Uglegorsk (Vuhlehirsk), the Donetsk region of the Ukraine, February 2, 2015
Intensive combat operations have been going on in the town of Uglegorsk since January 29. Following massive artillery bombardments of the town there has been the street fighting there.
Last Sunday Liturgies were not served at Uglegorsk churches and there were no Vigil services on Saturday evening either. Fortunately, town churches have not been damaged for the period of the furious fighting. Only some windows were damaged in the Church of Annunciation, reports the Horlivka and Sloviansk Diocese’s website.
Many people have been killed in the town. Civilians have been staying in basements, cellars, and bomb shelters for already several days. In the less than thirty minutes of quiet after days on end (when the fighting has died down), they manage to put out the fires in burning buildings and restock with food and water. There is no possibility of burying the dead or even taking them to the morgue, corpses have been lying in the streets for the fourth day. There are several shell holes in every yard. Numerous houses have been ruined in the center and on the outskirts of the town, a large number of people have become homeless.
Violent fighting is going on in the city of Debaltseve in the Donetsk region as well. Last Sunday despite the incessant artillery shelling, services were performed at the city churches, reports the diocese.
Like in Uglegorsk, in Debaltseve there is no communication, and many buildings have been destroyed. Intensive combat operations have been taking place there almost continually since the beginning of the war. Last November the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Debaltseve was damaged.
