The Ukrainian town of Druzhkivka is bearing the scars of the war as Russian forces advance to within about 15 kilometres, leaving burned-out vehicles, damaged buildings and deserted streets.
Only a small number of civilians remain in the town alongside Ukrainian troops defending the area, as artillery fire and attack drones become part of daily life.
The devastation reflects the conditions in towns along the 1,200-kilometre front in eastern and southern Ukraine.
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“I can’t sleep,” Iryna Litovchenko, a 56-year-old resident who has remained in Druzhkivka, said.
Litovchenko said; “My home is gone, as if it never existed. There were so many good things, so much of everything. In one fell swoop – boom – it’s as if nothing’s left.”
Druzhkivka forms part of Ukraine’s so-called “fortress belt”, a chain of strategic towns that Russian forces are seeking to breach as Moscow pursues control of the wider Donbas region.
Despite sustained fighting, Ukrainian forces continue to defend the area more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Drones pose an increasing threat to civilians and soldiers, with protective netting installed over several roads to reduce the risk of attacks.
Zoya, a 63-year-old resident selling basic food items outside a damaged market stall, said she was determined to remain despite the danger.
She said; “I know a bomb could come flying in and I’ll die. I understand that perfectly well..It’s heartbreaking.
“It makes me want to cry. I was born here, I grew up here. I just don’t know. Our city is gone.”
Reuters
