2023: Year in Review: Situation in Donetsk is growing increasingly dangerous
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Dmitriy Maslak was at the center of Donetsk. He shows us what it's like in one of the most dangerous regions in the world. 

DMITRIY MASLAK Donetsk, Donbass "In the center of Donetsk right now it would be strange to wear a protective vest or headgear, because all the locals and even the military here go without. But that does not mean a year later, the situation has become calm. We came back to Donbass again to check situation since yesterday. And we've heard loud artillery shots on the edge of Donetsk. Because of the fighting in Avdeevka, local residents tell us the situation, is growing increasingly dangerous again. We also visited the Kievskiy district in Donetsk, where the situation is usually most difficult. We did our reporting several months ago, and this place is close to the cities of Avdeevka and Maryinka, about 5 kilometers from Donetsk, where the main frontline is now.

This is a Vzletnaya street, on the northwestern border of Donetsk. near the destroyed international airport. We worked here in the spring, I mean 2022. This is still a shelled area of Donetsk. I need say, that on that day more than one year ago we met after the shelling only few people here. Today this street is completely empty of people. The fighting destroyed all life here.

Important detail. The weather in Donetsk has a strong influence on the situation. When we started working, the heavy rain, which influences the use of attack drones and the work of artillery troops, had just stopped. We realized a Russian tank was near us travelling at high speed, and we heard a drone in the sky along with the sound of explosions. We were forced to leave the area near Donetsk airport.

Every minutes we listen here, how is working artillery and shooting or fighting or something like that. May be around one, not one, 3 or 4 may be 5 km from here.

When we were returning to the center of Donetsk, we asked our local driver, who delivers humanitarian aid to the front-lines and has lived in Donetsk all his life, what he thinks now? Are people in Donetsk tired of waiting for peace between Kiev and Moscow?"

SERGEY YAKUNIN Donetsk Resident "Yes, everyone is tired of waiting. To everyone it's a pain in the neck. It will be 10 years next year. 10 years of shelling, 10 years of conflict. Everyone is tired! And the children who grow up here. She was 7 years old when the conflict started, now she's 17 and she's lived through conflict for 10 years. What kind of childhood is that? None."

"KALINA" Commissioned Officer, Russian Armed Forces "The people are tired, of course. In Donetsk, people already want a peaceful life. Everyone always wanted peace, as I understand it, but this is the time, nobody from politics wants peace. But ordinary people always wanted peace, no one wanted war. Everyone is waiting, everyone is hoping that it will come, sooner or later."

As a result, the situation in Donetsk right now, when the world begins to celebrate Christmas and welcome the new year, is growing increasingly dangerous. And this is just confirmation that in 2024, everyone needs peace. 

Dmitriy Maslak, Egor Kuznetsov, CGTN, from Donetsk. 

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