Ukrainians Near Bakhmut Endure Near-Constant Shelling

Locals in Chasiv yard near Bahmud see shelling every day. It is one of Ukraine's most dangerous areas. My name is Roman and I currently live in the basement. The conditions are tough. The whole city has been damaged. There is non-stop shelling in the morning and in the evening. It's quiet for a few hours and then it starts again.

So we stay safe here. It's a very difficult situation. Roman Bartko's family is one of six, many with children, living in this basement after their homes were rendered unlivable. Despite the constant threat to his family's safety, they decided to stay. We discussed it a lot. My wife is head of the Apartment Building Co-Owners Association. She is responsible for people's homes.

Some still live there and she does what she can to help. So for now we are here. And while the situation is tough for adults, Bartko says children have the hardest time. Kids want to go outside, to run, to go for a walk. It's difficult to explain to them. It's dangerous because shelling can start anytime. We have 30-40 minutes window in the morning though.

When we take them out to get some air. Serhiy Chaus, the head of the local military administration, says bombs fall in densely populated areas. No one can explain why they do it. There are no military objects here. It's just apartment buildings and a playground. You see? Over there. Schools and hospitals also get shelled, Chaus says.

This kindergarten was shelled twice in late January. The town is living through a humanitarian crisis. Grocery stores are closed, as are pharmacies. There's only one doctor left in the town who continues to see patients. There was a store here. It got hit and the owner couldn't open the door. One bomb hit the church.

At least three stores closed. We'll be leaving. There is no other way. Liliya Kravchenko has a small stall at a local market. But after yet another shelling barrage, she decided it was time to leave. Bakhmut, a focal point of the war, is just a 20-minute drive away. The supply route for Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the city runs through Chasevyar, something that worries local residents who fear Russian forces will attempt to seize their town.

For Yaroslavlomov channel in Chasevyar, Ukraine, NRIs, RiliNews.

Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Russian invasion of Ukraine