The war in eastern Ukraine has reached a critical stage as Russia continues its slow but steady advance in the Donetsk region. Already holding 70% of Donetsk and nearly all of neighbouring Luhansk, Moscow has set its sights on complete control, with President Vladimir Putin reportedly willing to freeze the war in exchange for the territory.
On the front lines in Dobropillia, just eight kilometres from Russian positions, humanitarian workers are risking their lives to evacuate the sick, elderly, and children. The town, once bustling, now looks abandoned. Water supplies have been cut for a week, homes lie in ruins, and Russian drone and missile attacks rain down daily.
Among those leaving is Vitalii Kalinichenko, 56, who shows the wounds on his leg from a drone strike that shattered his windows. “I’m the only one left in my block,” he says, clutching a small bag of belongings as he boards the evacuation vehicle.
For many evacuees, the decision is final. Anton, 31, leaving his hometown for the first time, believes peace can only come through negotiation. “We need to sit at the table and resolve this without blood,” he says. But Varia, a 19-year-old volunteer, insists Ukraine cannot trust Russia. “If we give them Donbas, it won’t stop anything. It will only give them space for the next attack.”
The human cost is devastating. At a nearby field hospital, casualties arrive through the night from the brutal fighting in Pokrovsk, a city now partially encircled. Surgeons work tirelessly, treating bullet wounds, shrapnel injuries, and devastating drone strike victims. “It’s hard because I know I can do more, but I don’t have the time,” says Snr Lt Dima, a 42-year-old military doctor.
Despite heavy Russian losses, Ukraine’s defensive line is under immense strain. Losing Donetsk would place neighbouring Kharkiv and Zaporizhia at greater risk. Trenches, barbed wire, and anti-tank fortifications now stretch across the fields, but the question remains: for how long can they hold?
For those forced to flee, and those still fighting, the future of Donbas is uncertain—caught between Russia’s determination to claim it and Ukraine’s resolve to defend it at any cost.
