Constant destruction from the war has brought massive challenges for people in the region, and Moscow has repeatedly botched its response, failing to deliver a decent life for those it now claims as citizens.
Water supplies have suffered since the 2022 full-scale invasion, and nine out of 10 reservoirs in the region are close to drying up, according to an analysis of satellite images by the BBC. In August, the situation became critical, and tap water is still only available in Donetsk for a couple of hours every three days.
People tired of waiting in long lines have been digging wells in their yards, collecting rain water — even from puddles — and fighting to get hold of the most basic requirements for life. Despite a clear risk of waterborne disease, Moscow persists in ignoring the growing crisis.
Even otherwise loyal propagandists have appeared bewildered by the lack of action from the occupation administration.
“It takes a lot of effort to bring the best city in Donbas to such a condition in seven years,” Veterans Notes, a popular Russian military propaganda channel, said in a posting on Telegram. “Donetsk has gone from being the best and most prosperous city in Donbas to simply a caricature for the Ukrainian media: anti-advertising for ‘Russia World’.”
The occupation administration says that if Russia manages to capture Sloviansk, another major city in the Donbas region, then the water supply will improve. But there are serious doubts that even this would help.
The current water supply system is heavily damaged by war, and a pipeline from Russia built by the occupation administration is losing up to 60% of the water it carries. The Donbas is meanwhile suffering an acute drought as rainfall patterns change.