Ukrainian fisherman Artur Cherepovskiy knows he’s had a bad day at the front if he can’t catch carp in a river flowing into the hills where the Russians are hiding.
Cherepovskiy, 32, lowers a hammock from a bridge overlooking the Kazeny Torets River and hopes the distant rumblings won’t be disturbed by his dinner.
Pointing to the endless wars on Ukraine’s eastern front in the third month of the Russian occupation, he says, “They are afraid when there is bombing. There must be silence while fishing.”
“I used to be able to catch five or six in the palm of my hand in one day. Now, in times of war, sometimes I don’t catch any fish at all. It depends on the intensity of the bombing. When they’re strong, the fish are at the bottom.”
The Cherepovskiy Bridge in Slovyansk is located near two symbolically important cities in Donbass.
The 2014 capture of Slovyansk by Russian-backed rebels sparked years of conflict that culminated in an all-out invasion of President Vladimir Putin’s forces on February 24.
Ukrainian troops managed to retake the city and set up an administrative center for the conflict in neighboring Kramatorsk.
Both are now the target of a Kremlin offensive that has captured parts of Ukrainian territory but failed to deliver the blow in time to coincide with Putin’s annual Victory Day celebrations – the day Russia celebrates victory. – It’s Monday.
‘Survive’
The Kazeny Torets River winds through farms and forests until it crosses another river bordering the Russian and Ukrainian troops.
The Russians, with their eyes on Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, are trying to move south through this river network.
The Ukrainians counterattack, carrying their best troops to ensure that the Russians do not form a front on their side of the river.
Many soldiers have dirty uniforms from the days and nights they spent under the bombardment of Russian warplanes.
“It makes you rethink everything you’ve taken lightly in your civilian life,” says one soldier as he watches a group of comrades march toward the burning front.
“When you get in an armored vehicle, your mentality changes. Survival is the priority,” he adds, as he waits for his turn to be summoned to defend Siversk, the last of the small front-line towns on the verge of near extinction.
‘Sick and tired’
Working on a collective farm in Siversk, Lyubov Baidykova leaves her garden to watch the Russian attack on her town of 10,000 people, mainly miners and farmers.
For the fourth day, a thick cloud of smoke can be seen rising from a grain processing factory that caught fire during a war near the city’s train station.
His own house was bombed once in 2014 and again this month.
“My nerves are like steel,” he says after a popping sound barks his dog.
“I don’t even react when the jets are passing. They’ve passed three times today and I don’t care. I’m sick of it.”
Semi-detached houses near Lyubov’s simple residence are in dilapidated condition. There is no gas or electricity in the houses that are still standing.
The water flowing from the taps is also not enough for taking a shower or washing dishes.
“My financial situation doesn’t allow me to go out. That’s why I live day and night with bombs,” he says, shrugging.
source: Noticias
