In the small hall, decorated with reproductions of paintings with religious subjects from Rembrandt, Titian and others, many people came to Sunday – mostly adults. With some delay, Vladimir, a middle -aged man with the combat nickname, is a delay in the church. He is the commander of Combat drones to the 59th A separate assault brigade of the Ukrainian army. And since there are no vacancies, he listens to the sermon right. It ends with peace wishes.
“I believe we will return UkraineS Otherwise I will not reconcile, « Vladimir says after the service. He is a native of Harcizk, a settlement to the east of Donetsk, occupied by the Russians back in 2014. » When I went to the assaults, I gave myself three months of life. But now I’m standing in front of you, « smiles the military.
Deutshe Welle
Vladimir, Company of the Rota Strike Drones from the 59th Separate Storm Brigade, at a church in Dobropily.
Of the former nearly 43,000 residents of the municipality of Dobropila, no more than 35,000 people are left today, with almost one -third of them migrants. Dobropil is a town in the western part of the Donetsk region, the front line is only twenty kilometers away.
« The church is not a club but a hospital »
« We pray first for winningthen for peace, « notes Pastor Igor, who had previously worked as a firefighter. After the start of The full -scale invasion of Russia in Ukrainethe small mining town becomes a center for displaced people, and after the fall of Avdeevka, it is already on the front line. For the military, the church becomes a place where they can bathe and wash their clothes before returning to their fighting positions. And since only industrial (non -drinking) water is supplied – and on a schedule, the church finds money for drilling and water filtration equipment.
« The church is not a club but a hospital, » says Pastor Igor. He did not feed much hope for peaceful negotiations. « For three years now we see the enemy does not want itS But we pray. While the military does not leave us, people say everything is fine, « the pastor continues.
Deutshe Welle
Pastor Igor from Dobropil.
According to his observations, the inhabitants of Dobropila began to evacuate after the massive fire on March 7. At that time, the Russian army attacked the city with rockets, artillery and drones, 11 people were killed and 49 others were injured.
« Escaped from Pokrovsk to burn alive here »
In place of the firing you can see destroyed residential buildingsS In one of the burned dwellings, someone left two roses attached with black ribbons to two children’s beds. The neighborhood looks empty. Only from time to time do people export pieces of windows and what is left of their household after the bombing.
Larissa, an elderly woman with a plaster hand, has also come to clear. She and her husband were home when the bombing began. The explosive wave knocked them to the floor, and Larissa rushed to sweep the broken windows so they could get out of the house. He ran a savior and asked her, « Are you with all? Come quickly, we’ll get you out the window, » Lariss recalls.
She received medical attention only the next day, as the hospital was full of injured people at night. « How many people died! Here, a young couple were killed in this house, escaped from Pokrovsk to burn alive here, » Larissa sighs.
« Take what you have conquered, just leave us alone! »
End a drinking water point we ask people What do they think about the expected truceS Most of them hope for peace. « Because many people I know are killed, » explains Daria, a young woman from the town of Rodinsko, a Pokrovski area. « Because my brother is captured, » says a visibly signed man sitting on a nearby bench with his head clutched.
Deutshe Welle
Local resident Larissa next to her house, was injured by fire.
« I personally I don’t believe Trump can To do something, « the retirement Tatiana shrugged. » Talk to Putin as if he were his brother. He must be on the side of Ukraine but seems to support the interests of Russia« says the elderly woman indignantly. According to her, peace will be fair, If Ukraine does not lose territoriesS « And if the partners make sure we have something to fight – to supply us with weapons and ammunition so that if Putin deceives and attack us again, we have something to protect ourselves, » Tatiana adds.
« These lands have never belonged to him, » the retirement Alexei, who escaped from Pokrovsk, is supported by him. « Let us bring us back what they took us, » says Elena, a young woman with a child. Karina, a migrant from Mirnograd near Pokrovsk, is of a different opinion: « They have to end the firing. To take what they have conquered, only to leave people alone, » she says.
« Do you want Donbass, how do we leave it? »
« Of course, I want a Donetsk region to remain entirely Ukrainian. I was born there. But not all wishes come true, » says 17-year-old Alexandra, who works in a cafe in the center of Dobropil. She plans to go with her friend to another country as soon as they open the border. Two 13-year-old girls want to stay in Ukraine, though not in Doblya, where she becomes more dangerous.
Reuters
Local residents are clearing near a house injured by fire.
When asked how life has changed in the city after the beginning of peace talks, we most often hear the answer « by all ». On the contrary, the Russians have strengthened the firing, the locals assure. One of them is Alexander, who has worked for many years as a miner, meanwhile retired: « Trump and Zelenski can agree. But no one can negotiate with Putin, » he says.
« All this madness must stop, » says another adult man as a group of military personnel passes. He adds, « How many of them died while defending Donbass. How do we leave it? »
A Russian drone was found near one of the houses injured by Russian bombing on March 7th. His engine was dismantled and handed over to the Ukrainian military. « He will return to the Russians, » Alexander says with a slight smile.
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