“They want people to just have nowhere to live,” Tatiana, a local drone operator, told BBC News Russian as she described the Russian strategy of using constant strikes to force residents to flee in panic.
Sloviansk, a key city in Ukraine’s “fortress belt” of defensive lines in the Donetsk region, has faced intense destruction from Russian aviation bombs and drones. The city’s fate has become a central point in renewed peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, as Russia demands the handover of these fortified cities. Ukrainian officials fear ceding such territory would facilitate Russian advances toward the capital, Kyiv.
Recent damage covers a large area. On the morning of November 10, a Russian FAB-500 aerial bomb struck the central part of the city, completely destroying an administrative building and damaging another, two multi-story residential buildings, a private house, and an auto service station, according to Vadym Lyakh, head of the Sloviansk City Military Administration.
Earlier, on the evening of November 9, a FAB-500 strike on the central private sector completely destroyed four houses and damaged approximately 60 others, Lyakh said.
During the night of November 10, two FAB-250 bombs targeted multi-story buildings in the city center. These strikes partially destroyed one apartment building and damaged at least 22 other residential buildings and a medical facility, according to the Sloviansk City Military Administration. While the administration reported no deaths or injuries from these specific strikes, the National Police of Ukraine reported that one person was injured in Sloviansk during recent shelling.
The physical landscape of the city shows heavy impact. Most buildings are damaged, with many turned into ruins. Many shops remain boarded up or closed entirely.
Local residents and defenders continue to operate under constant threat.
“If I say ‘run’ — run,” Tatiana said.
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