The Russian army continues to destroy the civil infrastructure of the Donetsk region

Communications in Avdiivka are 100% destroyed, but people refuse to leave

Avdiyivka continues to be under constant Russian shelling. At the same time, there remains a certain percentage of people in the settlement who refuse to leave – they are usually pensioners, people who do not want or are afraid to spend money.

The situation in Avdiivka will continue to be critical. Officially, 1,750 people remain in the city. The police and representatives of the city’s military administration do not even try to ask the people who remain in the settlement why they did not evacuate.

At first, these residents said “we survived 2014-2015, so we will survive this too.” Another version is “there is no place and no reason”. Thus, people find newer and newer excuses why they don’t go, says the head of the Avdiivska city military administration, Vitaliy Barabash. In particular, some say directly that they don’t see the point of going and spending money on moving, renting an apartment, and groceries. Instead, humanitarian aid, medicine and food are brought to Avdiivka. If it gets bad, you will be taken to the hospital. According to Barabash, the fear that will fly in gradually fades away.

“It is easier for me to be in the city than to leave the city or drive in. That is, the road is much scarier than being in the city. Yes, of course, missile strikes, air missile strikes “make up” everything. There are rare cases when people remain under rubble and we cannot get them out. Of course, these are people who died. Nevertheless, this does not scare people. Probably 60% of the people who stay in the city are elderly people, and it is difficult for them to make the decision that they just need to change their place of residence,” comments Barabash.

Pensioners explain that they don’t want to go, because their parents and relatives are buried in the city, they “earned” square meters here. In particular, in Avdiivka there is a certain percentage of residents who are waiting for the arrival of the Russians. Another part of those who remain are residents who are involved in the work of critical infrastructure – utility workers, police, doctors, military administration, volunteers.

The head of the city’s military administration explains that the police, who are on duty in the city, are here on a rotational basis, that is, they enter and then leave the settlement, in particular, utility workers and doctors are constantly in Avdiivka.

“Communications in the city are 100% destroyed. These are power grids, water supply, and sewage park. Everything was completely destroyed – gas supply, heat supply… Not a single surviving building has been there for a long time, 8 months, maybe even more.”

As of the morning of May 23, Avdiivka withstood 15 Russian attacks, including 5 airstrikes. Two civilians were injured, the hospital was damaged.

In the morning, Russian troops attacked the city of Toretsk in the Donetsk region. As a result of shelling, with the use of aerial bombs, the school in which the Point of Invincibility is located, the annex to the temple and high-rise buildings within a radius of 100 meters from the epicenter were damaged. This was reported by the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko: “This morning, the Russians struck Toretsk — fortunately, there were no casualties.

The school in which the Point of Invincibility is located, the annex to the temple and high-rise buildings within a radius of 100 meters from the epicenter were damaged.

As Kirylenko noted, the Russians used aerial bombs. Rescuers and police are currently working at the scene of the crash.

On May 22, the Russian military killed one resident of the Donetsk region and wounded five others. This was announced by the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko.