SUNDAY,APRIL 3 , 2022 .THEWASHINGTONPOST EZ SU A23
cal officials.Those familiesable to
evacuate on theirownwait in
packed vehiclesfor hoursat lines
stretchingfor milesat fortified
checkpointstohavetheir docu-
mentschecked.
Inside the Kramatorsk train
station, the numbersof thoseflee-
ing the comingRussian forceshas
swelledin recent days. Many wait
hoursto secure aseatonthe four
trainsleavingdailytowardthe
relativesafetyofwesternUkraine.
Hundredsof people, mostly wom-
en andchildren,waited for one
train to Lviv on Tuesdaythathad
beenorganized by the localgov-
ernment.
Many of the recent arrivals to
the train station are from
Slovyansk.At leastafifthofthose
livinginthecity, locatedjustmiles
away fromRussianlargeartillery,
and the deadly Smerch rocket
systems,havefled, accordingto
Vadim Liakh,headof citycouncil.
“The wholecityisafrontline
now,” said Lilya Borisova, who
decidedto evacuate her home-
townafter aheavy nightof Rus-
sian bombardment.She gathered
whatbelongingsshe couldfitin
twosuitcasesand tookher teen-
agedaughterto the Kramatorsk
train station, hopingto secure a
seatonatrain evacuatingcivil-
ians.
“Weare tryingtostaypositive.
Ourparents, our husbands,are
backprotecting the city,”said Tae-
sia Samoilenko, wholeft herhus-
bandbehindin Slovyanskto pro-
tecttheir home.Hereyes briefly
welledwithtearsas she spoke
abouther husband, looking away
fromher twochildrenasshe com-
posedherself.
Backin the villageofKhresty-
sche,thosewhoremained waited
nervously as Russian forces
pushedcloserto their homes.“If
wesurvive,I’ll leave on footwith
my suitcases,”said Debediova,
standingoutsideasmallstore in
the centerof the village.
As she spoke, her voicecracked
withemotionand she wipedaway
tears.She repeated overand over,
“I don’t want to live in Russia.I
don’t want to live in Russia.”EugeneLakatoshand Wojciech
Grzedzinskicontributedto this report.viceshavefoundthemwithequip-
mentto documentcoordinates of
Ukrainianmilitarypositions. Of-
ficialsfoundevidencethatthey
have helpedRussianforcesadjust
theirartilleryfire in real time.In
addition, the Secret Serviceof
Ukrainehas arrested agentspro-
vidingimages and videosfor Rus-
sian socialmedia propaganda.
Kyrylenkosaid focusingatten-
tion on thoseagentsensuresthat
Ukrainians“won’t gethit witha
knifein the back.”Hehas sus-
pendedcivilianrule and imposed
militarycontrol in 11 districts
nearKramatorsk previouslycon-
trolledbytheoppositionparty.On
Tuesday, he submitted arequest
to PresidentVolodymyr Zelensky
to add another.
Sincethe startofthe warinlate
February, the SecretServiceof
Ukrainehas identified morethan
550suspectedcollaboratorsinthe
Donetsk regionaccusedof trea-
son.Many are in territory con-
trolled by the Russianmilitary. A
Russian ballistic missile strikeon
March 6obliterated the regional
offices of the Ukrainianintelli-
gence agency, furthercomplicat-
ing the huntfor Russiancollabo-
rators.Thepowerful explosion
alsodestroyedanearbykinder-
garten.
In somecases, collaborators
have included localgovernment
officialswhohave providedac-
tionable intelligence to Russian
forces, shelling neighbors and
friendstrappedinside theirown
towns,Ukrainian officials said.
They have also usedtheirdetailed
knowledgeofthe localterrain to
helpadvancingRussian forces.
In Izyum, Strelniksaid, acity
councilmember fromthe opposi-
tionparty guidedaRussianar-
moredcolumn downan unguard-
ed stretch of roadto avoid the
Ukrainian defensive positions.
Ukrainianforcesdefending the
citywere encircled by the betray-
al, he said.After aweek of heavy
fighting,Russians controlled the
town.
Civilianscontinue to flee the
areain recordnumbers.About
4,000peoplefromthe Donetsk
and Luhanskregionsare evacuat-
ing dailyon buses,trainsand
privatevehicles, accordingtolo-es. Ukrainian officialshave also
alleged thatseparatistfighters
fromthe Donetsk andLuhansk
People’s Republic,as Russia refers
to the areas,havealso usedwhite
phosphorus,ahighlyflammable
and deadlyweapon. But Ukraini-
an militarypositions,hardened
by eightyearsofwar,haveheld,
preventingapossibleRussian ad-
vance fromthe eastern flank.
Thegovernorof the Donetsk
region,Pavlo Kyrylenko, has em-
bracedhisrole as awartimelead-
er helpingto organize the effortto
defendhis homeland.Hesaid in
aninterviewTuesdaythatafter
morethanamonthof war,the
days blurtogether.Hesaid he
spendslong hoursreviewingthe
latestdamagereports fromRus-
sianshellingand fielding calls
fromlocal officialsorganizing the
evacuationofcivilians.
Whatlittlesleephegetsisinter-
ruptedregularly by air raid sirens.
Thelargenetworkofair-defense
systemsin the region targets Rus-
sian bombersenteringUkrainian
airspace.Just20milesfromactive
combat, Kramatorsk has been
sparedthe destruction sufferedin
placeslikeMariupol and Kharkiv,
largely because thoseair defense
systemshave kept Russianpilots
at bayand stoppedmanymissiles.
Kyrylenko, too, is concerned by
the risk of encirclementby Rus-
sian forces. “Weare lookingat the
map,allthetime,everyday,multi-
ple timesaday,” he said.As he
spoke, withaGlockpistol on his
hip and an assaultrifleslung
acrosshis chest, he was interrupt-
ed by an air raid sirenthatforced
himand visitingjournaliststo
seekrefugeinabombshelter.
“The risk definitelyexists, and
we are fortifyingthoselocations
wherethe enemymight target” so
that“the Russianoccupiers won’t
justbepushedbackbut destroyed
completely,” Kyrylenkosaid.
Preparations extend beyond
fortifying defensive positions.
Deepinside territoryheld by
Ukraine,its securityserviceshave
steppedup efforts to identifysus-
pected collaborators and Russian
intelligence assets operating
withinthe region.Several have
beencaptured.
TheUkrainian securityser-naissance units,wereseenplaced
in wooded areassurroundingma-
jor townsand villages.
Overthe courseof twodays,
reporters fromThe Post observed
morethan15truckloadsofheavily
armed Ukrainian militaryper-
sonneltraveling toward the fight-
ing in Donetsk. Themilitarycol-
umnsweremadeupofatleasttwo
dozenmilitaryvehicles,including
air defense systems, armored
troopcarriersand tanks.They
weresupported by groupsof sol-
dierswhowereseenpatrolling
countryroadsas backhoescut
through the blacksoil to create
fortified trenches capableofwith-
standingRussianartillerystrikes.
Ukrainiandefensivelinesclose
to borders thatdefine separatist
territoriesremainedlargelyintact
despite ceaselessmissilebarrag-paignto take full control.
TheUkrainian militaryan-
nouncedThursdaythatRussian
forces are gathering strength
ahead of aplanned offensive
towardthe nearbyregionalcapi-
tal of Kramatorsk,justunder 30
milesfromIzyum.Ifsuccessful,
thatwould threatensupplylines
to embattled Ukrainiancombat
forcesthathaveenduredweeksof
fightingto avoid beingencircled
by Russianforces.
As the fighting inched closerto
Kramatorsk, local government
workers andengineersfromthe
Ukrainianmilitaryplacedcon-
crete barricadesand “hedgehog”
antitankbarriers acrossthe city
alongall possibleavenuesofap-
proachbyinvading forces.Forti-
fied artilleryfiring positions,
camouflagedfromRussianrecon-warin ukraine
din of war growslouder.The in-
cessantthudof artillerystrikinga
village10miles away,echoed
throughthevalleybelow,inter-
ruptingtheirprayer.“We don’t
knowwho,or whatisbeingfired
at,” said 65-year-old Valentina,
whosaidshewastooafraidtogive
her lastname.
Theeasternregion of Ukraine,
known as the Donbas, has
emerged as the mostcriticalbat-
tlefield at thisstageinthe war
between Russian invadersand
Ukrainianforcestryingto protect
theirhomeland.
RussianPresidentVladimirPu-
tin has sethis sightson takingfull
control of this region as he with-
drawshis forces fromthe out-
skirts of Kyiv,accordingto intelli-
gence assessments. Analysts be-
lieve Putin willredeployforces
herefor anew offensiveand in an
efforttosaveface after humiliat-
ing setbacks elsewhere,setting
the stagefor increasinglybrutal
battles for control.
Washington Post journalists
spenttwodaysthisweektraveling
the region,approachingwithin
six milesof advancingRussian
militaryunits.They interviewed
Ukrainianmilitarycommanders
and soldiers, local officials in
towns underincreasingpressure
fromRussianbombardments and
terrified civilianswhose ravaged
homes, schools, churches and
businessesare suddenlyon the
frontlinesof awar thatisdrawing
ever closer.
“It’slikeadream,Ican’tbelieve
thisishappening,” said
32-year-oldVictoriaDebediova,
whofled withher sonto this
villagelastmonth,believingthe
rural hamletwould be saferthan
thenearbytownofSlovyansk.
“Nowhereis safenowand the
Russians are getting closerevery
day.”
As she spoke, another loudex-
plosion boomedin the distance.
“It’saRussianairstrike,”said a
Ukrainiansoldierhurriedlypass-
ing throughthe smalltown.His
wearyfellow fighters led him
away,admonishing himin whis-
peredtonesfor sharing informa-
tion withjournalists.
Thewar has broughtnewarriv-
als to the areaas peopleflee from
townsclose to the fighting.Resi-
dents interviewed watched as
Ukrainianmilitaryvehiclesbar-
reledthroughtheirvillage, shut-
tlingnervousyoung mentoward
the soundof war.Hundredsofthe
heavily armedsoldiers nowroam
smallvillages and rural encamp-
mentsdotting the region.
Twentymiles away,the mayor
of the strategically important
townof IzyumannouncedFriday
thatRussian forces hadtaken
control of the townafter three
weeksof ferociousfighting.Rus-
sianforceshad encircled the town
on March 26, pummeling those
trappedinside withairstrikesand
salvos of heavy artillery. Local
officials said 20,000residents and
Ukrainian fighters still in the
townare facing a“humanitarian
catastrophe” anduncertain fu-
ture at thehands of Russian
troops.
“The battle for Izyumis not
over,” Mayor Valeriy Marchenko
saidin awritten statementre-
leasedFridayevening.“Soonour
armywillsurelyliberatethe town
fromRussianoccupiersand save
the peopleof Izyum.”
Izyumis located at the highest
pointof elevation in the Kharkiv
region,on astrategic pieceof
groundcalled“Kramiyanets” or
“FlintHill.”The elevated position
towersoverthe hills thatdefine
this land.From there,majorroad-
ways andadjoiningvillages are
visiblefor miles.Takingit would
giveRussian forcesthe abilityto
control the surrounding areas
andlimit the movement of Ukrai-
nianforces mountinganycoun-
teroffensive.
“Izyumisthe lastfighting posi-
tion for our forcesbefore the Do-
netsk region,the townis the gate
toDonbas,”saidMaksymStrelnik,
amemberofthe citycouncil. He
saidRussianforces seemto be
trying to surround Ukrainian
forcesinDonetsk andLuhansk,
twoprovinces thatmakeupthe
Donbasregion.Russiahas also
supported separatists thathave
been fighting Ukrainian forces
therefor yearsand nowseemsto
be prioritizing amilitarycam-
UKRAINEFROMA1
Brutal
fight in
eastern
Ukraine
PHOTOSBY WOJCIECHGRZEDZINSKIFOR THE WASHINGTONPOSTTOP:People walk to boardan evacuationtrain leavingthecityof
Kramatorsk in easternUkraine. ABOVE:Awoman stands neara
roadinKhrestyscheasRussian forcesadvancetowardthis village
ineastern Ukraine. RIGHT:Pavlo Kyrylenko,the governorofthe
Donetsk region,sitsinabombshelter inKramatorsk. “The risk
definitely exists,”hesaidofRussianforces seekingcontrolhere.UKRAINNNNERUSSIARUSSIARRostov-
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aaaarrrreeeeeeeeaaaaTHE WASHINGTONPOSTRussian-heldareas as of April 1Sources:Institutefor the Study of War, AEI’sCriticalThreats Project