Ukrainian artillery batteries fire on the frontline as clashes continue near villages recaptured by the Ukrainian army in Donetsk, Ukraine, on June 21, 2023.Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A now-dead Russian convict soldier told his wife he was "just a bait" for Ukrainian artillery. The soldier's message was shared by his wife with The New York Times. Russia has been struggling to locate and destroy Ukrainian artillery while also losing its own. A Russian convict soldier named Dmitri once told his wife he was "just a bait" used to locate Ukrainian artillery units.