The “protection” of the civilian population of Donbas, about which the demonized Kremlin Fuhrer cynically lied to the whole world for a long time and is still lying, continues. Another thing is that the Russians did not succeed either in 2014 or after the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 to “liberate”, i.e. tear off from Ukraine and completely conquer this region. The geopolitical nobody, irritated by the failures of the “second army in the world”, since then, very often stomping on the “analogovnet” with high-heeled shoes, was forced to dismiss its failed military commanders 17 times, for whom even the small towns of Donetsk and Luhansk regions were impregnable.
Of course, the Kremlin’s winter or spring deadlines for entering the administrative borders and the complete occupation of the entire region have already changed many times. And finding himself in this shameful situation for him, the paranoid leader of the terrorist state, who even now justifies the brutal war against Ukraine by protecting “our” people, gave the order to virtually wipe the cities and villages of Donbas along with their inhabitants from the face of the earth.
The brutal inhuman essence of modern aggressive Puilian racism takes the form of daily heavy shelling of populated areas of the region against the background of attempted attacks in several directions. It’s no secret that the offensive of the invaders has been more like stomping on the spot in front of the positions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine for a long time. However, unfortunately, this is given to us at a high price, as the enemies spare no shells or rockets, shelling cities and villages with civilians whom they seem to be trying to protect.
Avdiyivka remains one of the hotspots on the map of Donetsk region. Muscovites broke a lot of teeth near it, starting with attempts to capture it back in 2014. Recently, the invaders resumed attacks near Novobakhmutivka of the Yasynuvat district and significantly increased the shelling of the settlement. Ukrainian intelligence noted that the “second in the world” is increasing the number of its units and armored vehicles in this direction: a tank brigade was transferred there.
According to many analysts, the Moscow occupation forces are once again acting according to the pattern, using the “Bakhmut scenario”. That is, having smashed the forehead after the “head-on” attacks, the Muscovites may try to bypass Avdiivka from the flanks, in order to force the Ukrainian defenders to withdraw from the city under the threat of encirclement, or rather, from what remained of it after prolonged shelling from artillery and MLRS “hail” . For example, quite recently, the “liberators” again targeted the residential sector.
And although Avdiivka now resembles a large ruin, people still live there. According to the official information of the city’s military administration, more than 1,700 residents of Avdi survive in extremely difficult conditions, although in reality there may be more of them. All those who for various reasons did not leave the city can visit the only store that works there in the break between shelling.
According to the head of the Avdiyiv MBA, Vitaly Barabash, in the surviving trading point, the townspeople can not only shop, but also… watch TV, which helps to refute the Kremlin’s propaganda drug.
“Entrepreneur Oleksiy brings products there by himself in an unarmored car, taking risks almost every day. He installed a TV in the store, equipped the Starlink system, and people are able to watch Ukrainian television and receive true information, instead of hearing what Russian propaganda tells them,” says Vitaly Barabash.
Ukrainian television is available in the volunteer center, however, according to the residents of the city who have already left there, some of the compatriots switched to the “Voice of Moscow”, i.e. radio, due to the lack of electricity.
“Papino radio from Donetsk is available there, which spreads nonsense about the cruel “Banderivites”. It convinces that the Ukrainians are shelling the city and killing the people of Ovid, and also promises them “liberation” and a happy life. This delusion is the reason why pro-Moscow “Zhduns” do not want to leave Avdiivka, are hiding in the ruins, and some are even holding children,” says the interlocutor.
In another strategic direction, the Bakhmut Rashi, offensive actions were intensified near the highway Kostyantynivka — Chasiv Yar — Bakhmut. Fierce positional battles near the “road of life” continue despite repeated reports of Kremlin propaganda about victories and gains in this area. However, the Defense Forces of Ukraine keep this and other important logistical arteries or positions under control. Moreover, the Ukrainian military periodically has local successes there.
Regarding the scale of the unsuccessful offensive of the Muscovites, who concentrated near Bakhmut a large force of military equipment and still manpower, Serhii Cherevaty, the spokesman of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, recently made an eloquent comparison. According to him, the city is being stormed without much success by a large group of enemy forces, which has such a number of guns, tanks, armored vehicles and rocket launcher systems that there are more than are in service in the modern armies of the Czech Republic or Hungary. Can you imagine?
“In order to move forward, the enemy makes maximum efforts and does not pay attention to anything. Despite significant losses, assault groups of the “Wagner” PMK, fighters of other private companies, and paratroopers constantly rush into battle. But the enemy is unable to take control of the city.
The situation remains quite complicated. However, in some parts of the city, our units counterattacked the enemy, he left certain positions,” said the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Meanwhile, the constant shelling of other populated areas of Donetsk region is not abating. On the first day of May, the number of civilian victims increased again and the ruins were added.
“On the Donetsk side, Avdiyivka came under fire seven times: shells hit the residential sector and the territory of the coke-chemical plant. During the day, shelling was recorded in Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, where the two-story building was again damaged. The shelling of Ocheretynsk community continued all night.
Three people were injured in Bakhmut on the Horliv direction. Houses in Toretsk and Vasyukivka of the Soledar community were damaged. The outskirts of the Chasovoyarsk community came under fire,” Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, clarified.
The regional authorities are making efforts to ensure that residents of the front-line region have the opportunity to leave there as far as possible from the “protection” of Muscovites who are ruthless even to Ukrainian children. Therefore, mandatory evacuation of civilians to safer regions of Ukraine continues in Donetsk region. As early as mid-April, in accordance with the decision of the government Coordination Headquarters on preparation for the mandatory evacuation of the population of Donetsk region, the removal of Donetsk residents was redirected from Cherkasy to Zhytomyr region. Currently, free evacuation by special train is carried out once every four days: for example, on May 1, 45 hostages of the Kremlin’s rage and cruelty from Bakhmut, Toretsk, Dobropilsk, Kramatorsk and Pokrovsk communities, including 19 small children, were evacuated to the Berdychiv community of Zhytomyr Oblast in one flight.
“Living under constant shelling was terrible. It’s hard to put into words what we felt every day. Now we and our children are safe and finally we can see above our heads not the dark ceiling of the basement, but the clear blue sky,” admits one of the forced migrants.
