Donetsk has been under occupation for 10 long years. In 2012, in the series of ratings "The best cities for life in Ukraine," the first place was taken by the city of Donetsk, then it overtook the capital - Kyiv. In 2014, the "Russian piece" came there, which according to Kreml authorities made life better. So what got better?
Living conditions
Water on schedule
For 10 years in different parts of Donetsk there are regular problems with water supply. At the same time, the occupation "authorities" and utilities regularly create the presense of work and report on "repairs." At the same time people's discontent is growing.
For example, experts of the so-called State Unitary Enterprise "Water of Donbass" report that over the 2023 year they replaced almost 40 thousand meters of water supply networks in Donetsk oblast.
Regular publications appear about the schedule of water supply in Donetsk itself and other settlements nearby:
But according to local people water is supplied even less often than indicated in the graphs, they are not observed:
Here is the footage, that was filmed on January 17th from the occupation resource. On the frame, a resident of Tekstylshchyk (a large microdistrict located in the south-west of Donetsk as part of the Kirovskyi district) drowns snow.
The same post reports that some people in the area have been living without water for two years.
Winter for Donetsk residents is one of the most favorite times of the year precisely because of the large amount of precipitation. Drowning snow in the occupation is already quite commonplace.
"I'm picking up snow because we haven't had water for a week now. In the 21st century, "a resident of Donetsk tries to reach the occupation authorities.
"If we enjoy the snow, which falls out of us not so often, then there people wait for it to stock up, to collect as much as possible, then to use in the form of water. Yes, yes, they melt it and then cook food on this water and drink this water, "comments a Russian volunteer who returned from Donetsk.
Heating
Lack of water is not the only problem. Locals often complain about the lack of light or heating.
"Help, please! A worker from Tekstylshchyk districr, Zharikova street, we are without light and heating for the fourth day, in apartments already less than 10 degrees. PEOPLE live here too! The kids are freezing! Everyone forgot about us! " - is written in the local public and is published a photo of an improvised stove.
In social networks, with the onset of cold weather, residents of Donetsk launched a flash mob - they publish a photo of a thermometer, which shows the air temperature in their apartments:
Russians are used to shifting all problems to others, so the AFU is to blame for all the troubles. Allegedly, due to constant shelling, utilities do not have time to eliminate the consequences. Although it is no secret for the Donetsk residents themselves that there are known cases, which were later confirmed by experts, of shelling of peaceful objects of Donetsk by Russian troops.
So, one of the last bloody shelling of Merkurii market in Donetsk on January 21, local residents in the chat call "self-shooting".
Donetsk residents suppose that such a "punishment" could be inflicted due to their indignation in social networks by the lack of communications in the Tekstylshchyk area (this particular area was shelled):
"Recently, the textile worker complained that there was no water and bombed them as usual in the back. Because ukrops doesn't shoot markets. They shoot at the bases of burnt gas and at Pantsir factories. The markets is a self-shelling. Punished for daring to be outraged by the lack of heat and water. "
The Armed Forces of Ukraine commented on the accusations of Russians regarding the shelling and assured that the Ukrainian military were not involved in the strike: Ukraine: Former USSR: Lenta.ru
"The Russians are spreading information about the impact on the market in Donetsk. We responsibly declare that the forces subordinate to the Tavria OSUV, in this case, did not conduct combat work with weapons. Donetsk is Ukraine! Russia will have to answer for dead lives of Ukrainians. "
Ukrainian Volunteer Army spokesman Serhii Bratchuk suggested that the Russians fired at the market in Donetsk from their positions at the Red Guard mines.
Where are the people?
Local residents after the start of the so-called "SVO" noticed that in the mines and in various communal enterprises of Donetsk oblast there were not enough workers, in particular men. The reason for this is simple - the majority mobilized for war. Currently, under the conditions of occupation, it is impossible to rely on statistical data on the population census, the number of people in Donetsk and the region is unknown. That problem has become so acute that mine directors can no longer remain silent. Director of the mine "Gorniak-95" Alexander Bikadorov said:
"Everyone is missing: passers-by, electrical fitters etc. There's a third of the state on the new precinct so far. We are planning to attract people with a progressive pay system. When performing plan-one salary, overfilling - another. "
In the comments, locals say that in addition to mobilization, there is another reason - the delay in wages:
"And as they wanted, they don't pay a lot, they took many to the East! Work yourself then, throw a handout, and think miners will be satisfied! "And not tried to appreciate the miners as before?!?! Not only did they take most of it to war ((half cripples, half perished. So you also detain the ZP... And the men of the family need to feed!!!! You still have the audacity to tell and write that everything is beautiful everywhere!!!!, " writes Alina.
The so-called "vice-speaker of the DPR parliament" Oleksii Dorofeev said on January 28 that there was a shortage of drivers and transport maintenance specialists in the occupied Donetsk region:
"It is connected with fighting, with the flow of people from the region. Finding a qualified professional now is a huge problem. It concerns not only the transport sector, but also other industries. "
In fact, the occupation "authorities" openly say that there are not enough people in Donetsk. And before the "liberation" almost a million people lived in the city (as of December 1, 2014, there were 953,782 people). At the same time, Donetsk was one of the five largest cities in Ukraine.
"Drowning in garbage"
Another problem that appeared after the occupation is garbage. It should be noted here that this is a problem not only of Donetsk, but also of the entire occupied Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. Social networks are full of such posts:
"Garbage is not transported: Donetsk, Proletarskyi district, Matekina str. "
"Hello, please publish. Street Nizhnekurhanskaya 13, 15 Budenovsky district of Donetsk is full of garbage. Soon the tanks will not be visible. "
"Garbage dump in the village of Yuzhelektrosetstroy in the Budennovsky district of Donetsk".
In addition to all this, Russia forces the Donetsk people to adapt to different conditions, so they have to come up with various life hacks for survival. Here are a few of them.
How to wash things without water:
When there is no water:
Or heating:
Is this the same improvement that Russia was talking about? It's up to you.
