“If there was a hell on Earth somewhere, it was in Sievierodonetsk.'' In interviews with AP, Ukrainian soldiers returning from the front lines in the eastern Donbas region describe cities burned to the ground, terrible injuries and relentless shelling.
At the time, Sievierodonetsk was one of two major cities under Ukrainian control in Luhansk province, where pro-Russia separatists declared an unrecognized republic eight years ago. By the time the order to withdraw came on June 24, the Ukrainians were surrounded on three sides and mounting a defense from a chemical plant also sheltering civilians.
Nazarenko, who also fought in Kyiv and elsewhere in the east after Russia invaded Ukraine, considers the Ukrainian operation in Sievierodonetsk “a victory” despite the outcome. He said the defenders managed to limit casualties while stalling the Russian advance for much longer than expected, depleting Russia’s resources.Both the lieutenant and the soldier under his command expressed confidence that Ukraine would take back all occupied territories and defeat Russia.
Due to the relentless bombardments, wounded soldiers were only evacuated at night, and sometimes they had to wait up to two days, he said. “We are the descendants of Cossacks, we are free and brave. It is in our blood,” she said. “We are going to fight to the end.” “It’s hard to live under constant stress, sleep-deprived and malnourished. To see all those horrors with your own eyes — the dead, the torn-off limbs. It is unlikely that someone’s psyche can withstand that,” he said.“We are ready to endure and fight with clenched teeth. No matter how hard and difficult it is,” the teacher said, speaking from a fishing store that was converted into a military distribution hub.
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