Local residents stand in line to receive drinking water at a distribution centre in Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The Associated Press
TORETSK, Ukraine (AP) - War has again drawn near to Toretsk in eastern Ukraine. Even the sudden crackling of a plastic water bottle puts residents on edge.
'œAnything that is happening, any noise, if our neighbors bang the door, a metal door, you are shocked,'ť said resident Andriy Cheromushkin. 'œYou feel so helpless.'ť
Half of the more than 32,000 residents have fled. Many who remain lack money and basic resources. Depression is growing, along with anger.
'œI collect rainwater. Yes, and I do the dishes with this rainwater. I cook the food for my dog with this water. I clean the floors with this water. I do the washing with this water. Clean the house with it. Is it normal? It is the 21st century. The nuclear power century!'ť said resident Irina Anatolievna.
She waited in a long line with other exhausted residents on Monday for a water distribution now that running water has disappeared. As people walked away with bottles, they passed monuments to World War I and World War II.
Before Russia's invasion, conflict last gripped Toretsk in 2014, when it was captured by pro-Russian separatists. Ukrainian forces retook it later that year.
Now the mining town is just a few kilometers from the separatist-controlled part of the Donetsk region. Not so far away, Ukrainians forces are trying to stop the advance of Russian ones.
The explosions and sounds of artillery are loud, residents said.
But it is not so easy to leave. Some are elderly. Some have small children. Some, like Cheromushkin, have no job.
'œYou don't know what will happen tomorrow, let alone the next minute,'ť Cheromushkin said. His wife, Tatiana, called the situation 'œconstantly depressing.'ť
It is also a constant source of worry for Vasyl Chynchyk, the head of civil and military administration of Toretsk.
'œThe enemy is cunning. The enemy doesn't care about infrastructure, doesn't care about civilians,'ť he said. 'œThe enemy acts deliberately, using intimidation, conducting mass shelling.'ť
The most important task now is evacuating residents while the town is more or less calm, he said.
But evacuation takes energy, and Tatiana says she has none left.
'œI want to believe that it will come to an end soon,'ť she said. 'œThey will come to some kind of an agreement.'ť
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Follow the AP's coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Andriy Cheremushkin carries cans with water in Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The Associated Press
Tatiana and Andriy Cheremushkin stand in their house in Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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Local residents receive drinking water at a distribution centre in Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The Associated Press
A woman carries bottles of drinking water from a distribution centre in Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The Associated Press
Local residents fill cans with water from a water tank installed for residents of Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A man hauls a bicycle with a part of a tree branch in front of a coal mine in Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A child jumps over a puddle in Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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Vasyl Chynchyk, head of civil military administration of Toretsk, speaks via phone in Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. TToretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A cat sits as people fill cans with water from a water tank installed for residents of Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The Associated Press
Local residents stand in line to receive drinking water at a distribution centre in Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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Andriy Cheremushkin carries cans with water in Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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Andriy Cheremushkin, centre, fills cans with water from a water tank installed for residents of Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A girl Lisa helps a man to fill cans with water from a water tank installed for residents of Toretsk, eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Toretsk residents have had no access to water for more than two months because of the war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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