In Donbass, the Ukrainian election campaign is being observed without much interest, although with some concern. In any case, nothing good is expected from Kiev after the vote on March 31st, and they're not going to take part in the voting itself. Under either outcome, the aim is to build their own life. This is a priority, and then — according to the situation. The border is strong, and it's still encouraging.
Grigory Vdovin from Donbass.
Major checkpoint on the outskirts of Gorlovka. The queue of cars goes beyond the horizon. There is only a driver in each car; as a rule, he/she is not a retiree. Many are equipped with homemade stoves. This is a new reality on the border with Ukraine, the so-called pension tourism.
Ivan Prikhodko Head of administration of Gorlovka: “Every two months, the retiree must go to the territory controlled by Ukraine, stay there, stand in lines and get his poor, legally earned pension.”
People literally die in the queues. The last tragedy occurred recently. A retiree, born in 1956, died. Since the beginning of the year, that was the eighth case.
- Sometimes we wait for ten, eight, or six hours. Five hours have already passed without a break. My legs hurt. I was sitting in the car and they were swollen, so I hardly got out of the car. I walk for a bit and then get back in the car.
- And then you're back in 56 days?
- Yes.
Many do not want to talk — on the other side they can in fact remember. Elections in Ukraine in this queue are something completely abstract.
- We don't vote on this side. Pensions aren't delivered to our homes.
- Do you think that elections can change something?
- Elections... I can't even tell you.
The shelling does not stop. Here are quite fresh consequences that are fixed by representatives from the Joint Center for Coordination and Control. This is the long-suffering village of Zolotoye in the Lugansk Republic. The residents were left without electricity and gas.
Lyudmila Vinokurova, resident of the village: “They started shooting at half past nine. At about 11 o'clock they hit us. I heard the glass break. Such a strong explosion.”
Andrey Marochko, official chairman of LNR police: “Oh, an explosion! They are fully aware of the fact that rescue services work here. They also know that the Joint Center for Coordination and Control is here. We gave them this information and we requested silence mode. But you can hear how well it's observed. Now the resumption of emergency services is impossible since the shelling has resumed.”
Despite the tense situation, classes continue in schools. There is only about a kilometer to the front line. The children receive certificates for sporting achievements. First graders are studying the Russian alphabet, and learning the letters "Ч, "Ш", and "Щ".
- We had so-called trainings. The day of civil defense, yes, children? We hear a bell ring and we know that we must leave everything behind. And where do we go down to?
- To the basement.
The children study in two shifts. This is a school in the frontline village of Golmovsky. On the facade is a plaque with the name of a deceased graduate.
“They start with small arms, then they shift to heavier weaponry. ZU-23s, 82-BMs less often. Here you can see the consequences from ZU-23s.”
Eduard Basurin, Deputy Head of the DPR police: “At the moment when you were filming, there was a machine-gun burst inside the school. This is the reality of war. It goes on anyway. There's shelling, danger to the lives of people, in particular children. Whoever now comes to power in Ukraine, for us the most important thing is for those people to come to us for negotiations. We want to talk, we want peace.”
The surroundings of Alexandrovka. It's already Maryinka on the horizon, controlled by the APU. Here, the army is ready at any moment to respond to any provocations from that side. But more and more often it reminds, apparently, of the pre-election, completely incomprehensible theatrical performances.
Konstantin Kuzmin DPR serviceman: The enemy is 400 yards away. The explosions are 2,000 yards away. You can see this, it's clear. After that, the president came heroically. They repulsed the onslaught of enemies, did it like heroically. Defended Ukraine.
- On your territory.
- Yes, yes. It's not that we drink tea here. We look at it and it's just funny.
The times when the road to Kiev took several hours on a wide and comfortable highway have long been in the past. Will this road again be used again in its full capacity? It's difficult to even assume that, for now.
Grigory Vdovin, Alexander Botkin, Ruslan Abubikerov, Andrey Rudenko, Oled Bondarenko, VESTI, DPR.
