“Believe in miracles and they will surely come true!” Under this heading, on December 15, 2021, the local authorities of Volnovakha shared on their website the good news about how little Bohdan’s wish had come true – he had found a new family.
After two months there will be no one left who will believe in miracles in this town of Donetsk region. As in 2014, the hot breath of war will sweep through its streets. Then the fighters of the 51st Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not allow the enemy to invade. Today, the invaders are back, and they have brought with them death and destruction.
In early March, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, speaking at the UN, said that the town of Volnovakha in Donetsk region had been almost completely destroyed by shelling, and its remaining residents were hiding in basements.
It is difficult to say who remained in it today. Fleeing from the shells, the townspeople have dispersed in all directions. Now the big question is whether they will return home. They have nowhere to return to. We decided to create a document of the era. That’s why we gave the floor to local journalists who, unlike the capital’s TV reporters, are able to add a natural documentary effect to the story – to convey the truth in their own words.
The joint project of Ukraine Crisis Media Center and the Estonian Center for International Development with the financial assistance of the European Union
