Donbas areas under fire as war nears six-month mark
STORY: It’s a day of clean-up for Bakhmut residents, in the Donetsk region.
Shelling started early Sunday morning, according to 72-year-old Valentyna, hitting her roof and damaging her apartment.
Still, what’s even scarier, she says – is silence.
"It's scary. We thought we already got used to everything. You know, when they don't shell us we're even more scared, because when they shell we think "Ok, they're shelling us." But when they don't shoot, it's like the calm before the storm and we wait for something to happen any moment. That's how we're living now."
Bakhmut is west of Luhansk, which Russia said it fully captured last month amid what it calls a special military operation.
Ukraine’s military said Russian forces carried out offensive operations towards Bakhmut over the weekend.
It comes as the six-month milestone is approaching in a war that has flattened towns and cities, killed thousands and force millions to flee.
Ukrainian officials also reported Russian strikes on targets in the east and south of the country:
Including across the river from Europe’s biggest nuclear plant, Zaporizhzhia, which has been held by Russian forces since March...
And overnight missile attacks in the Odesa region, home to Black Sea ports critical to a U.N.-brokered plan to help with agricultural exports.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the battlefield reports.
Back in Bakhmut, field doctor Vadym said he believes Russia has the advantage.
"The situation at the moment is stable and difficult at the same time. Our boys (Ukrainian soldiers) hold up well, however, we feel and see that the other side (Russian army) maintains an advantage in artillery systems. That's why we have unfortunate losses. They're unfortunate because we could avoid them if we could give an adequate response (with artillery)."
Wednesday also marks the anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from Soviet rule.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for vigilance ahead of the day, saying Moscow could try "something particularly ugly."
