We first came to Bakhmut in late summer. Even then the city was shaking from the sounds of artillery, and, on some streets, you could see traces of air strikes.
However, fountains were working in the center. And on the next street you could eat delicious shawarma. Bakhmut and its residents did not want to submit to the war to the last. To accept its realities.
The situation is much worse now. Now Bakhmut is the hottest point of the front. Certain areas are completely destroyed. There are still bodies under the rubble of houses: they cannot be reached due to constant shelling.
At the same time, many people still stay in the city and try to live. A spontaneous market is working in the morning. The State Emergency Service is trying to extinguish fires. There is a hospital that receives the wounded almost every half hour.
There is no light, no water, no heat. And from a certain high point near the city, you can see in real time how the city is being shelled by artillery from the Russian positions. Just residential buildings and private sector. In real time, it is not figurative. We stood at this point for 15 minutes (it was dangerous to stay longer). During this time we saw 3 strikes.
The city is being destroyed every minute of every day. But people do not want to leave it.
A local woman at the market says that she would leave, but she sells medicine. People from all over the city come to her pharmacy. They beg her not to leave, because they will have nowhere to get the medicines from.
Everyone who stayed is in a similar position. Some have relatives in bed, some have responsibilities, and some are just afraid to leave, because their whole life has passed in the city.
And yes, there are those who “wait” and do not want to listen to anything or anyone. The language of facts is simply useless there.
