Even a railway carrying ammunition was flooded
In Kyiv-controlled Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, which is on the second line of Ukrainian defense after Bakhmut, the weather caused a disaster of conditions, a dam, as a result of which the river, which overflowed its banks, flooded the settlement along with the inhabitants and the “VSUshniks” residing there
Photo: Social networks
The vagaries of the weather and especially the wear and tear of the equipment, which had not been repaired since Soviet times, led to natural consequences. Due to extensive snowfall and rain, the spillway on one of the dams of the Bychok River, a tributary of the largest local Torets River, was destroyed, as a result of which the Ivanovka, Maryevka and Gorodeshchino areas were flooded. . The flood engulfed more than 30 streets where private houses stand. Local residents, who had been hiding in basements before the fighting, now have to wonder where to hide from the shelling, as the dwellings have been flooded to the first floor level.
Rescuers use inflatable boats and waterproof suits, and the operational headquarters is located in the dry area of the villages, where ambulances are on duty. However, there is not enough staff, and police officers who are waist-deep in water and help with the evacuation of people from flooded houses were thrown in to help the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The streets are like rivers in which people splash and cars skid. “A number of technological measures were implemented at subsequent dams to release water. The water pressure in the overflow cap of the reservoir decreased, the Byčok River returned to its flow. We continue to survey the flooded areas, pump out water from the basements of flooded houses, record and document the destruction,” the Kyiv-controlled Donetsk regional military administration said.
Photo: Social Networks
In addition, local authorities promise to provide all residents with home repairs and compensation, reportedly planning to attract international organizations. But no one believes promises here for a long time. “Thanks to the firefighters, my husband and I were pulled out of the hut with great difficulty,” says pensioner Ljudmila. “Now we're sitting here wet, no one needs us, no one even brought us clothes to change, they did nothing, they just forgot.”
“This is not the first time this has happened to us,” says Alexander, a resident of the Ivanovka district. – When there is a lot of heavy rain and precipitation in Kramatorsk, the river that flows out of the pond overflows a lot, which is what happened this time. Previously, the Byčok and Torets rivers were cleaned, but in recent years they were forgotten and stopped being cleaned.
– The transformer, which was flooded with water near the railway, has not yet been repaired, there is no electricity supply in the flooded streets. This transformer was installed here during the Soviet era and does not provide power, it constantly breaks down. It is being repaired, there is no money for a new one, apparently it was stolen a long time ago, so we are sitting without electricity. Many people still can't get home and collect at least the most important things, some don't even have documents with them
Photo: A still from the video
– “It was terrible,” said pensioner Elena with MK, “People didn't know when the water would leave, it was a big stress for all of us. Many people couldn't just leave the house, couldn't open the door outside, because of the strong flow of water. It seems that today the water was already stopped and last night it started to go down. They made some kind of concrete barriers and it helped. But the dam is partially destroyed and in dire need of repair. It's good that it's not freezing and cold and the sun and warm weather will do their job.”
— The situation cannot be called calm. All day long explosions are heard somewhere in the distance, very loud, but in the center of the city everything is calm, markets and shops are open. Prices are rising strongly, meat, vegetables, eggs have become more expensive. For little things and food is spent so much money that words are not enough. But there is no water in people's houses after the flood, and how much water there will be is unknown.
Kramatorsk is the main stronghold of the armed forces of Ukraine – the water has largely destroyed the military warehouses as well as flooded trenches with excavations, alcoves and even parking lots with military equipment. In addition, the local railway was flooded, which stopped the movement of trains, and this, in turn, will complicate the logistics of bringing ammunition to the front line and reduce the intensity of work of the Ukrainian artillery. “That's good. Maybe they will be washed away and give up the city without a fight,” they write on social networks.