in the Donbass, the city of Severodonetsk holds its breath before the offensive announced by Moscow

Hunger, fatigue and continuous danger. In the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine, civilians have fled en masse under the threat of the Russian offensive announced in the coming days. The situation is becoming very difficult, especially in the city of Severodonetsk, which had more than 100 000 inhabitants before the war in Ukraine. They are five times less today, stuck in this commune which is near the front line and under continuous fire from the Russian army.

In the eyes of Oleksandr Striuk, there is fatigue but also anger. He has the heavy responsibility of administering the city of Severodonetsk. He deplores a heavy human toll since the beginning of this war. “We lost 450 inhabitants, explains Oleksandr Striuk. We had to create a new cemetery to bury them. They were killed by artillery fire, shrapnel or cluster bombs.”

When Oleksandr Striuk is asked if he thinks Ukrainian forces can hold the city for very long, he replies: “We need help, because if our army fights bravely. It lacks ammunition and military equipment. Without support, it will be very difficult.”

The civilians still present in the city live holed up in the shelters, or hug the walls with a hurried step. “To tell the truth, of course it’s hard”explains Olga, the coordinator of humanitarian aid distributed by volunteers. She ensures that he stays “many civilians in the shelters”.

“Civilians don’t want to leave when they keep being told to leave town. They keep being told their lives are in danger.”

Ola, for example, lives with her teenage son and refuses to become a refugee. “Who needs us there? Will there be work for us? We don’t even speak their language”explains the resident. “There are people who have lost their homes, who no longer have a future. People who had saved all their lives and who find themselves with nothing. Do you find that normal?”she laments. She continues: “We’re running out of food, we’ve run out of money, what’s next? It’s like this every day”. A hellish daily life for residents, like Ola and his son, who hold their breath before the offensive announced by Moscow.