A nondescript road in eastern Ukraine has become the main artery for supplying Ukrainian units on the Donbas front. Traveling along this section is extremely dangerous, writes ARD.
The road passes through small remote villages, forested areas and open spaces: the 170-kilometer long road, dotted with numerous potholes, leads from Central Ukraine to Donbass. It is the only remaining route leading to the eastern front line near Kramatorsk, writes the German public broadcaster ARD in a report from eastern Ukraine.
“The road is in terrible condition”, assures Valery, who works at one of the few gas stations on this route. “In the summer, 60 kilometers were covered in an hour, now it takes three hours”, he adds.
Systematic air attacks
Heavy Ukrainian military vehicles have carved deep tracks in the asphalt - soldiers and cargo, howitzers and tanks are transported along this road. And Russian drones are constantly attacking them from the air.
“Drones are constantly exploding near us”, says Valery, whose gas station has miraculously survived so far. "It's like we're living on a powder keg," he adds.
In 2022, Valery fled Kharkiv after Russian troops approached the city. Now the young Ukrainian is preparing to flee again - he has to think about the safety of his family with a small child, the German publication explains.
In many places along the road, the Ukrainian military can be seen expanding the belt of fortifications: excavators are digging trenches for new defensive facilities. Over some sections of the road, nets are stretched, which are supposed to provide protection from drones. Their construction continues - every day, another 20 kilometers of the road are covered with protective nets.
In a village a few kilometers from the gas station, there is a small car repair shop. They mainly repair flat tires - a consequence of the poor condition of the road. Serhiy, who works at the service station, is not particularly happy about the many customers: “90 percent of them are military personnel who are here because of the war”, the man tells ARD.
Gloomy prospects
Due to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, many people fled the village, some later returned, Serhiy continues. He and his wife have stayed. But now the situation is different than in 2022, when the war began - it is much more dangerous now, the Ukrainian assures.
Serhiy is also considering leaving, but this thought is painful for him: “You have worked your whole life, and then you have to leave everything behind.”
He is no longer young - he is 56 years old and it will be difficult for him to start over. But if he loses his home, he will have no choice but to leave this place. "One moment you have everything, the next you have nothing," Serhiy said in the report by German public broadcaster ARD.