#slovyansk

[vintage-ukraine]

Young woman from Slovyansk, Donetsk Region, 1911

[marina-greens-blog]

It's a small child 💔💔💔💔😭😭😭😭

‼️‼️‼️

[ammg-old2]

The yawning crater, carved by a Russian missile strike and flooded with water, cut a jagged path through the middle of a city street. The small clique of teenagers passing by found it funny.

“Look, it’s our local pond,” said Denys, 15. “We could dive in for a swim.”

In their baggy sweatshirts, backpacks looped over one shoulder, youths walk the streets of Sloviansk, a frontline town in eastern Ukraine, for lack of anything else to do on a spring afternoon.

They slip past soldiers in full combat gear, carrying rifles and headed to the trenches about 20 miles away, and watch military trucks rumble past, kicking up clouds of dust. They are living their teenage years in a holding pattern because of the war that rages around them — without prom, graduation ceremonies, movie theaters, parties or sports.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused tremendous direct damage, killing tens of thousands of people and forcing millions of Ukrainians from their homes. But the war has also claimed another casualty: the normal experiences of teenagers like those in Sloviansk who live near combat zones, hanging out in ravaged cities where rockets fly in regularly.

“I wish I had an ordinary life,” said a 16-year-old named Mykyta.

His days, he said, have boiled down to walks with friends and playing video games in his room. “We studied this whole city, we know every corner,” Mykyta said. “It’s not so fun anymore.”

During a meandering walk around town on a recent afternoon, a half-dozen teenagers said they mostly handled the hardships of war, and the terror of Russian attacks, with humor — making fun of everything around them, including one another. They are identified only by their first names because of their age.

Sloviansk, a small city on a crossroads that was briefly occupied by Russian proxy forces in 2014, was again afflicted by war after the full-scale invasion last year. Frontlines drew close, and artillery strikes began to pound the city. It is seen as a likely next target if Russia captures Bakhmut, its neighbor to the east.

And yet many teenagers remain despite the danger, their parents held to the city by jobs or a reluctance to abandon their homes and live as refugees. The youths’ last day in a school classroom was Feb. 23, 2022, the day before Russia invaded. The authorities canceled all organized activities for young people, lest a rocket hit a gathering.

Russia bombards Sloviansk about once a week, possibly aiming for the thousands of soldiers garrisoned here. Residents are regularly killed by the ones and twos, though a strike last month killed 11 civilians as they slept.

When explosions echo through the streets, the teenagers fall to the ground for safety, lest a strike land close and send shrapnel whistling toward them.

Then the horsing around starts.

”Just don’t hit us!” they joke, covering their heads with their hands, said Kristina, 15, one of the teenagers on the stroll about town.

“It’s just easier to handle this way,” she said. In fact, she admitted, “it’s really scary.”

[error4343]

Today (08.07.24) russians attacked Ukraine once again. More than 40 missiles of different types. Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk, Kramatorsk were under attack.

As it for 11:46 a.m. :

In Kyiv, among other civil infrastructure, children hospital "Ohmatyd" was hit by missile. Unofficial sources say that some children may be under the rubble. Rescue mission continues.

In Kyiv: 7 people killed, 9 injured.

In Kyiv region: 2 people injured.

For now in Kryvyi Rih: 10 killed, 31 - injured.

As it for 12:03 a.m. :

In Pokrovsk, Donetsk region: 3 people killed

In Dnipro: service station and civil apartments were damaged. Unknown number of injured.

12:09:

In Kyiv: 7 killed, 15 - injured.

12:29:

In Kyiv: 8 killed, 15 - injured

I fucking beg you, please, continue to talk about Ukraine. This is terrorism in its purest form.

15:03:

In Kyiv: 17 killed, 48 injured

In Kyiv oblast: 2 injured

In Dnipro\Dnipro region: 11 killed, 62 injured

More than 50 civil objects are damaged: apartments, busnisess center and 2 medical facilities.

[kamogryadeshi]

‼️At night, the Russians attacked Kupyansk, Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.

Russian occupiers hit Kupyansk with guided aerial bombs. A woman's body was recovered from the rubble, 5 victims are known, reports the Regional Military Administration.

In Kramatorsk, the Russians hit the industrial zone and the private sector with missiles. A woman's body was pulled out from under the rubble, two more are probably under the rubble.

In Slovyansk (on video), a missile hit a school, where there used to be an "point of invincibility" and a social canteen. A fire broke out, there may be a person under the rubble, the head of the City Military Administration reported

UPD: The number of people killed as a result of Russian missile strikes on Kramatorsk, Slovyansk and Kupyansk increased to six people.

A family of three in Kramatorsk, a man and a woman in Kupyansk and a guard of the "Point of Invincibility" in Slovyansk

[tomorrowusa]

Trump's pal Vladimir Putin is back to bombing children's hospitals in Ukraine. Putin can't understand why Ukrainians won't let him take over their country. So he's killing as many of their children as possible as retribution.

Russian missile strike partially destroyed a children’s hospital in Kyiv on Monday, causing terrified patients and their families to flee for their lives, as officials fear more people could be trapped beneath the rubble. Moscow launched a brazen daytime aerial assault on targets in cities across Ukraine during morning rush hour, killing at least 36 people and injuring 137 others, according to Ukraine’s emergency service. The large scale bombardment struck areas in the capital, as well as in Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. In an update on Telegram, the emergency service said the latest figure included the number of dead and injured in the capital, which now stands at 22 people killed. Two people were killed and at least 16 were injured in the strike on Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt hospital. The facility is Ukraine’s largest children’s medical center and has been vital in the care of some of the sickest children from across the country. Every year, around 7,000 surgeries – including treatments for cancer and hematological diseases – are conducted at the hospital, according to Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. Videos from the scene showed volunteers working with police and security services to sift through the rubble as smoke billowed from the hospital, as staff described how they tried to rush children to safety in the wake of the attack. Ukraine’s health minister Viktor Liashko said intensive care units, oncology departments and surgery units had been damaged.

US Republicans and others from the radical right around the world back Putin. They bizarrely see him as "strong" despite the incompetent way he's conducted his war and the enormous losses Russia has sustained.

To give you a ground level view of how Russia is actually doing in its shabby unprovoked war, the Washington Post published intercepts of communications by Russian troops during their failed Kharkiv offensive.

Russian ground troops are poorly trained, poorly armed, and poorly supplied. Putin just mindlessly throws troops at Ukraine the way Trump throws ketchup at walls.

The Russian population is kept ignorant of massive losses and is fed histrionic nationalistic propaganda on state TV. Internet access to Western news sites blocked. Putin mouthpieces dressed like James Bond villains openly promote additional war crimes.

Russia is not a normal country and it is not led by a normal person.

Despite what tankies and far right Putin apologists may tell you, Russia has no fucking business in Ukraine.

[mariacallous]

Key updates as of June 12, 2024

Russia is continuing the offensive it began in the Donbas region back in October 2023, attacking on several fronts simultaneously. Near the city of Avdiivka, where the Russian command launched its main assault and deployed the most troops, Russian forces have advanced 15–20 kilometers (9–12.5 miles) in the past eight months. About 7-10 kilometers (4-6 miles) of that progress has been made since February, when Avdiivka was captured. In May, Russia opened a new front near Kharkiv and managed to move seven to eight kilometers (a little under five miles) into Ukrainian territory in just a few days. But Russia’s advance has been even slower and more modest in other sectors.

On June 7, President Vladimir Putin described the Russian army’s offensive tactics as “squeezing out” the Ukrainian Armed Forces from territories that Russia must “bring under control.”

Putin didn’t specify which territories Russia aims to “bring under control,” but it’s safe to assume that he’s referring to Ukraine’s Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions at the very least. To reach the Donetsk region’s main logistical and industrial hubs (the cities of Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhove and Lyman), the Russian army would need to advance more than 30 kilometers (over 18.5 miles). And to reach the region’s administrative borders, troops would need to advance 40-50 kilometers (25-31 miles) in multiple directions.

This means that if the offensive were to keep its current pace (which isn’t guaranteed), capturing the Donetsk region alone could take Russia a year or more. Accelerating the pace of operations would require significantly increasing the Russian army’s numerical advantage over Ukraine — but another round of mobilization and a rise in casualty rates aren’t appealing options for Putin.

Meanwhile, the Russian command is dispersing its reserves in other directions. In particular, it’s attempting to reinforce the stalled grouping north of Kharkiv, originally composed of troops from the Leningrad Military District.

[alcestas-sloboda]

(x) On December 19, Saint Nicholas came to this child from Slovyansk for the first time in his life 💔

The child is an orphan and lives in the basement with his grandfather and grandmother, where they hide from Russian bombs.

In his left hand you can see bread. Just bread.

[sadmmann]

On April 14, 2023, the Russian Federation fired eight missiles at the Ukrainian city of Slovyansk. This shelling claimed the lives of 15 people. Among the victims are father and son: 29-year-old Sergei and two-year-old Maxim Komaristy. The boy died in the ambulance. The father's body was searched under the rubble for two days.

Sergei was a businessman. In the Lesnoy market in Slavyansk, there was a shop for repairing mobile phones and accessories for equipment. He loved making funny videos for social media. He was fond of football, played in the local team.

When Sergei and his wife had a son, the couple was very happy. The boy was surrounded by the love and care of his parents.

When the city began to be shelled, Anastasia and her son left for a safer city. On April 14, on the eve of Easter, Nastya's wife and son came home to see Sergei.

Before the shelling began, the wife went to the store to buy groceries. One of the rockets flew right into the family's apartment. Killing Sergei and the little boy Maxim.

[ohsalome]

In April 2014, during a hot phase of the war, the Kyiv International Sociology Institute surveyed the public opinion among the citizens of the eastern regions of Ukraine. The results showed chaos in their heads and a rise in anti-Ukrainian sentiments, but still, the majority was pro remaining within Ukraine. The situation was objectively difficult, but not hopeless.

According to the results of the survey, 70% of citizens of Donbas considered the temporary government of Yatsenyuk and Turchynov illegitimate, but also 60% considered Yanukovych to be illegitimate. 65% considered Maydan to be a western coup, 45% believed that Yanukovych should have used violence against the rioters, and 35% were against this scenario.

43% blamed Yanukovych and his party for the murders of the protesters, and 48% blamed the opposition. 55% believed the police had no right to use violence against the protestors. Here is a paradox: 60% believed that Pravy Sektor was a "myth" and a "marginal group" that had no real power and should be demilitarized, but approximately the same amount of people believed that Pravy Sektor controls the government.

All those statements are so contradictory their co-existence can only be explained by the influence of russian propaganda.

Besides, nowhere in the regions could you find aggressive anti-Ukrainians beliefs. Only 10-15% supported the seizure of administrative buildings, and about the same percentage of people were neutral on this. But 72% in the Donetsk region and 59% in the Lugansk region disapproved of it. About half of the people believed it to be inexcusable, and about a third justified it by the precedents in other Ukrainian regions. A quarter believed it to be "the last chance to be heard by the central government".

What were these people afraid of?

Most of all people were afraid of the economy crashing (43%), breaking economical contact with russia (36%), and the rise of criminal activity (50% in the Donetsk region and 30% in the Lugansk region). Other worries - loss of pensions, nationalism and radicalism, and potential civil war worried about 27-29% each. The risk of civil war specifically worried about 40% of people in the Donetsk region. It should be noted that NATO membership, loss of russian TV, singular official language and potential visa regime with russia concerned almost nobody - only 7-10% of citizens noted these topics among the list of their worries.

The sociologists also asked directly about the separation of the eastern regions and their union with russia. Around 30% were fully or partially supportive of the idea, while the majority - over 50% - wanted to remain in Ukraine. Among 10% wanted russia to send their troops. In the middle of an active war with russia, 55% believed that there is no war and about the same percentage expected a civil war to come.

Practically no one was eager to fight either. 55% were ready to pick up arms only for self-defence, and 30% were against any fighting in any circumstances. Only 6% were willing to go to war with the "Kyiv junta". About 20% expected military help from russia, and 55% were against it.

This research was done in April, just after the takeover of the SBU building in Lugansk and Igor Girkin's russian mercenaries appearing in Slovyansk. By the end of the month they cut off Ukrainian tv, and the only information remaining for the people was russian propaganda. The main sources of info for the majority of the population were russian social networks "Odnoklassniki" and "VKontakte" (controlled by the FSB - transl. note), and russsian state TV.

The research done by the KISI is probably the most reliable we will ever have. Even if you consider the potential percentage of people who might have been afraid to talk about separatism honestly, there still is no ground for talks about the "overwhelming separatism of the Donbas region". Even the leaders of the separatists themselves would later admit it, accusing them of being too passive, not loving russia enough and not supporting the militia. 

// Denys Kazansky, Marina Vorotnytseva. "How Ukraine was losing Donbas"

[leshik-art]

His name is Leshik, 20 years old, he/him, The forest spirit of Slovyansk falklor, gay, teaser and a little selfish. Have a good time of day, wanderer~✨

OC in Underdale, like.. yes, as usual, the stuff came out...

[anastasiamaru]

Vitaly Antonenko-Kyrkach, R.I.P. Hero, freedom fighter from Slovyansk. He died on Nov. 9 near Svatov. His wife is also activist. She is currently expecting a child. The young woman was left a widow because of ruzzian genocide, and the unborn child is already an orphan

Give us the Weapon to stop russian bastards

[pretordh]

The number of people killed in Slovyansk as a result of rocket fire by Russia has increased to 11 people

Two more bodies of the dead were recovered from the rubble of the five-story building, Veronika Bakhal, spokeswoman for the State Emergency Service in the Donetsk region, said.

[argumate]

The overall pace of Russian operations in Ukraine appears to have decreased compared to previous weeks. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Joint Press Center of the Tavriisk Defense Forces, Colonel Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi, stated on March 15 that Russian offensive actions have decreased significantly over the last week and noted that daily Russian ground attacks have decreased from 90 to 100 attacks per day to 20 to 29 per day. Dmytrashkivskyi reported that Russian forces have somewhat lost offensive potential due to significant manpower and equipment losses. Dmytrashkivskyi’s statements are consistent with ISW’s general observation regarding the pace of Russian operations along the entire frontline in Ukraine. The Russian offensive operation in Luhansk Oblast is likely nearing culmination, if it has not already culminated, although Russia has committed most elements of at least three divisions to the Svatove-Kreminna line. Russian forces have made only minimal tactical gains along the entire Luhansk Oblast frontline over the last week, and Ukrainian forces have likely recently managed to conduct counterattacks and regain territory in Luhansk Oblast.

The overall Wagner Group offensive on Bakhmut additionally appears to be nearing culmination. Ukrainian military sources have noted a markedly decreased number of attacks in and around Bakhmut, particularly over the last few days. Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin has recently emphasized the toll that a reported lack of ammunition is having on Wagner’s ability to pursue offensives on Bakhmut and stated on March 15 that due to ammunition shortages and heavy fighting, Wagner has had to expand its encirclement of Bakhmut. Prigozhin notably claimed that Wagner captured Zalizianske, a tiny rural settlement 9km northwest of Bakhmut on the east side of the E40 Bakhmut-Slovyansk highway, which indicates that Wagner forces are likely conducting opportunistic localized attacks on settlements further north of Bakhmut that are small and relatively easier to seize. Recent Wagner gains north of Bakhmut suggest that manpower, artillery, and equipment losses in fights for Bakhmut will likely constrain Wagner’s ability to complete a close encirclement of Bakhmut or gain substantial territory in battles for urban areas. The capture of Zalizianske and other similarly small towns north of Bakhmut and east of the E40 highway is extremely unlikely to enhance Wagner’s ability to capture Bakhmut itself or make other operationally significant gains. It therefore is likely that Wagner’s offensive on Bakhmut is increasingly nearing culmination. Russian forces would likely have to commit significant reserves to prevent this culmination. They may be able to do so, as ISW has observed elements of Russian airborne regiments in and around Bakhmut that do not seem to be heavily committed to the fighting at the moment. The Russians might also commit elements of other conventional units, including possibly the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division, or units drawn from elsewhere in the theater. But it seems that the Wagner offensive itself will not be sufficient to seize Bakhmut. Russian forces are not pursuing active or successful offensive operations elsewhere in theater, and as the pace of operations slows along critical sectors of the front, Ukrainian forces likely have an increased opportunity to regain the initiative.

[partisan-by-default]

In February 2014, Russia sent its troops to occupy Ukraine’s Crimea but never admitted that its armed forces also entered eastern Ukraine in the same year. Amnesty International’s published evidence from 2014, including examination of satellite images and eyewitness accounts, affirmed that it did, which now makes this a decade-long international armed conflict.

People suffered the effects of war and human rights violations throughout Ukraine but most of all in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, on either side of the front line. Between 2014 and 2021, more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians were killed or injured, with many violations of the laws of war reported in the first year of fighting.

Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced from eastern Ukraine after Russia-backed armed groups proclaimed as “People’s Republics” in Donetsk and Luhansk.  But many people stayed.

“In Donetsk I had a place to live, a job to provide food and my parents to support me and the baby. It was very difficult to watch what was happening with my home…But in 2022, when the pressure to get a Russian passport and interference with the school became too much, I decided it was time to go,” said Olha* from Donetsk.

From the moment that Russian-backed armed groups seized control, Donetsk and Luhansk regions were plagued by abduction, torture and, in many instances, the killing of civilians. Residents of Slovyansk told Amnesty International that, in 2014, an armed group abducted a local pastor, two of his sons and two churchgoers, and requested 50,000 US dollars in ransom. By the time the local community collected the money, the five captives had been killed.

Such atrocities were accompanied by the brutal silencing of any dissent, which targeted media workers, academics, human rights and other activists.

[kamogryadeshi]

the Russian invaders hit the center of Slovyansk. The dormitory building was destroyed. According to preliminary information, two people are under the rubble. Emergency and rescue operations are ongoing at the site - the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Photo: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine