This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page businesses who stay in front-line Donetsk OblastFebruary 3 2025 8:32 PM6 min readA bakery worker sifts flour to bake bread in Druzhkivka (Yelyzaveta Sekretarenko / The Kyiv Independent) by Yelyzaveta SekretarenkoDRUZHKIVKA Donetsk Oblast — A loud explosion goes off People begin to run in different directions taxi driver Serhiy Pohrebnyakov sits calmly behind the wheel Pohrebnyakov’s wife and daughter fled Druzhkivka after the start of the full-scale invasion, leaving him alone in the town. Amid near-daily Russian attacks Pohrebnyakov goes out on his route every day to make money to help his family I also look after our home here because who knows what will happen next.” I love you,’ it gives me the strength to get up in the morning and drive,” he tells the Kyiv Independent Druzhkivka is located a mere 15 kilometers (9 miles) from one of the hottest spots on the front line, the embattled town of Chasiv Yar. As Russia advances in the east it has come under increased shelling and aerial attacks by Russian forces the head of the Druzhkivka military administration says A local resident goes to the water pump room to get some water in Druzhkivka, Ukraine on Dec. 18, 2024. (Yelyzaveta Sekretarenko / The Kyiv Independent)This is not the first time Druzhkivka has been threatened by a Russian invasion. It was occupied once before in 2014 when Russian-backed proxies took control of the town for nearly four months before being liberated by Ukraine much of which was rebuilt and developed over the past decade Around 36,000 people — half of Druzhkivka’s wartime population — have remained in the town. It has also become the new home of around 14,000 internally displaced people and a hub for soldiers in the rear of the front lines keeping shops open and community centers alive are vital to maintaining a semblance of normal life amid the devastation as well as providing goods and services for soldiers in the area Halyna Khomchenko watches children run around on a colorful playground from the second floor of a school in Druzhkivka She is an entrepreneur and community activist who decided to stay in Druzhkivka to continue helping the locals “We are where we are needed,” she tells the Kyiv Independent Khomchenko opened the Child Development and Assistance Center in 2023 after the outbreak of the full-scale war The center has around 50 students from pre-school-aged children to fourth graders Despite its proximity to the front line and frequent Russian shelling the center has all the qualities of a normal school life: textbooks are laid out on the desks Khomchenko’s center has been the only place where students can study in person “We saw that after what they had experienced children not only need knowledge but also emotional support The center has become a place where they feel safe and recover from their traumas,” says Khomchenko she ran a rehabilitation center for families who had adopted children in the neighboring village of Shchurove Russian troops destroyed the rehab center when they occupied the village in May 2022 “That wasn’t the only place of my strength that was destroyed by the Russians,” says Khomchenko When Druzhkivka came under heavy attacks in early 2022, Russia hit Khomchenko's family's bakery, Khoma Khlib — or Thomas Bread, in English. At the time, bread had already largely disappeared from the town’s shelves due to shortages at the start of the invasion It took Khomchenko several weeks to reopen their bakery in a new location “We worked around the clock so that people didn’t have to worry about the lack of bread so that the panic would disappear,” Khomchenko recalls Her bakery sold bread at a symbolic price of Hr 10 ($0.24) or distributed it free of charge to those who could not pay Food is now readily available in the town, and shelves are stocked with bread, including Khomchenko’s, as Druzhkivka adjusts to its wartime reality. Reliable access to water is another story, however, as Russian shelling regularly leaves the town’s residents without water for several days Freshly baked bread from Khoma Khlib – just out of the oven in Druzhkivka (Yelyzaveta Sekretarenko / The Kyiv Independent)‘We work for the military’Halina Radchenko says she’s used to the near-daily Russian attacks at this point The small shop where she works stands out among the grey and ruined buildings around it We see them off to their positions and meet them when they come back,” she says Radchenko calls her shop a "lost and found." She keeps lost phones and even a single lost mitten she has a small handmade toy cat that someone left behind “It was the guys coming from their positions I hope to God that he is alive,” Radchenko says She has been looking for the toy’s owner for several months now but says no one has heard anything about the soldier whom it belongs to The small shop where Halina Radchenko works in Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka (Yelyzaveta Sekretarenko / The Kyiv Independent)The shop has become a place where soldiers shop before and after their missions deodorants — everything soldiers might need while on the front We don't even need to ask them,” adds Radchenko Russia’s attacks are gradually destroying the area’s businesses and centers of community life The historic Druzhkivka factory that produced some of the country’s most beloved sweets was destroyed in a Russian attack in October 2024 The Altair Ice Arena — Ukraine’s largest hockey and figure skating rink — was struck in a missile attack in January 2023 And an orphanage and boarding school in Druzhkivka that served over 200 children with disabilities before the full-scale invasion was destroyed in March 2023 the local authorities are developing a plan to restore the town They are confident that Druzhkivka will have peace “We understand that we are on the right track Yelyzaveta Sekretarenko works as a television editor She is a graduate of the Kyiv Independent J-School's 2.0 in 2024 she focuses on storytelling and covering human-centered stories According to Ukrinform, this was reported on Facebook by the Office of the Prosecutor General The enemy attack took place at 21:54 on Saturday It has been preliminarily established that the Russians struck with a high-precision glider bomb UMPB D-30 SN The invaders hit residential areas - apartment buildings and cafes were damaged “As a result of three hits of the munitions on the houses of the townspeople six women and five men were wounded in their homes a 15-year-old girl was injured,” the OPG noted according to the Prosecutor General's Office were diagnosed with mine-blast injuries and cut wounds All were promptly provided with medical care Law enforcement officers opened proceedings under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - violation of the laws and customs of war As reported by Ukrinform, late in the evening on March 8, Russian troops attacked Druzhkivka, Donetsk region. There was information about seven wounded. Photo: Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 Russians shelled the city of Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region this evening, March 8. As a result of the strikes, there are casualties, and several residential high-rise buildings have been damaged, according to the head of the Donetsk regional military administration. “Another 7 wounded in Donetsk region – this time in Druzhkivka The city came under enemy fire late this evening,” the official stated 7 high-rise buildings were damaged due to the Russian strikes According to the head of the regional military administration the final consequences of the shelling are still being assessed He once again urged residents to evacuate due to constant Russian shelling and move to safer regions “Russians are destroying everything they can reach For reference: Druzhkivka is located in the northern part of the Donetsk region Druzhkivka on the map (photo: google.com/maps screenshot) Military analysts and observers describe Druzhkivka as one of several cities that are part of Ukraine's so-called "fortress belt” (a 50-kilometer line of four large cities: Sloviansk which forms the backbone of Ukraine’s defense in the Donetsk region) The recent shelling of Druzhkivka occurred shortly after a combined attack by the Russian army on Dobropillia and the number of injured reached nearly fifty (including seven children) Commenting on the Russian shelling of Dobropillia President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that it was a calculated strike on the city by the enemy Druzhkivka has been repeatedly affected by Russian shelling like other settlements in the Donetsk region destroying the Ice Arena and several other buildings either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Russia has advanced toward one of its key targets in eastern Ukraine in recent days as Moscow says its troops have captured another village in the embattled Donetsk region The U.S.-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) which tracks daily changes to the front line said on Saturday that Russian forces had advanced to the east and southeast of Pokrovsk a city in the west of Ukraine's embattled Donetsk region The Ukrainian-held Donetsk logistics hub of Pokrovsk has been referred to as a "fortress" settlement key to Ukrainian defenses in the east and connected to other critical defensive cities Russia has been slowly but surely heading for the settlement since the former Ukrainian stronghold, Avdiivka, fell to Moscow in February. The ISW previously told Newsweek that Russia had advanced roughly two square kilometers (0.7 square miles) each day to the west of the Avdiivka toward Pokrovsk between February and the start of August This pace would likely slow down as Moscow's troops head further toward Pokrovsk coming up once again against more residential and built-up areas Popular Ukrainian war-tracking blog DeepState said late on Friday that Russia had advanced in Selydove a town southeast of Pokrovsk where heavy fighting has been reported Ukraine's military said in a statement at 4 p.m ET) on Sunday that Russia had "already made 15 attempts" to dislodge Ukrainian troops from positions around Selydove and other settlements along the front line The pro-Kremlin Shot Telegram channel said on Saturday that Russia had made an "epic breakthrough" into Selydove claiming that Moscow's forces now control 80 percent of the settlement "The main battles are for the city center," the channel wrote claiming that Ukrainian forces had pulled back to the northwest of Selydove The Two Majors Telegram channel said on Sunday that a Russian push "led to the collapse of the Ukrainian Armed Forces defense" in Selydove the village of Hirnyk—southeast of the former—and another settlement to the southwest Russian state news agency Tass reported on Sunday that Kyiv had pulled back from many positions in Hirnyk Selydove "has been taken," the account claimed Newsweek could not independently verify battlefield reports and has reached out to the Ukrainian military and Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its troops had captured Izmailivka a village southeast of Pokrovsk and immediately west of Hirnyk Moscow said its forces had seized Oleksandropil a village northeast of Pokrovsk and west of ongoing fighting for the Donetsk city of Toretsk a village in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region that Kyiv had retaken during its 2023 counteroffensive It sits just across the southern Donetsk border a spokesperson for Ukrainian forces in the south said on Sunday that Ukraine was still in control of high ground near Levadne and were trying to recover their positions Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Russian forces carried out more than 10 airstrikes on Kostiantynivka and Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region. Two people were killed, and many residents were injured, including children, according to the Telegram channel of Vadym Filashkin head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration the Russians dropped 11 aerial bombs on Kostiantynivka — two people were killed Numerous apartment buildings and private houses were damaged," Filashkin said According to the head of the regional administration the Russian forcess also bombed Druzhkivka three times throughout the day killing a 38-year-old man and damaging an administrative building Consequences of enemy bombing Kostiantynivka and Druzhkivka (t.me/VadymFilashkin) Druzhkivka has suffered from Russian attacks multiple times as have other settlements in the Donetsk region On the evening of March 8, Russian forces also struck Druzhkivka and seven apartment buildings were damaged Military analysts and observers consider Druzhkivka one of several cities forming Ukraine’s so-called fortress belt — a 50-kilometer defensive line consisting of four major cities: Sloviansk and Kostiantynivka — which serve as key defensive positions for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donetsk region Russian forces dropped seven FAB-250 bombs on Kostiantynivka The attack killed at least two people and injured three others with the oldest victim being evacuated to a hospital in critical condition Russian troops shelled Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine “As a result of a Russian air strike on the village of Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka in Donetsk region Russian troops struck a three-story residential building “The explosion caused a fire that engulfed part of the building Firefighters extinguished the fire and rescued the victims,” the SESU adds and 6 vehicles were damaged in the village due to Russian shelling Russian troops are constantly shelling Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region Russian troops attacked a Nova Post office in Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka Russian troops attacked seven settlements in the Donetsk region over the past day. Three civilians were injured, according to the National Police of Ukraine police recorded 3,933 enemy attacks in the Donetsk region The Russian troops fired along the front line and bombed civilians Russian forces dropped 19 bombs on settlements in the region The city and its outskirts were attacked with 14 FAB-250 bombs and drones Russia carried out an airstrike with an FAB-250 bomb and shelled the city with artillery Apartment buildings and 14 private homes were damaged Druzhkivka was hit by two Russian FAB-250 bombs with destruction recorded in the industrial zone Nine private houses were damaged in Novodmytrivka an enemy drone dropped explosives on a civilian car Photo: police document the aftermath of enemy attacks in Donetsk region (t.me/UA_National_Police) Law enforcement officers are working at the sites of the strikes The police and the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) have opened criminal proceedings under Article 438 (War Crimes) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine On Sunday, February 9, Russian troops struck Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka At least nine people were injured as a result of the enemy attack New maps show the "backbone" of Ukraine's defense in the eastern Donetsk region as Kyiv's army chief warns that the situation on the eastern front had "significantly worsened." Moscow hopes to capture a "group of major cities" in the Donetsk region, including Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Kostyantynivka, U.S.-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Saturday described by the ISW as "fortress cities," sit between 12 and 30 kilometers (7.5 to 18.6 miles) from the current front line a city further south approximately 30 kilometers from the front Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said Moscow had increased its attacks in the Donetsk region in the last few weeks adding the situation along the front line there had "significantly worsened in recent days." southwest of Bakhmut—which the Kremlin has controlled for nearly a year—Russia is using "dozens" of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to try to break through Ukraine's defenses "Russian threats to Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka are very operationally significant since these "fortress" cities help form the backbone of the Ukrainian defense in Donetsk Oblast and of eastern Ukraine in general," the ISW said on Saturday a settlement west of Bakhmut close to Kostyantynivka Russia would be able to "begin attacking the southern 'fortress' cities in the Ukrainian defensive belt directly," the ISW evaluated Syrskyi also said on Sunday that Russian commanders hoped to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9 Moscow also plans to advance towards the Donetsk city of Kramatorsk Kramatorsk is north of Druzhkivka and south of Sloviansk Kyiv's ability to fend off Russian attacks depends on Western, and, above all, U.S. military aid Ukrainian forces are attempting to hold back Russia's slow gains westward while contending with shortages of key equipment and ammunition A package worth $60 billion has languished in Congress just weeks ahead of a predicted Russian offensive getting underway as early as the end of May "If the United States does not resume providing aid to Ukraine and Ukrainian forces continue to lack essential artillery and air-defense munitions in particular even badly-trained and poorly-equipped Russian troops might be able to conduct successful offensive operations," the ISW said on Saturday Writing by Elaine Monaghan and Max Hunder; editing by Grant McCool Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved 2023 at 9:17 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Ridgefield and Druzhkivka were matched as sister cities based on shared characteristics (Shutterstock)**News Release Submitted by Ridgefield Responds** CT and the city of Druzhkivka in Ukraine officially became sister cities after a unanimous vote by the Board of Selectmen First Selectman Rudy Marconi issued a Proclamation to underscore the bonds of compassion and support with the people of this city in the besieged eastern region of Donetsk Mayor Serhiy Boyevskyy signed a companion proclamation in Druzhkivka (pronounced droozh-keev-kah and derived from the Ukrainian word for friendship our community can engage with Druzhkivka in many different ways There will be opportunities for individuals schools — everyone to take part now and in the future.” said Marconi Mayor Boyevskyy expressed his deep gratitude: “We truly appreciate that the people of Ridgefield care about the well-being of Ukrainians.” Ridgefield and Druzhkivka were matched as sister cities based on shared characteristics was a close-knit family-oriented town with gyms and the largest ice-skating rink in Ukraine What the city of Druzhkivka and its citizens have been through is unimaginable Having endured frequent shelling and bombing for more than a year the fundamental infrastructure is crippled Only about half the population remains in the city more than 30,000 residents resolutely remain in Druzhkivka At last count this included almost 10,000 children more than 1000 individuals with disabilities and more than 13,500 people who have been displaced from their homes All these remaining citizens are suffering a critical need for shelter The aim of the sister city program is to help provide some much-needed relief to these courageous residents in Druzhkivka. Ridgefield’s program will be coordinated through Ridgefield Responds: Hope for Ukraine with Ukraine Aid International (UAI) as their partner in Ukraine “We are so grateful to the people of Ridgefield for standing behind the people of Druzhkivka in their time of dire need,” said Marshall Mayer “Our team on the ground in Ukraine is ready to work with you to deliver help and hope to your sister city.” and Easton in working with UAI in a sister city relationship In the first video meeting between First Selectman Marconi and Mayor Boyevskyy the mayor shared some of the most urgent needs for the citizens of Druzhkivka: The Town of Ridgefield has helped to kickstart the drive by donating an unused high-capacity generator “We are grateful to the town for this very powerful generator.” said Ross Voytovych It demonstrates a real commitment and sets an example for all of us.” Chair of Ridgefield Responds: Hope for Ukraine We are kicking off this relationship with a community-wide donation drive This will be the first in a series of activities to support and connect with the people of Druzhkivka.” Ridgefield Responds has organized a Spring Donation Drive for Druzhkivka and organizations in our community to respond to the call for help For more details about the Spring Donation Drive — including the full list of items needed, schedule and location of collection, instructions for drop off, and volunteer opportunities — please visit www.ridgefieldresponds.org or our Facebook page Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. 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Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Print DRUZHKIVKA Ukraine — Russia claimed near-victory Tuesday in its fight for part of an eastern Ukrainian industrial region whose capture is one of Moscow’s main stated war aims as Ukraine acknowledged that it was waging a tough battle to keep one of its last cities there from falling In the fourth month of the Russian invasion, Ukraine redoubled its pleas for more heavy weaponry to parry slow and grinding advances by Moscow’s troops, which are backed by relentless artillery fire, in the contested region known as the Donbas, made up of two eastern provinces, Luhansk and Donetsk in remarks by videolink on Tuesday to an event sponsored by Britain’s Financial Times newspaper said the country needs more “powerful weapons” from the West as well as political support and stringent sanctions in order to deny Russia additional battlefield gains the Ukrainian leader also offered a sharp retort to French President Emmanuel Macron’s concerns that it was important not to “humiliate” Russian President Vladimir Putin Ukraine took that as implicit pressure to offer Moscow territorial concessions to end the war “We are not going to humiliate anyone,” Zelensky said Moscow’s triumphal claim came from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu who said in televised remarks that 97% of Luhansk province had been “liberated” by Russian forces Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said some Western-supplied military equipment deployed in the country’s east including two U.S.-provided artillery systems a claim that could not be independently verified Ukrainian militia members train with shotguns on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, on Tuesday. (Natacha Pisarenko / Associated Press) Crucial to Moscow’s eastern campaign is control of the industrial city of Severodonetsk, one of only two major population centers in the region that Russia has not yet been able to capture Ukraine said its forces were holding on in Severodonetsk — but with difficulty “Our armed forces are doing their utmost to defend the city,” Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told Ukrainian television Tuesday Zelensky, in his overnight address to the nation, said “fierce street fighting” was underway to keep Severodonetsk in Ukrainian hands. California After Ukraine’s president urges San Jose and San Diego to ditch ties with Russian sister cities Ukrainian officials say Russia is throwing more and more military resources into the fight and Western military officials said Tuesday that Russian forces are apparently trying to isolate the city by cutting off both northern and southern approaches “Russia will almost certainly need to achieve a breakthrough” in the area in order to consolidate tactical gains into “operational level success” in the wider region, British military intelligence said in its latest assessment. Northwest of Severodonetsk, in the Kharkiv region, the regional governor reported that two people had been killed and six injured in a Russian airstrike. The governor, Oleh Sinegubov, said Tuesday on the Telegram messaging app that Russia was targeting civilian homes as well as critical infrastructure. Zelensky told his compatriots that Russia also has set its sights now on Zaporizhzhia, a major southeastern city of nearly three-quarters of a million people that is a gateway to central Ukraine. It is the capital of a province of the same name, and has served as an important way station for Ukrainians fleeing from heavily battered or Russian-occupied areas, such as the fallen city of Mariupol. “We will do everything for the defense” of Zaporizhzhia and its environs, Zelensky said. World & Nation President Volodymyr Zelensky urges Ukrainians to fight the Russian invasion civilian suffering has intensified as bombardment rains down on cities towns and villages in the path of Russia’s military push Russian forces have fired on more than 20 populated areas in the Donbas provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk the Ukrainian military’s general staff said that in addition to aiming shellfire at towns and villages Russia was launching airstrikes on Donetsk The Kremlin claims that it does not deliberately target civilians — which is considered a war crime — but on the ground mainly elderly residents who have stayed behind face punishing daily barrages that force them to cower in makeshift underground shelters and endure primitive conditions reminiscent of life in pre-industrial times A woman rests from clearing the rubble of a temple destroyed during attacks in Gorenka (Natacha Pisarenko / Associated Press) “We could never imagine a time where we would have to make fires for cooking,” said Liubov Vedeneeva a 69-year-old who was chopping wood outside her apartment building in Lysychansk Both lie on the banks of the strategic Seversky Donets River Zelensky described them as “dead cities” after endless waves of Russian bombardment he paid an unannounced weekend visit to Ukrainian front lines in Lysychansk Control of the Donbas region is now Moscow’s principal declared war aim after it failed in the war’s early days to seize the capital and its forces were pushed away from Kharkiv On the road toward the eastern front lines every mile brings signs of the grinding conflict: agricultural fields disfigured by trenches tow trucks loaded with tanks and rocket launchers towns with streets emptied of residents save a few pensioners braving the ubiquitous air-raid sirens Residents who survived the bombardment in a residential neighborhood the night before (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times) To aid Ukraine in its fight for the region Britain has said it will supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems Ukraine says that is key to knocking out Russian artillery batteries that have been savaging eastern cities and towns Russia has warned that it will take unspecified retaliatory measures for delivery of longer-range Western weapons to Ukraine. More than 100 days in, the war’s impact is felt differently in different parts of the country. In Odesa, the crown jewel of Ukraine’s coastal cities, a normal summer season would see its population swell with tourists. Instead, restaurants were mostly empty, and only a few beachgoers defied warnings of mines. Other cities, though, are bursting to capacity with those escaping the eastern battle zone. In Dnipro in central Ukraine, a main waypoint for those fleeing the fighting, new arrivals are in constant need of comfort and shelter. intelligence agencies have begun a review of how they judge the will and ability of foreign governments to fight “We’re seeing double the numbers of people we usually have in the city,” said Petro Voytovych who works at a restaurant that is part of World Central Kitchen a nonprofit organization that serves meals to crisis-stricken communities A major Ukrainian aim is to end a Russian blockade of Ukraine’s ports on the Black Sea — a struggle that has worldwide implications because grain exports have been choked off amid the fighting Zelensky said in his address that he has spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about mediating efforts to ease the blockade Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has cited what he called credible reports of Russian forces pilfering grain stockpiles for attempted sale. The United Nations food agency has repeatedly warned that the Russian invasion could trigger widespread hunger around the world in coming months “We need a safety corridor for ships” to enable grain exports Zelensky said in advance of expected talks this week in Ankara “Turkey is now finding a format on how to provide us with guarantees.” A boy holds the boot of a slain Russian soldier at a public display in Kyiv (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press) Russia sought Tuesday to put the onus of halted grain supplies on Ukraine Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine needed to de-mine the waters off Odesa and said Russia was prepared to escort commercial vessels to international waters Meanwhile, Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, appealed to the international community not to turn its eyes away from the country’s lengthening struggle against the Russian invasion. In an interview to air Thursday on ABC, she said “the whole world, and Americans as well,” must refrain from getting “used to this war.” “Yes, it is far from you, it lasts long and you can get tired of it, but please do not get used to it,” she said in remarks to ABC released Tuesday by her husband’s office. “Because if everyone gets used to it, this war will never end.” She added that Ukraine could not cede land for peace, because “the aggressor will not stop at part of our territory — they will not stop until they destroy us.” Bulos reported from Druzhkivka and King from Washington. Marcus Yam in Lysychansk contributed to this report. Nabih Bulos is the Middle East bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times. Since 2012, he has covered the aftermath of the “Arab Spring” revolution as well as the Islamic State’s resurgence and the campaign to defeat it. His work has taken him to Syria, Iraq, Libya, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Yemen as well as on the migrant trail through the Balkans and northern Europe. A Fulbright scholar, Bulos is also a concert violinist who has performed with Daniel Barenboim, Valeri Gergyev and Bono. Laura King is a former reporter with the Los Angeles Times who primarily covered foreign affairs. She previously served as bureau chief in Jerusalem, Kabul and Cairo. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Russian missiles damaged several buildings in eastern Ukraine's Druzhkivka city on early Saturday After Russian forces claimed the full control over the Lysychansk city in the Luhansk region the attacks have intensified on the Ukrainian cities of Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region and some other buildings were damaged in Druzhkivka after Russia fired four missiles Intensity of attacks on the city is increasing as the battlefield is getting closer to the city center Donetsk and Luhansk – both part of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region bordering Russia – were the scene of a Russian-backed insurgency starting in 2014 when Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the “independence” of Donetsk and Luhansk just before starting the Ukraine war on Feb all of Donbas is still internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory and the country’s armed forces continue to fight for it.​​​​​​​ Nearly 4,900 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war Over 15 million people have been forced to flee their homes including more than 8.4 million that have fled to other countries Altair Ice Arena was destroyed in the Russian missile strike the Russian Army carried out two missile strikes targeting Druzhkivka town in Donetsk Region Altair Ice Arena was destroyed in the explosion according to the official statement on the website of Donbas Hockey Club The destroyed facility used to be home arena for Ukraine’s eight-time hockey champion " Altair Ice Arena was destroyed in the missile strike It used to be the home arena for Donbass Hockey Club since 2014 The arena in Druzhkivka was also the home to Ukraine's largest children's and youth ice hockey and figure skating school and was a favorite place for residents and guests of Druzhkivka This is the third home arena the Donetsk club has lost to the Russian inavders and now it’s Altair," the statement said reads reacted emotionally to the Russian missile strike against the ice arena This is the second home arena of for club since 2014.. This building has hosted hundreds of children's competitions There was the biggest hockey and figure skating school in Ukraine.. These are the people who have brought excitement and joy for 8 years since the start of the war.. F**king 'liberators’," Ilienko posted on his Facebook page Zhdanov Explains How to Force Russia to Pay Reparations Russia Plans Long-Lasting Shahed Attack: Zelenskyi Warns about Restless Nights "Putin Is Preparing Russia for a Large-Scale War to the Last Russian" - Zhdanov about the Dictator's Plans "This Is Not a Conflict with Aliens”: Kyslytsia Criticized the UN Secretary General Because of the Wording "at Ukraine" the occupiers carried out 1995 attacks on the region attacks were recorded in 6 settlements — the towns of Druzhkivka 80 civilian objects were damaged — 44 residential buildings Russia dropped three guided aircraft bombs “KAB-500" one of them hitting a residential building and two more — a woman and a child — are probably under the rubble 10 apartment buildings and 27 private houses Three times the enemy struck Slavyansk — with an air bomb “UMPB-D30SM” and from “Smerchiv” Druzhkivka was attacked by the Russians with four missiles from the S-400 air defense system — damaged 5 apartment buildings three residents of Krasnogorovka were injured There is a wounded man in the village of Sokil Police and SBU opened criminal proceedings under Art 438 (violation of laws and customs of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine We use cookies to provide you with better navigation on our website you automatically agree to the use of these technologies Russia said early on Wednesday that the main reason for the missile strikes by US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers on a deployment area near the city of Makiivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region was the mass use of mobile phones by military personnel despite a ban a commission is working to investigate the circumstances of the incident But it is already obvious that the main reason for what happened was the inclusion and massive use of mobile phones by personnel in the reach of enemy weapons contrary to its ban," a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry on Telegram read The statement said that this allowed Ukrainian forces to determine the coordinates of the location of military personnel for launching the missile strike the necessary measures are being taken to prevent similar tragic incidents in the future the guilty officials will be brought to justice," the statement added It also said the registered death toll from the missile strike rose to 89 following an analysis of the explosion site “During the analysis of the rubble of reinforced concrete structures the number of our comrades who died increased to 89,” the statement said Reminding that four missiles hit a building where Russian military personnel were stationed the statement noted that the multiple rocket launcher system that fired on the deployment area was destroyed by a return fire as a result of missile and air strikes on the accumulation of military equipment in the area of the Druzhkivka railway station … four more HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and eight vehicles were destroyed,” the statement said also claiming that over 200 Ukrainian servicemen were killed The Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that two US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers were destroyed by Russian strikes near the city of Kramatorsk while two other HIMARS were destroyed in Druzhkivka the ministry initially said in a statement that 63 Russian soldiers were killed by the missile strikes near Makiivka the Ukrainian army’s strategic communications department claimed late on Sunday that nearly 400 Russian soldiers were killed in strikes in Makiivka The statement also noted that an additional 300 Russian soldiers were wounded at varying levels of severity 13 settlements of the region were hit: the cities of Avdiyivka The army of the Russian Federation fought with guided aerial bombs FAB-250 26 civilian objects were destroyed — 16 residential buildings The occupiers dropped a FAB-250 air bomb on the village of Severchnoe an administrative building and a transformer substation were damaged as a result of which a woman was injured and a civilian car was damaged The same consequences of Arthur on Ceramics — an injured person two residents were wounded during the rupture of enemy shells you automatically agree to the use of these technologies.