Bilozerske, Eastern Ukraine, September 13(HS): As the Russian army inches closer to Ukraine's front lines, civilians in eastern towns like Bilozerske are confronted with a stark dilemma: to abandon their homes or remain in the line of fire. The quaint mining town of Bilozerske, just 14 kilometers from active combat zones, bears deep scars from continuous Russian drone and missile attacks, leaving key infrastructure like hospitals and banks shuttered and its population diminished from 16,000 pre-war to roughly 700 residents.

Authorities estimate that 218,000 people in the Donetsk region, including 16,500 children, urgently require evacuation due to relentless assaults. The armored police known as the White Angels conduct risky evacuation missions using specially equipped vehicles to shield against drone strikes. However, many civilians—particularly the elderly—choose to stay, valuing their homes and familial bonds over safety, even as first-person-view (FPV) drones deliver lethal strikes and civilian casualties hit a three-year peak in July 2025.

In nearby towns such as Slovyansk, residents live under the persistent threat of “flying moped” Shahed drones. Families stay close to gravesites of fallen relatives, while others like Olha Zaiets and her husband have been forced to flee their homes amid intensified shelling, only to find precarious refuge elsewhere with little financial means or options.

The conflict’s toll is devastating: 1,674 civilians were killed or injured in July alone, with short-range drones responsible for an alarming increase in casualties. Authorities urge evacuation of vulnerable populations, but resources for resettlement remain scarce. As the war drags on, Ukrainians in frontline areas must make profound life-or-death choices in the shadow of daily bombardments and a relentless Russian offensive.

This grim reality underscores the human cost of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where the choice to stay or go is marked by uncertainty, grief, and resilience in the face of war .

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar