11/01/2026

I’ve just returned to Kyiv after a huge 4,500 kilometre journey along Ukraine’s front line, and already there’s a fascinating new development on the battlefield, in a place where I was sitting just a few weeks ago.

The Kakhovka Reservoir, which was drained following the destruction of the dam in 2023, has slowly transformed into something new. What was once a vast body of water is now becoming a forest, and Russian forces are reportedly trying to use this new landscape to infiltrate Ukrainian positions and bypass established front lines.

What’s super interesting to me is that while I was filming with Ukrainian drone operators in Zaporizhzhia, I actually spotted this forest on their FPV drone screens. I remember asking them what on earth I was looking at, and they explained how Russian troops were already attempting to use the area to move forward in small groups.

It’s a fascinating and worrying development, and one that shows just how much the battlefield continues to change.

I hope you find this report interesting and informative. It’s not officially part of my upcoming road trip series, which I’m still busy editing, but rather a quick update from the front while I work through the enormous amount of footage we’ve brought home.

All external sources used in this video are credited on screen, and the report is made up primarily of my own original footage from the front.

Before you go, I’d really appreciate one small favour. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I genuinely love reading your feedback, and it means a great deal to me.

Thank you so much for watching and for continuing to support my reporting from Ukraine. See you next time, Caolan

If you’d like to help me fund my trips one off, my links are here 🫡❤️🇺🇦 https://linktr.ee/Caol…

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