Located a dozen kilometers from the front line, in the Donetsk oblast, the village of Predtechyne has been caught in the crossfire since the Ukrainian counter-offensive last summer. Most of its inhabitants have left, but around twenty villagers refuse to leave their homes.
The village of Predtechyne, near the town of Bakhmout, paid a heavy price in the war. Most of its residents have been evacuated to safer areas. Oleksandr is one of 20 villagers, out of 150, who decided to stay, despite the war and difficult living conditions.
His house was heavily affected by the bombings.
“Thank goodness I wasn’t home at the time. Otherwise I would be dead“.
Oleksandr’s wife took refuge in a neighboring town. But he stayed. Outside we meet one of the soldiers operating in the area. He does not wish to be identified.
“It’s difficult. The fighting continues. They are trying to take Avdiivka. They are coming, they are coming! War is the hardest job in this life. I will continue my fight to serve the motherland”, declares the soldier.
Whatever the risks, Oleksandr is confident that Ukrainian soldiers will protect him.
“I think we will win and rebuild. So that everything is as before”, he explains.
“This is my land. This is my father’s land. The land of my grandfather and my great-grandfather. Why should I go anywhere else?“, he continues.
Even if the few people who decided to stay in the villages close to the front line have confidence in their army, the situation remains tense. And the Ukrainian military is preparing for any attempt by the Russians to gain this territory.