In one of the last remaining cities under Ukrainian control in the country's eastern Donetsk region, once a powerhouse of industry, life gets more difficult — and dangerous — as Russian forces inch closer.
Over the last month, local officials in Kramatorsk have reported dozens of Russian attacks on the city using strike drones, ballistic missiles, rockets and aerial bombs. Homes, gas stations and markets have all been hit, as has a nearby power plant, causing blackouts.
"There was a recent strike on the house next to mine," said Olena Frolova, 20, who works in a shop that sells Donetsk-branded clothing in Kramatorsk. "We all feel that the front is getting closer. Your life depends on how our guys at the front hold on."
Russian President Vladimir Putin is doubling down on seizing all of eastern Ukraine's Donbas, which includes the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Russia has invaded and occupied more than 80% of Donbas since 2014. The Kremlin wants to take the remaining land either by military force or as part of a deal to end a full-scale war it has waged on Ukraine for nearly four years. Ukraine has so far refused to agree to any deal that gives up its territory to Russia. The Trump administration is pushing a plan that faces Ukrainian and European resistance over the issues of territory and security guarantees.
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