Ukraine: at the gates of Donetsk, civilians are worried about all possible scenarios
A member of the Ukrainian armed forces service at the separation line of pro-Russian rebels in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on April 8, 2021 (illustrative image).
REUTERS - OLEKSANDR KLYMENKO
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
In Ukraine, tensions are mounting, while the international community is questioning the intentions of Russia, which has massed more than 100,000 men on the Ukrainian borders.
In the Donbass, the civilian populations, caught in the grip of an information war and an increase in bombings, are already worried about all possible scenarios.
Report from Avdiivka, a town on the front lines, at the gates of Donetsk, controlled by Ukraine.
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With our special correspondent in Avdiivka,
Stéphane Siohan
The old Avdiivka, a district of small brick houses, is very close to the Promzone, the Industrial Zone, an area fortified by the Ukrainian army, regularly under fire by separatist artillery.
At the slightest explosion, Oleksiy Savkevich, a 42-year-old cultural activist, fears a shell could fall on his house.
"
Yesterday, I heard two detonations, it was firing on our side, and we left quickly
," he says.
Right after, shots fell here and then there was silence.
There is something going on, but we don't understand what.
In recent weeks, we have not yet discussed whether to flee.
We're already used to it.
But of course, if the Russian army arrives, we already have a plan B.
"
On the 400 km front line, Avdiivka is arguably one of the hottest cantonments for soldiers, a Ukrainian Fort Alamo, the soldiers sometimes say.
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See also: Ukraine: on the front line in the Donbass, Ukrainian soldiers on the alert
According to Artur Pavenko, chaplain of the armies, the soldiers of Avdiivka are among the best seasoned, but the weariness begins to be felt: “
Of course there is a lot of stress among the soldiers after seven years of war.
All this necessarily plays on the psychological mood.
But the military is preparing for anything, even the worst.
We still hope for an improvement and for peace to be achieved through diplomatic means.
"
In the meantime, if the war resumes more vigorously, here or there on the front, the Promzone of Avdiivka and its surroundings, residential areas, will be among the first sectors to be bombed.
President Emmanuel Macron said this Sunday, in an interview with the American channel CBS, that it was necessary to define “
red lines
” with Russia, and to sanction it in the event of “
unacceptable behavior
”.
I find this situation unacceptable.
A de-escalation is necessary on the Russian side ...
Emmanuel Macron
Anthony Lattier
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