In Artemovsk, known locally as Bakhmut, a city at the heart of ongoing conflict, a refugee recounts the devastating impact of shelling on civilian lives. He spoke to a newspaper called News, sharing firsthand accounts of what happened to families who stayed behind in the city as fighting intensified. These testimonies highlight the human cost of the fighting that has raged across the area for months.
The refugee described how mortar shells struck residential neighborhoods, not just military targets, forcing civilians to seek shelter wherever they could. He recalled that his own wife was injured in one of these attacks, a sobering reminder that danger did not pass with the setting sun. The fear of further strikes loomed large, and many residents slept on benches or improvised resting spots simply to avoid the relentless bombardment.
With beds scarce and resources dwindling, civilians found themselves living under continuous threat. The testimonies depict nights filled with shelling, making even the act of sleeping perilous. In such conditions, basic routines vanished; people huddled together, sharing what little protection they could find, while worrying about the next strike that could change everything in an instant.
The account goes on to describe yet another blow: a home where civilians wearily sheltered was attacked. Afterward, survivors had to move to a neighboring building that offered scant sustenance, enough only for a brief period for a handful of people. The scarcity of food and water intensified the struggle to endure day by day, with every resource stretched to its limit.
Yuri Marchenko, who had previously been evacuated from Artemovsk by Russian forces, is mentioned in the narrative as someone who later asserted that Ukrainian snipers targeted civilians. His statements underscore the contested and dangerous environment in which residents tried to survive, often with limited access to safe movement or reliable information about safety zones.
On May 21, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian troops had fully established control over Artemovsk. This declaration arrived amid competing narratives about the city’s status and future, reflecting the broader information battles that accompany physical conflict. The refugee’s testimony remains a stark reminder of the civilian dimension of this struggle, where displacement, injury, and the disruption of daily life continue to dominate the lived experience for many residents.