INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
the last rays of sunshine before winter
In the distance, two explosions a few seconds apart make the windows of the small reception center tremble."Those are gliding bombs,"
Evgueny explains without flinching.With a gaunt face and gentle eyes, Evgueny, in his early 40s, is one of the Protestant pastors of
Kramatorsk, one of the last major cities in the Donbas still under Ukrainian control and a key logistical hub for the Ukrainian army that
summer, Russian forces, in a renewed offensive in the Donbas, have managed to push their front line to within about 10 kilometers of
Pokrovsk, another logistical center for the Ukrainian army in the Donbas, while also intensifying their activities toward Chasiv Yar,
located 26 kilometers from Kramatorsk.This momentum especially accelerated after the fall of the critical defensive fortress of Vuhledar in
her 50s who fled less than a week ago from her parents' farm in the suburbs of Chasiv Yar.With a frightened look, Iryna brings her thin
hands to her face and flinches at every detonation coming from the front line about 20 kilometers away.Iryna is one of those refugees who,
Some were injured and were mooing in pain
Eventually, one morning, my mother died, and I left
Without money and family, she will stay a few more days at the Kramatorsk center before being relocated to a center for internally displaced
persons.As for aid, she can expect to receive between 2,000 and 3,000 hryvnias (around $50) per month from the Ukrainian state, which barely
covers basic needs.Joseph RocheFaced with this situation, Evgueny explains that their church tries to help some of the displaced people
We use this money to keep our center running, buy vehicles to pick up refugees, cover fuel and food
When we have a little left over, we try to distribute it
September 2023, is also concerned about the developments on the front.Working primarily in villages around Pokrovsk, he sees the Russians
members who beg them to go and rescue relatives who stayed behind
Growing increasingly vulnerable to Russian drone attacks, he confides that their missions are becoming more dangerous.Earlier in October,
Philippe lost one of his friends on an evacuation mission.Tigran Galustyan, an evacuation worker from the organization Rose on the Hand, was
effective against Russian attacks
never returnOn the doorstep of the Kramatorsk center, Oxana, in her early 50s, carries two large gingham-patterned plastic bags
Behind her, her five children carry what little remains of their former life as best they can.Yuliia, 16, the oldest, carries their dog and
the youngest child.Originally from Kostiantynivka, a small town between Kramatorsk and Chasiv Yar, about 10 kilometers from the front, they
Its origins remain unclear and, according to a New York Times investigation, could have been a mistake by Ukrainian artillery
But since then, the Russians have relentlessly bombarded the small town almost daily.A year later, after taking the time to organize and
The front is too close, the city is destroyed, and my children need activities
Between Covid and the war, I can barely remember the last time I attended an in-person class
