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This close to the front, where the detonation of shells and outgoing mortars have now become an all-day event, most homes bear shrapnel scars.
But the deeper effects of this war are visible in the ruins of homes sold not for the plots of dangerous land that they sit on, but for the bricks and tiles that once constituted a home.
A house sells for just 2,000 hryvnia, or around $70. That’s because Slovyanskaya Street in New York, Ukraine — yes, that’s the name — is a few hundred meters from the line of control, and an easy target for a mortar bomb.
The checkpoint is just down the road. It marks the end of civilian life. Beyond it, Ukrainian government troops face off against Russian-backed rebels occupying the city of Horlivka, a little over a mile away.
After eight years of war, and on-off ceasefire, tensions are rising here again.
Many analysts, especially in the US, believe this may be a prelude to a bigger invasion that could involve 190,000 Russian troops, including rebels in eastern Ukraine — like those firing mortars from near Horlivka. President Joe Biden says that he now believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade.
During CNN’s visit this weekend, we heard at least eight explosions in just an hour. The people who live here treat the threat of invasion with a mix of anxiety and apathy.
We spot Liudmila Ponomarenko as she takes her daughter, Lilia, out for a walk.
“It’s normal for us now,” she says. “But it’s frightening.”
Lilia’s playground, across the road, sits amid the rubble of a house. It’s a sunny day, but Liudmila tells Lilia that the cracks and thuds in the distance are just thunder.
“She doesn’t understand,” says Liudmila. “But very soon she will understand, because she’s three. So…
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Source : cnn
