The situation in Donetsk is extremely tense on Saturday, and artillery gunfire is heard in both the central part of the city and in its southern and northwestern outskirts, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported.
There are extremely few pedestrians in Donetsk streets, and some streetcars and trolleybuses operating in a weekend mode are carrying not more than ten passengers, the correspondent said.
The units of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR)
militia deployed at roadblocks reinforced with concrete blocks and
antitank hedgehogs at all entries to the city are checking drivers’
documents and the contents of their cars’ trunks.
Pensioners who earlier received pensions through Ukrainian post
outlets close to their homes have found themselves in a difficult
situation. As many of these people, especially those living on the
city’s outskirts, have left their homes and moved to the homes of their
relatives and friends in the city center, which is considered safer,
they cannot safely visit their post outlets to receive current payments.
Food supplies to the city are so far remaining relatively stable.
Most of markets, small shops, and supermarket chains are working. At the
same time, only one or two stores are working in districts and
neighborhoods that have been shelled, such as Platform 1 in Kuibyshevsky
district, although they are so far managing to satisfy the people’s
needs for food and vital necessities.
Major petrol stations belonging to the principal oil traders are
continuing to work in the city, and there is no fuel shortage. This can
be partly explained by the fact that the number of cars in the city has
significantly dropped.
