Voices of occupation: Severodonetsk

On July 22, 2022, Severodonetsk was supposed to celebrate the eighth anniversary of its liberation from the temporary Russian occupation in 2014. Instead, it is experiencing the second occupation. On February 28, the Russian army shelled the city for the first time. The battle for Severodonetsk lasted four months. The town became a symbol of resistance — it was the last outpost on Russia's way to almost complete control over the Luhansk region.

The city's residential and social infrastructure has been destroyed, there has been no communication for about five months, and there are mass graves dug in the streets and yards. Russians plan to start the so-called "evacuation" of civilians due to the "difficult humanitarian situation in the region". Ukrainian authorities suggest that the "evacuation" prepares the Russians for the defence.

Svidomi tells the story of a Severodonsk resident who managed to leave the city on the eve of the Russian occupation. The names of the interviewees have been changed for security reasons.

In February 2022,  almost like nine years ago, Oleksandra and her family were forced to leave their home due to the threat of Russian occupation. Rumours of plans for a full-scale invasion were haunting her — she understood that war would come to her home place for the second time. She thought then: "We have to leave. Otherwise, once the offensive starts, we will get stuck here".

Things were packed, and suitcases were full — they were ready to leave immediately on the morning of February 24.  

"The hardest thing is to figure out when to go. Sometimes it is quiet, and you are sure that now is the time to evacuate. And then the shelling starts. The later it was, the harder it was to leave the city — the Russians shelled the evacuation columns," says Oleksandra.

Of her relatives and friends, only her grandmother remained in the city. She told the girl about the first shelling, life in the basements, and the death of civilians. 

"Almost all shops were closed. Then, on relatively quiet days, they announced lists of addresses of several points that worked and where you could buy food. On one such day, a long queue gathered outside the store. Then a Russian missile hit right at the people," Oleksandra recounts her grandmother's story. 

On the morning of March 12, residents were waiting for humanitarian medicine and food near the Severodonetsk City Drama Theater when a Russian artillery shell landed nearby. Two people died on the spot, and two more women died in the hospital.

Serhii, a resident of Severodonetsk, witnessed this event. The guy left the city in late March because of the shelling. 

"The Russians did not hesitate to shell hospitals and residential buildings, mostly using Grad, barrel artillery and rockets. Usually, I could tell what they were hitting us with by the vibration and volume of the explosion. According to my friends, the Russian military could let refugees through the checkpoint and then immediately fire at the car," Mykola said. 

Yesterday's shopping centres, houses of culture, and schools turned into shattered ruins. Thus, under constant Russian shelling, thousands of civilians lived in bomb shelters and basements of residential buildings. 

"There was artillery shelling every day. Shells hit our house several times - there are holes in the walls. Neighbours who came to Severodonetsk through Russia and the temporarily occupied territories to take their belongings said the Russian military lived in the apartments. Russians did not let them home, behaved aggressively, but did not physically do anything," the girl said. 

Russians destroyed food storehouses - there was a humanitarian catastrophe in the city. Then an organised evacuation began, which lasted until the last moment — the end of June. Then it was no longer possible due to heavy shelling and temporary occupation. 

"Local authorities persuaded people to evacuate — they arranged buses. But these buses were empty. People refused to leave when Russian troops were getting closer, and the city was already in flames. No one can condemn them because they are responsible for their lives. But on the other hand, they were hindering the military, and those people who participated in the evacuation, drivers, for example, risked their lives to take people out but drove empty," Oleksandra says. 

On June 25, 2022, the Russian army completely captured Severodonetsk. Since then, it has been possible to leave the city only in one direction - to the temporarily occupied territory. The Russians immediately began to shoot propaganda videos with the distribution of humanitarian aid to Severodonetsk residents. Still, there was a humanitarian catastrophe in the city on the verge of starvation — Ukrainian volunteers did not bring enough food. 

"They did everything to be shot on camera. For example, they brought food to five basements, filmed it and never went to others. The city was cleaned in the same way. They announced the beginning of cleaning and improvement of life. In fact, they cleaned some territory, which got in the picture, and that's all - only some territory was cleaned of wires, garbage and bricks. And then they left, and everything else remained dirty," says Oleksandra. 

There is no coverage of Ukrainian mobile operators in Severodonetsk.  The only access to communication is provided by an illegal telecommunications company controlled by the illegal armed group "Luhacom". 

"It is costly, so people often do not buy "Luhacom" SIM cards. Accordingly, it is difficult to contact those who are in the city. In settlements that more or less survived, you can call via Viber or Telegram using the internet. There is no television either. Once, they launched trucks with large screens in all crowded places. They played Russian propaganda on these screens, brainwashed people," the girl says. 

The city still needs to be provided with water, electricity, gas and heat supply. The so-called "authorities" of Severodonetsk promised to relocate the residents who were left homeless to villages with empty houses. At the same time, Russians announce the availability of vacant housing at the entrances. In particular, they plan to settle their representatives of the so-called "administration" and the Russian army.

In addition, in recent months, the Russians have yet to be paying salaries to citizens employed at public utilities.

It is the latest news that Ukrainians have learned about the city. But, unfortunately, all the other people we wrote to are out of touch.