East Ukraine Town of 'Happiness' Is Engulfed By War

27 February 2015 01:45

Shchastia, a city in eastern Ukraine, has the misfortune of being a transportation and electricity hub in the Luhansk region. Ongoing fighting between pro—Russian separatists and Ukrainian fighting forces have decimated the city's much—fought—over infrastructure.

Unfittingly, the town's name translates as "happiness", although the experiences of the residents have been far from it over the past nine months. Officially there are about 3,000 civilians left in Shchastia. However, the population appears to be about half of that. Those who remain in this bombed out city in eastern Ukraine use electricity from nearby buildings and carry water from wells. The residents' lives are scarred by the upheaval of war. Misinformation is rampant. Residents often have no idea if it would be better for them to stay, or leave. Even if they wanted to flee, some don't have the money to do so. Hromadske spoke with residents who have been forced by circumstance, or fear to stay in Shchastia.

// Khrystyna Bondarenko. Filmed 02.05.2015