Life in Donbas: 'If we give up, there will be nothing left'

Russia has gained almost complete control over the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, but about 18% of the Donetsk region remains outside of Russian control, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 12.

The Russian army continues to advance, with its current offensive primarily targeting Kostiantynivka. Capturing the town would open the way for the Russians to advance on the region's last major cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

Kostiantynivka 'a thorn in the side' of Russian army

Speaking with DW on a recent visit to the region, a Ukrainian military unit commander known as Lys (Ukrainian for Fox), said fighting was underway on the outskirts of Kostiantynivka. He said some Russian troops had managed to infiltrate the city from the surrounding forests, under the cover of fog.

"They are probing the entire front and looking for places where they can either infiltrate or drive a wedge into the defensive line," Lys explained.

"After the current series of attacks, they will likely select a specific section of the front and put targeted pressure on it. That has been their standard tactic since last year."

Lys described Kostiantynivka as "a thorn in the side" of the Russian army. "As long as they haven't broken through there, they can't advance any further. The urban area of Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk is like one big city," he said, warning that if the Russians were to make progress there, it would be very difficult to stop them.

As well as trying to bring the entire region under its control by force, Russia is also exerting diplomatic pressure. During previous peace talks, Moscow has demanded the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the entire Donbas region, that is, from both Luhansk and Donetsk.

Kyiv has firmly rejected this demand, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing fears that Russia could use the area as a launch pad for attacks on other regions once the Ukrainian army withdraws. Zelenskyy has said the area contains "strong defensive and fortification structures," and that even during the fighting, some 200,000 people continue to live there.

"How can we give up an area in negotiations for which thousands of our men have given their lives? That's out of the question," said Ruslan, a mortar commander in a brigade defending positions at the entrance to Kostiantynivka.

"This is a town where our citizens still live. It must be defended," agreed Eduard, battalion chief of staff. "If we just give it up like that, there will soon be nothing left of the Donetsk region. If Kostiantynivka falls, Kramatorsk is the next target."

'Life in the city is scary'

It's unclear how many civilians remain in Kostiantynivka, a town that once had a population of 70,000. Evacuation is only possible on foot, via a road covered by a now severely damaged net — designed to protect against Russian drone attacks.

"When I left Kostiantynivka and hid in three houses along the way, I found dead civilians there," the company commander of a rifle brigade who didn't want to be identified told DW. "I don't understand the people who stay there. Why don't they leave?"

In the morning, traveling alongside Ukrainian military personnel in nearby Druzhkivka, many people were on the streets headed for work — mostly municipal employees. 

"Life in the city is scary," said a local woman called Ninel. 

An older man named Vitaliy said he also had no plans to leave. "But where else am I supposed to go?" he told DW. "I don't have long left to live anyway." 

Destruction in Kramatorsk, Sloviansk

Even though Kramatorsk is not directly on the front line, the destruction there is getting worse by the day. On March 29 alone, the Russian army launched an attack with several aerial bombs killing three people, including a 13-year-old boy.

One of the bombs fell in a residential area that had already been hit seven times. After the attack, people began cleaning up the debris, surprisingly composed.

"We'll pack our things," said Olena, looking out her window, which no longer has any glass. If the curfew, which is already in place at night, is significantly extended, Olena said they'd have to leave.

"That's how it was in Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka and then in Druzhkivka. We realize that it will happen to us too."

Anti-drone protection nets have long been a familiar sight above the streets along the front line. Now, they've also been stretched over roads in the outskirts of Kramatorsk and neighboring Sloviansk. Some neighborhoods in Sloviansk are already within range of Russian first-person view drones, so many children there have already been evacuated. The rest of the city, however, still seems lively. Cafes are open, and retirees and women with children are out on the streets.

"If I had the money, I would leave. It's hard to watch all this happen," said Iryna, an elderly woman. "If we were to actually cede this part of the Donbas, it would save many lives — both soldiers and civilians," she added. "But imagine giving up this territory. It's part of Ukraine, after all."

Ukraine keeps its war gains under wraps

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Sloviansk, too, is constantly under fire. In the city center stands a hotel that was burned to the ground by an attack from several Shahed drones. Vladyslav Samusenko was sleeping in one of the rooms when the attack took place.

"Thank God I'm still alive," he said with a sigh, pointing to the devastated hotel room.

'Many bodies in backyards and on the streets'

Before the war, Samusenko founded a nonprofit organization called Rhythm of Our Lives to help orphans. But when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, he also began organizing the evacuation of civilians from endangered areas.

"It was immediately clear to me that human lives had to be saved," he said.

On March 24, he evacuated an elderly couple — a woman and a paralyzed man — from Kostiantynivka. He had to walk 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) to reach the town, constantly fearing Russian attacks. "There are many bodies there, in the backyards and on the streets. You can smell them when you walk past a house," he said.

Samusenko explained that it's mostly retirees who are choosing to stay in the city. But the aid worker also met some young men who were afraid of being drafted into the army.

"We have too few fighters. Our soldiers are tired, and there are no replacements," said Samusenko. He added that as long as civilians ask him for help, he will continue to organize evacuations from the war-torn cities whenever he can.

This article was originally written in Ukrainian.