families separated by the front line

The fear of an invasion by Russia is significant on the border between Ukraine and Donbass. In Zolote (Ukraine), in the trenches and the cold, for 427 kilometers between Ukraine and the separatist enclave of Donbass, the Ukrainian soldiers on the front line spend their day observing the pro-Russian enemy at the using a periscope. The positions have not changed since 2014, but the threat of an imminent Russian offensive could change the situation. “It’s a matter of time, for sure, Putin will attack“says Staff Sergeant Mykhaylo, of the 24 brigade of the Ukrainian army.

Just a few kilometers away, in Stanystia Louhanska, the contrast is amazing, life seems almost normal. It is one of the only passages between Ukraine and the separatist enclave of Donbass. Eight years ago, people came and went freely. It has become a nightmare today: the passages are more than limited. In 2014, pro-Russian separatists took over this part of Ukraine. Some have relatives on either side, and separated families find it increasingly difficult to see each other. The threats of invasion from Russia are a source of anxiety for this resident interviewed by journalists from France 2, who is afraid of not seeing her mother again, who lives on the other side of the front line.