Several days ago a person close to me left Slovyansk. It just so happened that we could meet… We communicated for a long time. And yesterday when it became known Donetsk terrorists ask Kharkiv people to help them in destabilizing the situation in the east of Ukraine, he called me back and showed a link to another article saying that he had agreed with every word. Here is the text of that article: Appeal of Donetsk Citizens to All Other Ukrainian Regions: Donetsk will never be the same as we remember it. You will never see it the same as it was before. Now it looks like a person who is terminally ill and does not know yet that he is going to die. You can see ulcers in the form of checkpoints, concrete fortifications with sandbags, masked people with guns. The number of cars on the streets has decreased several times and there are almost no cars on the weekends – and frightening, heavy silence descended upon the city. It is dying. There are no working stores, drugstores, no people in the streets after 10 pm and taxis are the only cars. All cafes are closed. We are so horrified that we are afraid to walk in our own city. Sound of the truck closing from behind is now perceived as a sound of an approaching helicopter and on hearing shots children walking in the yards fearfully rush home with their frightened mothers and grandmothers. All the talks, beside those about when the war is going to begin, are about two things: where your are going to leave and when. Only few people really want to leave but everyone knows they will have to because the city is doomed. There is no war but there is no peace – all you have is wild, going to extremes, strain, anxiety, anticipations for something bad, something terrible. Companies are shutting down – and this happens not only to the industry, metallurgy and mines; this happens to construction activity, small-scale business, stores, cafes, entertainment establishments. In general, one can say that its is finished with business in Donetsk and Donbass for a long time. Those who could leave have already left. Some people sent their families off Donetsk. Many people are preparing to leave. Those who will remain – they are either cannot, have nowhere to go or have no money. Or they are waiting and believe that the situation will improve and it will not be as bad. Not as bad as it is now. People will soon run out of money and there is no way to earn here. The question is even not how to earn but how to survive. Donetsk is like a cage, a prison from which you still can escape – by leaving everything: flats, property, work, hopes and plans for the future, break free because you need to survive and this is the most important. It is understood that the things will only become worse. Much worse. And many people will die. Just like the city will die. Our future was killed. Shot down from traumatic guns and AKMs, self-propelled “Nona” and by raising hatred for Ukrainian TV. We are choked by the tears of resentment, injustice, the runined future, pain for our children which we need to rescue by all means.

People of Ukraine, everybody who is not brainwashed by Russian propaganda, do support Ukrainian servicemen, say “No” to separatism out loud and guard your peace. You don’t realize how important this is. Guard peace where you leave, don’t let the war happen because any war is death and it is not like a movie – it happens here and now. My vis-a-vis said that he could say the same about Slovyansk as well… I kindly ask to tell that to everyone in Donetsk and Luhansk. Let them ponder whether this is worth it? Is it worth collaborating with separatists? Supply them with food? If they are left without any support, we will be able to finish them quicker…

A.Vasilenko