00:00 This is what remains of the village of Pretechiny, set a dozen kilometers away from the front
00:05 line in Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk.
00:09 Close to the city of Barmut, it's paid a high tribute to the war.
00:14 Most of its inhabitants have evacuated to safer areas.
00:18 Oleksandr is among the 20 villagers out of 150 who decided to stay, despite ongoing warfare
00:26 and harsh living conditions.
00:28 This house was under heavy shelling.
00:39 Oleksandr's wife left to a nearby city for safety, but he stayed on.
00:45 He now lives in two small rooms.
00:54 A former welder, he's now jobless and depends on the food and basic necessities delivered
00:59 weekly by volunteers.
01:04 As we go back outside, we meet one of the soldiers operating in the area who came to
01:09 pay a visit.
01:10 He doesn't want to be identified.
01:12 "I'm coming from a position, it's hard.
01:25 There are fighting, trying to capture Avdeevka.
01:28 They're coming, coming.
01:29 War is the hardest job in this life.
01:35 I'm going to serve my country.
01:43 And you have a good road."
01:48 Whatever the risks, Oleksandr is confident that the Ukrainian soldiers will protect him.
01:53 "I think we will win and we will recover.
01:57 I hope everything will be as it was."
02:00 "This hope makes you want to stay here.
02:04 You don't want to leave whatever happens."
02:06 "This is my land.
02:07 The land of my parents, grandfathers and great-grandfathers.
02:10 Why should I go anywhere?
02:13 Everyone here is determined to believe that we will win and that the war will end.
02:24 Our victory."
02:25 "Well, one of the few people who decided to remain in the villages close to the front
02:36 line are confident in their army.
02:39 The situation remains tense, as you can hear from the explosions.
02:45 And the Ukrainian military are bracing for any attempt from the Russians to gain this
02:53 territory.
02:55 Valery Goryan, the Donetsk region, for Euronews.
02:58 (crunching)
03:00 (whooshing)
