‘My legs gave out and I cannot go outside’

At first, there was nothing so much terrible. We heard some shelling somewhere while it was calm and quiet at our place. And then it suddenly started. When the first heavy shelling happened, many houses were damaged and many people suffered. Newspapers wrote how many people [suffered] and their surnames were listed. An old couple lived on the lower street, Shkilna Street. A shell hit right into their house and everything was smashed there. They are in the hospital in Svitlodarsk. They were allowed [to stay] until the end of spring because they have nowhere to return.

Back then, it took us quite a while to come to senses. There was no house left basically, we could not enter it as everything was smashed. You would just sit in the veranda. It was good though that at least the kitchen remained intact. At least we had gas supply and the gas pipe was not damaged. There was a flare burning at the end of the street. Gas fitters came. And there was no electricity for a long time. It is good that we at least had gas supply, and could boil water for tea, and could cook some food.

Our neighbours’ housing was damaged too, and an old lady’s apartment number one was partly damaged too. However, our housing and one more apartment were hit the most. Because the shell hit the foundation. If there were no medicines at home, if there was no Corvalol [drug], I would most likely be dead. My teeth were nearly popping out, my hands were shaking. It was mere horror. God forbid that! I can’t imagine how people lived in Debaltseve, I don’t know.

My legs just gave out. I never went outside during the winter. And now I have just come out to the doorstep. My legs hurt badly. My arms, my joints all hurt. I constantly have heartache.

It is cold. It is dark and cold. I am staying under the blanket all the time. When I am cooking it is alright because there is gas there. Otherwise, I sit down and cover myself with a blanket and that’s it. At night, I am also under two blankets.

We never thought that we would live to see this. Not only us, many people suffered and houses were destroyed. We had a kindergarten nearby, so it was also completely destroyed... The whole roof was swept away. On the second day, however, they began to repair it. Everything was done thoroughly there.

For us it is good at least to have the windows intact. We are no longer able to do anything. Either physically or materially.

Well, it’s all okay. If only this war could end soon.