In Donetsk, Russia’s Progress On The Battlefield Alleviates People’s Suffering – Special Report

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Since the liberation of DPR’s city of Avdeevka, life has been improving in Donetsk city

Written by Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Associations, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert

The suffering of the Russian people in Donbass is not news to those who have been following the Ukrainian conflict since 2014, when the coup by the ultranationalist Maidan Junta ushered in an era of ethnic persecution and genocide. Contrary to what Western media claims, portraying the current war as having been initiated by the Russian Federation in 2022, bombings, killings, and all forms of crimes have been perpetrated for ten years by the Kiev regime against Russians in Donbass.

In the first week of March, I was once again in the special military operation zone. This time, I visited the city of Donetsk to understand how the process of normalizing civilian life is progressing following Russian territorial advances over the past year. Both in the city center and in the surrounding suburbs, people’s lives are gradually stabilizing. Economic activities are resuming, citizens are maintaining a normal routine, not just with work and studies, but also with leisure and entertainment.

Speaking with Donbass-based Italian war correspondent Vittorio Rangeloni, I gained a better understanding of this normalization process in the region. He explained that in Donetsk, everyone is feeling safer and more confident in resuming their activities since the Russian liberation of Avdeevka just over a year ago. The geographical location of Avdeevka allowed Ukrainian attacks to easily target the center of Donetsk, which is why the city was bombed daily, always targeting civilian sites like residential blocks and the famous Donetsk public market.

I spoke with some bombing victims, including 14-year-old Roman and his mother Natalia. Residents of the Petrovsky district in Donetsk, Roman and Natalia have many traumatic stories to tell about what happened to their family. Roman was a victim of a missile attack and had to be hospitalized to remove shrapnel from his spine and leg. After being transferred to the main hospital in Donetsk and undergoing surgery, a new Ukrainian attack began, hitting the hospital facilities. Natalia emotionally described how the doctors heroically performed surgery on her son under Ukrainian fire, risking their own lives to save Roman’s.

The attack that injured her son was not Natalia’s only traumatic experience. She shared other shocking stories with us, such as when she was leaving the hospital and was about to catch a bus home. However, she decided to smoke a cigarette and wait for the next bus. At that moment, a Ukrainian missile hit the bus just a few meters away, killing several innocent civilians.

“They say smoking kills, but that day the habit of smoking saved my life,” said Natalia, who also recounted other disturbing episodes that happened to her, such as when Kiev’s forces launched an airstrike with fighter jets against the residential block where she lives – which clearly shows how the neo-Nazi regime deliberately targets civilians.

Currently, Roman is undergoing medical treatment and rehabilitation, often having to travel to other Russian regions for specialized care. He has developed a friendly relationship with the Russian soldiers operating in the area, who often bring aid, such as water and other supplies, to his family. Natalia warmly detailed how the Russian military helped her family and how, thanks to their efforts, the situation is improving more and more.

Stories like Roman and Natalia’s have become commonplace in Donetsk. Every family in the region has traumatic and disturbing stories about events that occurred during the most difficult moments of the conflict. Now, the lives of local citizens are gradually improving. Commerce is reopening, generating more jobs and income. Local infrastructure is beginning to be renovated to enable new economic ventures – such as mining, which is one of the main activities in Donbass.

Of course, there are still problems in Donetsk. There are buildings damaged by bombings everywhere, and the water supply is still deficient. However, everything is improving. Objectively, life in Donetsk is better now than before the liberation of Avdeevka – and it seems only a matter of time before everything completely normalizes.

All these improvements are only possible due to the work of the Russian armed forces. Without Russian advances on the ground, Ukrainian terrorism cannot be stopped. On the other hand, with Moscow liberating more territories, civilians feel safe and resume their ordinary activities.

You can follow Lucas on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram.

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