Residents of war-torn Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine return home to rebuild their lives • FRANCE 24

Russia continues to eye up their goal of taking control of the whole of the dbass that means large Ukrainian held cities such as katos are in their sights following the fall of the town of adiva last week Ukrainian soldiers say the Russians may be able to advance further

It’s a terrifying Prospect for locals many of whom left the region in 2022 but returned last year our correspondent G KAG went to meet one of them he sent us this report in December last year Natalia reopened her Cafe in katos we closed down just before the invasion then it

Got damaged in the shelling like most residents Natalia left but after 18 months she returned and repaired the place with the help of friends in nepro I had a job but the wages were too low I ran out of money and came back I need to develop my

Business and progress in life some of our regular clients have come back too which I’m very pleased about just as we’re leaving the cafe Natalia’s son calls for the first time since he joined the army he left yesterday so this is just the beginning let’s say the beginning of

His service she says he’d been determined to enlist since March 2022 when Russian shelling killed his father her husband in their home right opposite the cafe it used to be very convenient to get home from work now now I just see the building every day from the windows

Of my Cafe so it reminds me of the good things and the bad her apartment is uninhabitable look at what the explosion did and the looters did the rest but that must mean they have no other way to sustain themselves they got something here sold something wore something maybe

Let them take it if they need it look here’s an old leaflet for my pancakes from before the war cheerful little pictures we had she’s determined to make it a cheerful place again life goes on you have to move on I asked Natalia how she manages to be so

Stoical it’s an act We’re All Hiding our real feelings behind our Smiles but what can we do we have no other Option the nearest Russian positions are currently less than 20 km away from the city limits of katos

About 20 km from the front line of the war in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine, Kramatorsk may again be the target of major Russian attacks as the battle lines shift. Residents like Natalia, a café owner in the city,  are stoic in the face of increasing uncertainty over how the war will go in the coming year.

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16 comments

  3. Very unfortunate.
    Hate, revenge and getting even will continue into 1000 years of war.
    Ukraine has to live in peace with Russian at the end, irrespective of western power's priorities.

  4. As Ukrainians have to build everything from scratch that gives them the opportunity to build society and then the buildings. If they can develop social structures which make rebuilding work then they can use the same methods to build further. Just don't try the kibbutz model it's been shown to have bad side effects.

  7. Such a strong Mother 💖💖💖….For gods sake please start the Peace discussion…stop prolonging the war….😢😢😢

  12. How can a country with France's capabilities just stand by and do so little to support Ukraine – please step up support at least to the EU average level.

  14. Kramatosk, the City the Ukronazis bombed the railway station,killing civilians and then blame it on Russia. Shame on you MSM for supporting evil

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