![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUkraine war: A front-line town torn between determination and despairPublished52 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage caption, Oleskandr Rogovitz now doubts that Ukraine can win the warBy Andrew HardingBBC News, Lyman, eastern UkraineNo one town can capture the mood of this huge, struggling nation, after almost two years of war.But perhaps Lyman comes close.This is a small, half-ruined railway town, first seized by Russia, then liberated, and now trapped, precariously, near the frontlines of the Donbas. Its civilian inhabitants seem torn between determination and despair. “Only peace matters now. I want peace. Only peace. On any terms,” said Oleksandr Rogovitz, a 74-year-old retired businessman, living alone in the icy ruins of a nine-storey apartment block on the edge of Lyman. When we first met Oleksandr and his eight cats exactly one year ago, hours after a powerful Russian missile had torn apart one side of his building, he shared the widespread belief that Ukraine could still win this war. “Now I’ve had time to think, and I have changed my mind. Too many people are dying,” he said last week, suggesting the time had come to trade land for peace with Russia.It’s not an opinion you hear too often in Ukraine, and may, perhaps, be rarely felt. But it does illustrate the impact that unending months of conflict appear to be having on a weary population.A few explosions, muffled by the forest and a fresh layer of snow, boomed across town from the direction of the front lines, still some 15km (nine miles) to the east, as Oleksandr, looking drawn and unwashed, shuffled away towards a dark stairwell.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Some Lyman residents still need to search for coal or wood to heat their damaged homesThe failure of Ukraine’s counter-offensive last year is clearly weighing heavily on many in Lyman. Too close to the front to qualify for major reconstruction funds from the central government, the town’s council is limited to paying pensions, trying to restore electricity, and sending work parties out to trim trees. The main bridge into town remains a bombed ruin.”Our youth are being exterminated. If this continues there will be no Ukraine left,” said Nadezhda Anatolievna, 80, as the sound of another distant explosion echoed, almost unnoticed, around the yard where she and other pensioners were queuing for food donations.”It seems to me this war will go on for a long time,” said Natalia Martynenko, 63, stamping her feet in the freezing cold.But the gloom is not shared by everyone here.Image caption, Anya (left) says she wants peace and calm, but is already accustomed to living in wartimeThe town, built in a forest clearing around a once important railway junction, which is now a scrawl of broken rails and cables, is still home to several hundred children, who now study online but often gather at a dozen small meeting points to get help with their homework and to visit friends.”I have everything I need. I don’t want anything else, except peace and calm,” said 14-year-old Anya, giggling with three friends at the back of a warm classroom. They all agreed they’d got used to this new way of life, which was now “normal”.When we visited a year ago, many people in Lyman were living in their cellars, having endured the Russian bombardment and occupation of Lyman, and its subsequent liberation by Ukrainian troops. Last week, on Railway Street, several members of the Dmytrenko family were still sleeping underground.
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BBCWe’re all tired, physically and mentally. But we’re waiting for victory… How can you negotiate with murderers?Irina DmytrenkoLyman resident”Our flat was destroyed. Where else can we go?” asked Mariia Dmytrenko, glancing away from a television attached to the cellar wall. But she welcomed the fact that more shops were open, electricity was now uninterrupted, and her daughter Irina, a railway accountant, had found a new job working for the council.”It’s slightly better than it was a year ago. Thank God there is public transport and other services. We’re all tired, physically and mentally. But we’re waiting for victory. I don’t think [negotiations] are possible after so many people have been killed. How can you negotiate with murderers?” said 42-year-old Irina, adding that she felt that any Russian sympathisers in Lyman had long since left town.The mayor of Lyman, Oleksandr Zhuravlov, recently moved his office to a new building, hoping to avoid being targeted by Russian missiles. He said he had no right to admit to being tired, or pessimistic, but did admit to being worried about news reports suggesting the US might stop sending arms to Ukraine.”We need to agree on an extension of military assistance, because, as you know, we are fighting a monster. A monster with plenty of oil and gas resources with which to buy weapons. For now, our military is holding on as best they can… but they lack weapons and ammunition and this is a big concern.”The town has plans in case another evacuation is required.But there are other pressing concerns, including the fact that not a single piece of farmland in the area has been cleared of mines.As we prepared to drive out of Lyman, a cluster of distant explosions rattled the few windows still in place on Railway Street.Just beyond the edge of town, trucks had pulled over in the snow to collect hundreds of pine logs, cut and trimmed by a team of workmen. We were told the logs would probably be used to help reinforce the defensive trenches that Ukraine is now building, as fast as it can, as it prepares to counter another Russian offensive that could well threaten Lyman and its remaining inhabitants once again.Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaUkraineMore on this storyFull cemeteries and empty homes: Ukrainians struggle to endurePublished4 days agoUkraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined townPublished3 days agoTop StoriesSpecial forces blocked elite Afghan troops from relocating to UKPublished1 hour agoIsrael sets deadline for ground offensive in RafahPublished6 hours agoMurder arrest after three young children found dead in BristolPublished8 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Schools phone ban’ and Kremlin ‘covering tracks’Who won what at the Bafta Awards – the full listWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutes. VideoWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutes’Hearing my children’s laughter is like torture’Africa’s ‘flying presidents’ under fire for foreign trips‘Without painkillers, we leave patients to scream for hours’The Oscar-winning film that captured Navalny’s life and future deathWhat should you do if a dog attacks?Conjoined twins given days to live are proving world wrongElsewhere on the BBC’You have to get it out of your system and say ‘cancer”Stephen Fry joins Amol and Nick to highlight the importance of talking about the diseaseAttributionSoundsWill this elite boarding school fit around them?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds…AttributioniPlayer’I fell and tried to keep running’John recalls the time he got injured whilst racing against someone in fancy dressAttributionSoundsFrom chewing sticks to rice-based toilet paper…What did people do before everyday items were invented?AttributionBitesizeMost Read1Special forces stopped Afghan troops settling in UK2The NHS hidden waiting lists terrifying patients3Right to roam countryside ‘closed off’ to walkers4Schools given new guidance on stopping phone use5’Schools phone ban’ and Kremlin ‘covering tracks’6Baftas 2024: A dog, tears and Murder on the Dancefloor7More than 60 shot dead in Papua New Guinea ambush8Murder arrest after three children found dead9Search for two-year-old boy who fell into river10Michael J Fox brings audience to tears at Baftas](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/12C10/production/_132661867_oleksandr_portrait.jpg)
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUkraine war: A front-line town torn between determination and despairPublished52 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage caption, Oleskandr Rogovitz now doubts that Ukraine can win the warBy Andrew HardingBBC News, Lyman, eastern UkraineNo one town can capture the mood of this huge, struggling nation, after almost two years of war.But perhaps Lyman comes close.This is a small, half-ruined railway town, first seized by Russia, then liberated, and now trapped, precariously, near the frontlines of the Donbas. Its civilian inhabitants seem torn between determination and despair. “Only peace matters now. I want peace. Only peace. On any terms,” said Oleksandr Rogovitz, a 74-year-old retired businessman, living alone in the icy ruins of a nine-storey apartment block on the edge of Lyman. When we first met Oleksandr and his eight cats exactly one year ago, hours after a powerful Russian missile had torn apart one side of his building, he shared the widespread belief that Ukraine could still win this war. “Now I’ve had time to think, and I have changed my mind. Too many people are dying,” he said last week, suggesting the time had come to trade land for peace with Russia.It’s not an opinion you hear too often in Ukraine, and may, perhaps, be rarely felt. But it does illustrate the impact that unending months of conflict appear to be having on a weary population.A few explosions, muffled by the forest and a fresh layer of snow, boomed across town from the direction of the front lines, still some 15km (nine miles) to the east, as Oleksandr, looking drawn and unwashed, shuffled away towards a dark stairwell.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Some Lyman residents still need to search for coal or wood to heat their damaged homesThe failure of Ukraine’s counter-offensive last year is clearly weighing heavily on many in Lyman. Too close to the front to qualify for major reconstruction funds from the central government, the town’s council is limited to paying pensions, trying to restore electricity, and sending work parties out to trim trees. The main bridge into town remains a bombed ruin.”Our youth are being exterminated. If this continues there will be no Ukraine left,” said Nadezhda Anatolievna, 80, as the sound of another distant explosion echoed, almost unnoticed, around the yard where she and other pensioners were queuing for food donations.”It seems to me this war will go on for a long time,” said Natalia Martynenko, 63, stamping her feet in the freezing cold.But the gloom is not shared by everyone here.Image caption, Anya (left) says she wants peace and calm, but is already accustomed to living in wartimeThe town, built in a forest clearing around a once important railway junction, which is now a scrawl of broken rails and cables, is still home to several hundred children, who now study online but often gather at a dozen small meeting points to get help with their homework and to visit friends.”I have everything I need. I don’t want anything else, except peace and calm,” said 14-year-old Anya, giggling with three friends at the back of a warm classroom. They all agreed they’d got used to this new way of life, which was now “normal”.When we visited a year ago, many people in Lyman were living in their cellars, having endured the Russian bombardment and occupation of Lyman, and its subsequent liberation by Ukrainian troops. 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font-weight: bold; } @font-face { font-family: ‘NotoSansEthiopic’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/NotoSansEthiopic-Regular.ttf) format(“truetype”); } @font-face { font-family: ‘NotoSansEthiopic’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/NotoSansEthiopic-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”); font-weight: bold; } @font-face { font-family: ‘Mallanna’; font-display: swap; src: url(https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/graphics/static/media/mallanna.ttf) format(“truetype”); } BBCWe’re all tired, physically and mentally. But we’re waiting for victory… How can you negotiate with murderers?Irina DmytrenkoLyman resident”Our flat was destroyed. Where else can we go?” asked Mariia Dmytrenko, glancing away from a television attached to the cellar wall. But she welcomed the fact that more shops were open, electricity was now uninterrupted, and her daughter Irina, a railway accountant, had found a new job working for the council.”It’s slightly better than it was a year ago. Thank God there is public transport and other services. We’re all tired, physically and mentally. But we’re waiting for victory. I don’t think [negotiations] are possible after so many people have been killed. How can you negotiate with murderers?” said 42-year-old Irina, adding that she felt that any Russian sympathisers in Lyman had long since left town.The mayor of Lyman, Oleksandr Zhuravlov, recently moved his office to a new building, hoping to avoid being targeted by Russian missiles. He said he had no right to admit to being tired, or pessimistic, but did admit to being worried about news reports suggesting the US might stop sending arms to Ukraine.”We need to agree on an extension of military assistance, because, as you know, we are fighting a monster. A monster with plenty of oil and gas resources with which to buy weapons. For now, our military is holding on as best they can… but they lack weapons and ammunition and this is a big concern.”The town has plans in case another evacuation is required.But there are other pressing concerns, including the fact that not a single piece of farmland in the area has been cleared of mines.As we prepared to drive out of Lyman, a cluster of distant explosions rattled the few windows still in place on Railway Street.Just beyond the edge of town, trucks had pulled over in the snow to collect hundreds of pine logs, cut and trimmed by a team of workmen. We were told the logs would probably be used to help reinforce the defensive trenches that Ukraine is now building, as fast as it can, as it prepares to counter another Russian offensive that could well threaten Lyman and its remaining inhabitants once again.Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaUkraineMore on this storyFull cemeteries and empty homes: Ukrainians struggle to endurePublished4 days agoUkraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined townPublished3 days agoTop StoriesSpecial forces blocked elite Afghan troops from relocating to UKPublished1 hour agoIsrael sets deadline for ground offensive in RafahPublished6 hours agoMurder arrest after three young children found dead in BristolPublished8 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Schools phone ban’ and Kremlin ‘covering tracks’Who won what at the Bafta Awards – the full listWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutes. 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[ad_1] In Lyman, eastern Ukraine, some want peace on any terms, while others still hope for victory.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaAvdiivka: Ukraine troops leaving embattled eastern townPublished20 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, RL/SERHII NUZHNENKO/ReutersImage caption, Avdiivka has been almost completely destroyed during months of fierce fightingBy Jaroslav LukivBBC NewsUkraine’s military says it is withdrawing its troops from Avdiivka – the key eastern town besieged by Russian forces.Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said he acted “to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of service personnel”.He added that the troops were being moved to “more favourable lines”.Avdiivka – a gateway to the Russian-seized city of Donetsk – has been engulfed in fierce fighting for months.The town – which has been almost completely destroyed – has been on the front line since 2014, when Russian-backed fighters seized large swathes of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.The fall of Avdiivka marks the biggest change on the more than 1,000km-long (620-mile) front line since Russian troops seized the nearby town of Bakhmut in May 2023.Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.Ukraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined town Nothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaIn a statement on Facebook early on Saturday, Gen Col Syrskyi said his decision was based on “the operational situation around Avdiivka”.”Our soldiers performed their military duty with dignity, did everything possible to destroy the best Russian military units, inflicted significant losses on the enemy in terms of manpower and equipment.”Gen Syrskyi – who was only appointed as the country’s top commander a few days ago – said Ukrainian troops were “taking measures to stabilise the situation and maintain our positions.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, “I will die here”: Evacuation “angels” help front-line town’s last residents fleeUS National Security Council spokesman John Kirby had earlier warned that Avdiivka was “at risk of falling into Russian control”.He said this was largely “because the Ukrainian forces on the ground are running out of artillery ammunition”.”Russia is sending wave after wave of conscript forces to attack Ukrainian positions,” he said. “And because Congress has yet to pass the supplemental bill, we have not been able to provide Ukraine with the artillery shells that they desperately need to disrupt these Russian assaults.”Earlier this week, the US Senate approved a $95bn (£75bn) foreign aid package – including $60bn for Ukraine – after months of political wrangling, but it faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives.Ukraine is critically dependent on weapons supplies from the US and other Western allies to keep fighting Russia – a much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned on Thursday that the US failure to approve continued military assistance to Ukraine was already having an impact on the battlefield.Russian troops have been making significant gains in Avdiivka recently, threatening to encircle it.Some Ukrainian soldiers privately admitted the town could fall at any moment.”We’re upset,” Ukrainian officer Oleksii, from Ukraine’s 110th Mechanised Brigade in the Avdiivka area, told the BBC earlier this week, standing beside a huge mobile artillery piece as Russian guns boomed in the distance.”Currently we have two shells, but we have no [explosive] charges for them… so we can’t fire them. As of now, we have run out of shells,” said Oleksii. Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaUkraineMore on this storyUkraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined townPublished1 day agoNothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaPublished30 JanuaryFull cemeteries and empty homes: Ukrainians struggle to endurePublished2 days agoThe Ukrainians ‘disappearing’ in Russia’s prisonsPublished7 days agoTop StoriesLive. ‘Putin is responsible’ – Biden speaks out after report of Navalny’s deathNavalny was often asked: ‘Do you fear for your life?’Published6 hours agoTrump ordered to pay $354m in New York fraud casePublished11 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Putin ‘must pay for Navalny’ and Harry reaches outAlexei Navalny: What we know about reports of his deathArrested and poisoned: See Navalny’s moments of defiance. VideoArrested and poisoned: See Navalny’s moments of defianceChris Mason: Tory gloom deepens after double poll blowTwo by-elections, two Labour wins… in two minutes. 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![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUkraine Russia war: US warns Avdiivka could fallPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, “I will die here”: Evacuation “angels” help front-line town’s last residents fleeBy Jaroslav LukivBBC NewsThe US has warned that Russia could seize Ukraine’s key eastern town of Avdiivka – the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in recent months. “Avdiivka is at risk of falling into Russian control,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, citing Ukraine’s ammunition shortages. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to do everything to “save as many Ukrainian lives as possible”.Russian troops have made gains in Avdiivka, threatening to encircle it.The town – which has been almost completely destroyed – is seen as a gateway to nearby Donetsk, the regional Ukrainian capital seized by Russian-backed fighters in 2014 and later illegitimately annexed by Moscow.Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.Ukraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined town Nothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaAt Thursday’s briefing in Washington, Mr Kirby said Avdiivka could fall largely “because the Ukrainian forces on the ground are running out of artillery ammunition”.”Russia is sending wave after wave of conscript forces to attack Ukrainian positions,” he said. “And because Congress has yet to pass the supplemental bill, we have not been able to provide Ukraine with the artillery shells that they desperately need to disrupt these Russian assaults.”Russian forces are now reaching Ukrainian trenches in Avdiivka, and they’re beginning to overwhelm Ukrainian defences.”Earlier this week, the US Senate approved a $95bn (£75bn) foreign aid package – including $60bn for Ukraine – after months of political wrangling, but it faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives.Ukraine is critically dependent on weapons supplies from the US and other Western allies to be able to continue fighting Russia – a much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.Nato Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg warned on Thursday that the US failure to approve continued military assistance to Ukraine was already having an impact on the battlefield.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Smoke rises over an industrial site in Avdiivka on ThursdayIn his video address late on Thursday, President Zelensky said: “We are doing everything we can to ensure that our warriors have enough managerial and technological capabilities to save as many Ukrainian lives as possible.”On Friday, Mr Zelensky is visiting Berlin and Paris where is expected to sign security pacts with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.A similar agreement on security co-operation was signed between Ukraine and the UK in January.Late on Thursday, Ukrainian General Oleksandr Tarnavsky admitted that “fierce battles” were taking place “within” Avdiivka.”We value every piece of Ukrainian land, but the highest value and priority for us is the preservation of the life of a Ukrainian soldier,” he said.Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy acknowledged that Ukrainian troops in Avdiivka were being forced to “sometimes move to more advantageous positions… in some places leaving positions”.Some Ukrainian soldiers have privately admitted the town could fall at any moment.”We’re upset,” Ukrainian officer Oleksii, from Ukraine’s 110th Mechanised Brigade in the Avdiivka area, told the BBC earlier this week, standing beside a huge mobile artillery piece as Russian guns boomed in the distance.”Currently we have two shells, but we have no [explosive] charges for them… so we can’t fire them. As of now, we have run out of shells,” said Oleksii. He suggested that the shortages were widespread and having a dramatic impact on the fighting in Avdiivka.”We feel a very strong responsibility for our guys fighting right now in the town, armed only with assault rifles.”Ukraine’s newly appointed commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited the frontline in the Avdiivka area this week, acknowledging that the situation there was “difficult”.He said the Russian military did not “count losses”, using its troops as cannon fodder.Kyiv says an elite Ukrainian brigade has now been sent to Avdiivka and reserve artillery has been deployed.In unverified reports, Russian military bloggers said on Thursday that a key Ukrainian defence position in southern Avdiivka – known as Zenit – was now under Moscow’s control.Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaUkraineMore on this storyUkraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined townPublished15 hours agoNothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaPublished30 JanuaryFull cemeteries and empty homes: Ukrainians struggle to endurePublished1 day agoThe Ukrainians ‘disappearing’ in Russia’s prisonsPublished6 days agoTop StoriesLive. 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