Ukraine: Fear for Donetsk after eight-year war escalates

[joselync]

"The house where my family live is in a dangerous place.... we don't sleep, we are looking on the internet to see which house has been bombed, who has died."

The invasion of Ukraine is nothing new for the people of rebel-held Donetsk, who have been at war for the past eight years and seen Russian's invasion of Ukraine escalate the conflict there.

Many following the conflict may not be aware of Donetsk's remarkable history - it was founded by a Welshman.

In 1869, on the invitation of the then-Russian tsar, John Hughes from Merthyr Tydfil took 100 Welsh engineers to eastern Ukraine and developed metallurgical plants and coal mining - industries that still form the backbone of modern day Donetsk.

[tracym]

Ukrainian civilians are increasingly fearful of the potential for a new conflict in Donetsk, eight years after the start of the country's devastating war. The city has seen renewed fighting over the past month, and civilians are remaining on edge. In addition to concerns about violence, many citizens are worried about their safety and the security of their belongings.