Western aid has lagged, with a U.S. military package held up in Congress for months, and Russian forces have pressed the advantage. As Ukraine sits outgunned and outnumbered, drone units are playing an ever greater role in its defence.

For three straight days now, people have streamed out of the besieged enclave, fleeing from Azerbaijans newly imposed control. The border village of Kornidzor, the last Armenian settlement along the road, is a jumble of humanitarian aid points delivering food, water and other essentials to the refugees.

Over the past year and a half of war in Ukraine, most of the glory has gone to the country's soldiers resisting the Russian invasion. But there's another collection of recruits who are no less crucial: the medics performing life-saving surgery and emergency care near the front lines, where Ukraine's offensive push is sending more soldiers their way.