The Debaltseve Battle: One Year Later

A year has passed since the Battle of Debaltseve, a city in eastern Ukraine. It began on January 16th, 2014 and ended on February 18th, when Ukrainian troops were forced to withdraw.

Today the town is being redeveloped by Russia, and Russian humanitarian aid. Construction work is currently only taking place in Debaltseve- the city is widely known because of the fights. The villages nearby are abandoned; some with no inhabitants at all.

Debaltseve has a working railway; its workers have started to receive salaries after the takeover by Russian-backed separatists a year ago. They are paid in hryvnias by the Ukrainian State.

Approximately 200 people from the Ukrainian Armed Forces were killed and more than 500 were wounded during the Battle of Debaltseve. 70 separatist fighters and soldiers of regular Russian army were killed according to estimates of Russian opposition activists. More than 500 civilians were found dead following the battle.