A steady Russian advance in Ukraine’s Donetsk region has driven civilians from frontline towns and left others living under persistent threat, with one former industrial heartland increasingly reduced to rubble and uncertainty.
In Kostiantynivka, once home to about 67,000 people, there is no reliable supply of electricity, water or gas, residents and local officials say. The city has been battered by intensified shelling and frequent drone activity that residents describe as swarms, prompting the last remaining civilians to flee as Russian forces press deeper into the region. By contrast, Kramatorsk, roughly 25 kilometers to the north and once home to about 147,000 people, still shows signs of everyday life — restaurants and cafes remain open and some streets are largely intact — but the city is dominated by the military and subject to strict curfews and repeated strikes.
Civilians who fled Kostiantynivka described watching buildings collapse in moments and listening to the constant whistle of incoming shells. Natalia Ivanova, in her 70s, said she left in early September after a missile struck near her home. "They was always shooting," she said. One of her two apartments was destroyed and the other severely damaged; she said a blast bent her windows so they could not be shut and she left her life behind. Sitting at an evacuation hub, Ivanova appealed to world leaders: "Please, stop it. It’s the poorest people who suffer the most. This war is senseless and stupid. We’re dying like animals — by the dozens."
Other residents described a slow collapse of community services and livelihoods. Olena Voronkova left Kostiantynivka in May after she could no longer run her beauty salon and cafe because of the fighting. She relocated to Kramatorsk and reopened a cafe there, outfitted with mirrors and décor she salvaged from her damaged salon. "At first there was hope that maybe some homes would survive — that people might go back," she said. "Now we see it’s unlikely anyone has anything left. The city is turning into another Bakhmut, Toretsk or Avdiivka. Everything is being destroyed."
Kramatorsk has been repeatedly struck because of its proximity to the front line, which lies about 21 kilometers to the east. Military checkpoints and curfews have reshaped daily life; a curfew that begins at 9 p.m. has left central squares deserted at hours when they were once bustling. Eighteen-year-old Daria Horlova, who studies remotely at a university relocated to another region, said frequent strikes and the sound of aircraft and missiles have drained residents' emotional reserves. "You want to cry, but there are no emotions left. No strength," she said.
The attrition in Donetsk follows a string of hard-fought battles in the region over recent years. Cities and towns including Bakhmut and Avdiivka have seen sustained combat and heavy destruction. Local residents and officials warn that if the conflict continues to grind on, more urban areas in the region could face similar devastation and prolonged displacement. Many towns along the line now sit on shrinking patches of Ukrainian-held territory, with some nearly encircled by Russian-controlled areas.
Remote-controlled drones and other unmanned systems have become a constant feature of the battlefield, residents say, used in surveillance and strike roles and contributing to a climate of fear. Repeated evacuation orders, curfews limiting movement to a few hours a day at times, and the deterioration of basic services have left large numbers of civilians uprooted or living with limited options. For those who remain, fear and uncertainty over the future are pervasive.
Some residents who have resettled nearby attempt to maintain routines and spaces for community support. Voronkova described her new cafe in Kramatorsk as a refuge for people who fled Kostiantynivka, a place where shared loss has created connections and mutual support. Still, she said, many people are unsure of where to go next and feel that Russia’s advances are not abating. "No one really knows where to go next. Everyone sees that Russia isn’t stopping. And that’s where the hopelessness begins," she said.
The human cost of the fighting is visible in damaged homes, empty streets and the stories of those who fled with little more than memories. Some residents speak of small acts aimed at preserving a sense of normalcy or of leaving a mark of the life they have known; Horlova, who works as a nail artist and hopes to open her own salon one day, said she asked her boyfriend to give her a tattoo that will serve as a remembrance of Kramatorsk if she has to leave.
Ukraine and Russian forces continue to contest territory in the Donetsk region, and analysts say control of population centers and transport routes remains central to both sides' military and political objectives. The intensification of strikes and the shrinking of Ukrainian-held pockets of territory have accelerated displacement and deepened doubts among residents about the possibilities of return and reconstruction.
Local officials, aid organizations and residents have called for increased humanitarian access and support for those displaced within the country and for civilians sheltering in areas exposed to strikes. The scale of damage in towns like Kostiantynivka complicates short-term recovery; many residents who have fled say their homes are damaged beyond repair and worry that whole neighborhoods may never be rebuilt if the conflict continues.
As front lines shift, those remaining in the Donetsk region confront an uncertain winter and the looming prospect of protracted displacement. For many, the immediate priority is safety and shelter; for others, it is the question of whether a once-familiar city can be restored. Vasilisa Stepanenko and Yehor Konovalov contributed to this report.