FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Putin's drones and the Ukrainian resistance: everyday life in Kramatorsk
From Sloviansk to Kramatorsk, the war in Donbass is unfolding in its darkest form: nets of counter-drones suspended above checkpoints, resembling moving tunnels above the heads of soldiers. There, every noise in the sky could be the last sign of life.
“ When you hear the drone roar, it’s too late. It means the Russian suicide drone has already targeted you ,” a guard recounts, half jokingly, half in horror. “ They don’t distinguish between civilian and military vehicles. They hit anything that moves ,” he said.
In this reality, antennas and signal-blocking devices, “jammers,” have become lifesavers. Once rare, they are now found on every second military vehicle. They disrupt Russian communications and disrupt drone radars. “ Without them, we wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near the front line ,” says a driver from the Azov battalion.
Kramatorsk is today the most important city in Donbass that still remains under Kiev’s control – about 25-30% of the region. This is precisely the territory that Putin demands as a minimum condition for “peace”. For Zelensky, this is an unacceptable capitulation. Therefore, the battles have become fierce, with the Russian army now located only 16 kilometers from the eastern outskirts of the city.
From once over 200,000 residents, today there are fewer than 53,000 left in Kramatorsk. Most are elderly people, or families who had left but returned due to lack of money. “Living in refugee centers is unbearable. Here, at least we are in our own homes,” says Olena, 73, a former municipal employee.
The voice of a surgeon and the determination of citizens
Sergei, a 57-year-old surgeon known as the “paratrooper,” has been operating nonstop since March 2022. “ The situation is not good. Every day they bring me wounded soldiers from Kostyantinivka. Russian drones follow us nonstop, and the most dangerous moment for an infantryman is when he moves from one position to another ,” he says.
While Natalia, a 53-year-old agent who has been displaced since 2014 from Donetsk, is even more categorical: "Putin is a criminal. If our army withdraws, I will leave again. But I will never accept him as my president."
Daily warfare and Russian tactics
Ukrainian soldiers in Kramatorsk say Moscow's tactics have not changed: massive bombardment, then a slow infantry advance. Kostyantinivka has been reduced to rubble; Bakhmut has suffered the same fate. But now, unlike in the past, the bombing is increasingly carried out by guided drones, especially at night.
“ Without jammers, it’s suicide. The roads are full of wrecked Ukrainian vehicles ,” says Vitaly, 38, of the territorial brigade. Andry, a young Azov officer, is also under no illusions: “ The Russians are advancing slowly, very slowly, but they are advancing. We have no choice but to resist and hope for help from the allies .”
Kramatorsk has become a symbol of a protracted war, where civilians, doctors and soldiers live every day in the shadow of Russian drones. A city that risks suffering the fate of Mariupol or Bakhmut, but which still stands as a keystone in the defense of eastern Ukraine. /Adapted from “Corriere Della Sera”
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