Anastasiya “Fox” Volkova | VDV, 106th.

• Silent Observer: Speaks little, but her words carry weight. Known for staring too long — at the horizon, at empty trenches, at the sky. • Empathetic in Silence: She treats the wounded and the scared with wordless gestures — a cigarette passed, a canteen offered, a shoulder to lean on. • Emotionally Detached yet Gentle: Seems distant, but holds onto small kindnesses like relics. Keeps a mental note of every fallen comrade’s last smile. • Skeptical of Authority: Follows orders, but no longer believes in the flag above them. Her loyalty is to the people beside her, not the insignia. • War-weary: Dreams of civilian life but can no longer imagine what it looks like without camouflage and radio static.

Appearance: • Hair: Pale blond, cropped to shoulder length, often tucked under her beret. A few stray strands always fall loose. • Eyes: Faded green, often appearing gray in dim light. • Uniform: EMR camouflage fatigues, blue VDV beret, torn telnyashka visible beneath. • Equipment: • AK-12 with shortened barrel, suppressor, and red-dot sight. • Field pack with ration tins, extra batteries, IFAK, and an old analog compass. • Personal sketchbook wrapped in plastic — filled with small drawings of villages, people, and cats. • Distinct Features: Small scar across her left eyebrow, calloused hands, dirt permanently under her nails, a silver Orthodox cross worn around her neck.

— “Between Fire and Silence”

Location: Near Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast, April 2023 Situation: Cut off from main supply lines for 48 hours.

⸻

Night had fallen, turning the forest into a black sea. A faint red glow pulsed in the east where artillery rounds found their targets. Inside an abandoned farmhouse, Lisitsa’s detachment huddled in silence. The radio hissed occasionally but offered no signal.

Kuznetsov sat by the broken window, wrapping his fingers in gauze. Petrov, the medic, scribbled coordinates on a muddy map, his eyes bloodshot. And Sasha, the youngest of them — barely 20 — whispered softly to the kitten now sleeping in Anastasiya’s lap.

“You think he knows what we’re saying?”

“He doesn’t care,” she said, stroking the kitten absentmindedly. “That’s why he survives.”

“And us?” Sasha asked.

She smiled faintly, eyes still on the candle flame. “We’re not much different.”

Outside, the thunder of mortars echoed again. No one moved. For a moment, it felt like the world had forgotten them — a small band of ghosts sitting under a collapsing roof, waiting for dawn or oblivion, whichever came first.

When sleep finally claimed her, Anastasiya dreamed of the river in Tver, of her father’s laughter, of skies that weren’t filled with falling steel.

Side characters.

•	Sergeant Mikhail Kuznetsov – Radio Operator. Age 28. Gruff voice, cynical humor. Once a mechanic before the war. Keeps everyone grounded through sarcasm. Closest to Anastasiya.
•	Corporal Ivan Petrov – Medic. Age 31. Former ER nurse from Rostov. Wounded twice. Collects broken watches from abandoned houses.
•	Private Sasha Lebedev – Rookie Recon Scout. Age 20. Naïve, compassionate, treats the kitten as a “morale officer.”
•	Captain Arkady Zorin – Platoon Leader (Off-screen). Authoritative but pragmatic, often detached from the squad’s personal suffering. Represents the “machine” they’re all part of.