Ukraine: near the front line, the village of Pavlopil scarred by the fighting
Audio 03:58
The sign of the city of Pavlopil, Ukraine.
© RFI/Boris Vichith
Text by: Anastasia Becchio |
Boris Vicith
4 mins
The recognition by Moscow of the two separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, arouses emotion and anger in Ukraine.
In the south-east of the country, it is fueling fears of a possible Russian invasion in a region already hard hit by eight years of war, such as Pavlopil, a village in Donbass located near the front line.
Advertising
Read more
With our special correspondents in Pavlopil
,
A military zone is located in the middle of a deserted expanse a few hundred meters from the entrance to the village of Pavlopil located near the front line.
“
They shoot all the time, in violation of all the agreements,
explains this young soldier who goes shopping in the village grocery store
.
Here, precisely, an incoming shot… it comes from the enemy.
We don't shoot.
We don't have the right to open fire.
They want to provoke us.
»
The deaf detonations punctuate the life of the village.
A few days ago, a shell exploded in front of a house causing material damage: “
We regularly hear shells coming from there.
In any case, ours are on their toes and do not provoke them,
says Igor Sazonov who came to visit a neighbor
.
Because it doesn't take much for our “sister republic”, in quotes, to stick its nose in here.
The recognition of independence makes me laugh.
The Russians were there from the start.
They wanted us to believe that simple miners took control of the tanks and took up arms.
It makes no sense.
They destroyed everything.
We had everything, work, and now nothing
.
»
►
To read: Ukrainian crisis: Vladimir Putin blows hot and cold
Concern over possible Russian military operations
The majority of houses in Pavlopil suffered from the fighting.
For a while, the village found itself in a gray zone, lost between Ukrainian and pro-Russian lines.
Shrapnel on the facade, windows obstructed by planks: Tatiana Mitel's house has still not been repaired.
The retiree, who has difficulty moving around by leaning on a cane, is worried about possible Russian military operations, after
Moscow's recognition of the separatist republic of Donetsk
, whose borders begin a few hundred meters from her house.
“
We are afraid of that.
But we have nowhere to run.
What awaits us?
We are at home here.
Russia just has to stay at home, we don't need it.
Russia doesn't need us.
It's silly to think that someone needs us.
I repeat: we are at home here
, ”explains this retiree.
In Pavlopil in eastern Ukraine, Tatiana Mitel's house has still not been repaired.
© RFI/Boris Vichith
The presence of nationalist volunteer battalions which divides
On a fence, on the other side of the street, a large banner with yellow letters on a blue background, proclaims "
glory to the heroes
": in addition to the military, battalions of "right sector" nationalist volunteers have settled in houses uninhabited.
A presence that is not to everyone's taste.
A “Glory to Heroes” banner in Pavlopil, Ukraine.
© RFI/Boris Vichith
“
Russia has done us nothing wrong.
We have family there, our children stayed in Russia.
We were all together and we were divided
, ”laments a retiree who rushes into a bus, without wanting to give her name.
Marina Tchoumak's house is the last in the village before the front line a few hundred meters
away: “As we left, soldiers gave us a flag with their signatures and we hung it on the house.
But people came to tell us: “remove it!”.
When my husband puts on his traditional shirt, he can take thoughts.
It is probably because of such people that all this happens to us.
We have people who have bought satellite dishes and watch Russian television and believe in it.
There are also people who are asking questions, and many have even changed their minds.
I would tell you that at the beginning, some were waiting for the arrival of the Russians
.
»
Marina finally hung her flag under an awning on the advice of soldiers who fear that it will be targeted by the camp opposite.
►Read: Ukrainian crisis: Westerners announce first sanctions against Russia
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Ukraine
Russia