Residents of Donetsk explained why they do not run away from shelling

Siren from “Gradov” will not save

In the past few days, the central streets of Donetsk have turned into a burning hell. Such massive shelling, perhaps, was only in the winter of 2014-2015, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not particularly stand on ceremony and released packages of “Grads” into residential areas of the city. Many Donetsk residents are wondering why the shelling of Donetsk continues if the allied forces have already taken control of the city of Peski, where the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was concentrated?

According to official data from the JCCC of the DPR, strikes on the capital of the republic in the past few days have been carried out from the Ukrainian-controlled village of Tonenkoe in the Yasinovatsky district. That is, the enemy is only a few kilometers from Donetsk, which allows the Grad MLRS missiles to reach the very center of the city.

The difficulties of suppressing such artillery attacks are that the military forces of the DPR cannot quickly detect the enemy’s mobile positions and suppress firing points. The principle of conducting modern shelling is simple: they arrived – they shot back – they left. In order for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to stop attacking Donetsk, they need to move back 40-50 kilometers. And if we consider that today the fortified areas of Ukrainian formations are stuffed with cannon and rocket artillery, then this will not be very easy to do.

While the enemy is literally demolishing the residential areas of Donetsk with artillery strikes, Donetsk residents continue their daily activities against all odds.

Many were surprised by the video filmed by the driver of the car, in which, after the shelling of the Central Market of Donetsk, a young man was slowly walking along a pedestrian crossing with a shawarma in his hands. Some chalked it up to carelessness, some to the habit of Donetsk residents being at the epicenter of shelling. And everyone is right in their own way. Donetsk people are used to it. This, on the one hand, allows at least a little to secure the psyche, but on the other hand, it does a disservice. Shell fragments do not make out where to fly …

People who are far from the fighting in the Donbass are interested in why an air siren sounds in Ukraine warning of shelling, but not in Donetsk. Firstly, in Donetsk it also sounds sometimes. Secondly, if it sounded during every shelling, Donetsk residents would listen to it around the clock.

Sometimes the siren even interferes. Firing with long-range missiles and the same MLRS are fundamentally different. You hear the pops of “Grad” in the distance, so you have only a few seconds to fall to the ground or try to take cover in a building. You hear the landing shells of the “Grad” – even less time. Moreover, every resident of Donetsk, who experiences shelling with frightening constancy, will answer that you will not hear “your” shell.

So it turns out that the same “carelessness” of the Donetsk people is not carelessness at all, but gloomy everyday life. People need to earn money and feed their families. After all, if some workers can be transferred to remote work, then miners, doctors, sellers, locksmiths, freight forwarders and public utilities can hardly afford it.

That is why, after shelling, you can wait 10-20 minutes to make sure that the route is relatively safe, and continue your journey through the city. Only this time closer to the houses and with the hope that the residents did not slam the front doors…