Denys Khrystsov, alias ‘The Dutchman’, is a Ukrainian ‘‘helper’ who evacuates civilians – often the elderly and the sick – as well as animals trapped amidst the drone fire in the rapidly expanding ‘death zone’ in Donbas. Here, the reader is presented with a translation of a typical post from ‘The Dutchman’s’ social media channel, from the city of Kramatorsk, which was formerly a logistical hub and staging area for the Ukrainian-controlled Donbas but is now being transformed by hostilities on the front line.