in the heart of the trenches on the border with Russia

Of the old industrial area in the suburb of Avdiivka, in eastern Ukraine, nothing remains; result of a long war of more than seven years. The factory is located on the front line separating the Ukrainian army from pro-Russian separatists, directly opposite. To move from one position to another, you have to cross labyrinths worthy of trenches from another era. The mission of Ukrainian soldiers: prevent the enemy from approaching and therefore from constantly watching.

In 2014, Russian-backed Ukrainian insurgents seized part of the Donbass. In September, a line of demarcation freezes the positions over 427 kilometers. Since then, the tension has been latent. Recently, Russia has even deployed more than 100,000 troops to the Ukrainian border, posing the threat of an invasion. Vladimir Putin demands that the country stop drawing closer to the United States. The inhabitants ofAvdiivka, city stuck to the front line, fled: 35,000 people lived here before the war, there are now only 15,000. Ludmilla Kovtun is one of the few to have remained. The 72-year-old woman received several shells in her house and now lives in the basement to protect herself. She doesn’t believe in a Russian invasion. Gathered at the church for Orthodox Christmas at the beginning of January, the inhabitants certainly prayed for peace. A situation which for the moment seems very distant.