The conflict between the Donetsk and Lugansk self-proclaimed People’s Republics on the one hand and the Ukrainian authorities on the other has been going on since April 2014. Despite the current ceasefire, the two sides regularly accuse each other of violating it. According to the UN more than nine thousand people have been killed during the conflict .

There are always at least two armed fighting sides in any war. For me as a journalist the most important side in this conflict was the third one – ordinary civil people. Disaster came into their lives unexpectedly.

These people became the participants of the military confrontation against their will. They have experienced the most terrible things: the death of their friends and relatives, destroyed houses and ruined lives of thousands of people and each new day could become their last day.

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Photo & video: Valery Melnikov

Directed & editing: Andrew Lubimov