be one of the bloodiest battlefields in history.

On Monday, Russian forces continued attacks on two front-line areas near Bakhmut, trying to break through the only supply route to the devastated city of Avdiivka and push further north towards the capital Kupiansk.

The Ukrainian army’s general staff said its forces had repelled about 10 Russian attacks on Avdiivka in recent days.

Vitaly Barabash, head of Avdiivka’s military administration, said strikes were taking place 24 hours a day in downtown Avdiivka and on the only road used to transport supplies.

“A very difficult supply situation, with 22 km of road constantly being shelled day and night,” Barabash told Radio Liberty.

“This makes evacuation and assistance more difficult.” The enemy is trying to cut it off. “Any movement is a signal to open fire.”

Barabash said about 1,600 residents remained in the city, compared with a prewar population of about 30,000. Most of those who stayed behind had no desire to leave, he said.

Avdiivka became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance after months of attacks.

It was briefly captured in 2014 by Russian-backed separatists who overran large areas in the east, and over the past nine years Ukrainian forces have built solid fortifications.

President Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute to those who defended the city in his nightly video message, saying: “Their resilience is now the strength for all of Ukraine.”

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, described conditions along the entire 1,000 kilometer long front as “challenging”.

He named Bakhmut, captured by Russia in May after months of fighting, and Kupiansk, both northeast of Avdiivka, as those facing the biggest problems.

As the Russian-Ukrainian war continues in Avdiivka, a resident is seen after being shot in the frontline town of Avdiivka

Ukrainian soldiers of the 55th Separate Artillery Brigade fire a Caesar-type self-propelled howitzer at Russian troops near the town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region during the Russian offensive on Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fire a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket system at Russian troops near a front line near the city of Avdiivka during Russia’s attack on Ukraine

A view of damaged buildings after shelling in the front-line town of Avdiivka as the Russian-Ukrainian war continues on October 17, 2023 in Avdiivka, Ukraine

“The enemy is suffering significant losses, especially in personnel, but is constantly replenishing its forces by bringing in reserves, including from Russia,” Syrskyi told the UNIAN news agency.

Local officials also said that Russian forces had again shelled areas in the southern Kherson region under Kiev’s control.

Binding evacuation orders have been issued for more than 800 children, it said.

Russia has focused on gaining control of the eastern Donbass region, comprising the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk and surrounding areas, since it failed to invade Kiev in the first days of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 not.

Ukraine launched a counter-offensive in both the east and south in June this year, making much slower progress than its meteoric advance through the northeastern Kharkiv region a year ago.

Avdiivka was not mentioned in Russian reports of Monday’s fighting for the third day in a row.

Russian forces are said to have repelled three attacks outside Kupiansk and another 10 near Bakhmut.