Gorlovka Update from July 1, 2015

My former hometown of Gorlovka, where more than 300 thousand people once lived, has been shelled consistently by the Ukrainian military stationed just to the north and west of the city. Western politicians and mainstream media ignore the brutality of this war, engaging instead in shameless political posturing and cold-war-style rhetoric.

Gorlovka's Self-Defence site is an information sink for people living in the city. It also publishes real-time reports, informing residents of the city about the current hit zones and threat levels in their areas. The threat levels come from the colors of a streetlight: RED (Danger), YELLOW (Alert), and GREEN (Safe). Below is the timeline from last night's translated report. A lot of names for different areas of the city will sound foreign to an English speaker, but you should get the idea about what people there have been going through pretty much daily. 

20:00 The evening is starting. Kurganka is loud. Gunfire at Gagarina.

20:04 Just like every evening, it sounds like a tank (or a couple) firing from Shumy [Ukrainian-controlled]

20:08 Shumy and Mayorsk [both Ukrainian-controlled] are active. So far, it's just gunfire, grenade launchers...here's a tank

20:14 They're shelling Glubokaya suburbs from [Ukrainian-controlled] Yuzhnaya Mine.

20:17 Glubokaya, Kurganka, 19/20 - code RED, God forbid it's going to go further. Power is knocked out at Kurganka.

20:21 Bessarabka and Rtutny - also RED. Rtutny is also without power.

20:22  They're feeling the city's defences; the Ukrops [Ukrainian troops] apparently didn't expect the outcome. Everything is OK. They haven't broken through. Don't panic because of provocations. Get into shelters and keep calm. Panic is bad.

20:26 - Mine 5 and City Block 88, get off the streets! Dyleevka [Ukrainian-controlled] is firing at us, sounds like the work of a self-propelled gun.

20:33 The Ukrainian military positions between Dzerzhinsk and Konstantinovka are active. There's incoming shelling in the area of the Canal and the green zone near Komsomolets.

20:36 Nikitovka, the guys at the front line are asking: "EVERYBODY, GET INTO A SHELTER. THEY'RE WORKING ON US. DON'T GET OUT"

21:00 Get your water supplies! I suggest you always have some extra.

21:20 Here we go again. West, incoming again. Heavy artillery working from beyond Mayorsk [Ukrainian-controlled]; laying singles at the area around Kurganka.

21:24 Residential area hits between Komsomolets and Kurganka.

21:27 No water in some areas.

21:28 There are reports of a residential house being hit at Leskhoz. Clarification: the house is indeed burning; it's near the tram stop.

21:40 At Glubokaya a two-storied residential house has been hit.

21:43 Two very serious fires: one near the Gagarian mine slugheap and the other is in the North-West - burning for over an hour now.

21:50 (Medic) We need the addresses of the hits!!! Getting out in the field! To Leskhoz.

21:55 YAY!!! Looks like they fixed the water pump station. We'll have water soon!

22:20 The residential house fire has been confirmed (Medic).

23:30 It's been quiet for over an hour. All clear for now.

We're appealing to all residents: DO NOT COLLECT THE SHRAPNEL from Ukrainian shells. Leave them for DPR investigators. Yes, it's very important evidence! With all respect.

0:15 Keeps banging; we thought it would pass, but it hasn't. It's pretty loud again. Cancel all clear. I'll mark it GREEN, because it's far.

1:15 Well, I believe it's all clear now. Everybody, have a calm night.