Local residents are replaced by Russians, and the region is deteriorating: life under occupation in Luhansk and what the future holds.

The Luhansk region is currently almost entirely under Russian control, with the enemy establishing its order here since the spring of 2014. Since then, the region has undergone significant changes – the economy is in stagnation, local jobs are taken by "migrants" from remote Russian regions, and due to mobilization, the number of men has drastically decreased. Nevertheless, Luhansk continues to demonstrate examples of resistance against the occupying regime and contributes to the approach of victory.

"Telegraph" spoke with residents from Luhansk, who clarified what it has been like to live under occupation for the eleventh year.

Problematic Water and Long-Standing Dumps

In the third year of the full-scale invasion, Luhansk has been almost constantly present in military reports. Although the situation has hardly changed in recent months – active combat operations with varying success are ongoing near the administrative border of the region.

Moreover, the Luhansk regional military administration states that the frontline towns were not prepared for winter by the occupying "authorities." Local residents will spend their third winter in the cold. Overall, in the region, even in the part that was occupied back in 2014-2015, communal issues are a systemic problem. Activists from the "Yellow Ribbon" movement from Luhansk report on the terrible condition of residential buildings, where the hallways are dirty and dangerous, noting that the occupying authorities are unable to cope with sewage leaks and unauthorized dumps that have "decorated" the areas of the regional center for several years.

Locals say that there is no one to clean up household waste because people are reluctant to accept a meager salary of 10,000 rubles (equivalent to 3,800 hryvnias) and nothing else. "There is such a lack of equipment that when the garbage bins overflow, the utility workers dump the trash on the ground next to them, and it stays there for several days, sometimes even weeks," describe the situation, Luhansk residents.

Moreover, the interviewees from "Telegraph" note that regardless of the quality and quantity of communal services provided to the population, business entities demand timely and full payments. Additionally, in the summer of 2024, all tariffs – for electricity, cold water supply, sewage services, solid waste management, and gas prices – were raised by an average of 10%. This was reported by occupational media.

Furthermore, the region faces issues with the quantity and quality of drinking water, with water outages becoming the norm for cities and villages in Luhansk. Although communal services controlled by the occupying authorities regularly report on repair works and equipment modernization, this does not resolve the issue on a larger scale.

- Currently, one can say that Luhansk region is a territory of ecological disaster, - emphasizes in a conversation with "Telegraph" Dmitry Klimanov, a native of Stakhanov (since 2016, Kadiivka), who dedicated almost three decades to publishing – he was the owner of the newspaper and website "TELEgazeta". – The coal mines located in the territory not controlled by Ukraine have been flooded, pumping out water has ceased, consequently, geological changes have begun, they are significant and the consequences are serious. Water intakes, as well as wells, have been contaminated, etc. People who consume water from these sources will face a multitude of problems in the future, of which they are even unaware. Moreover, the housing stock will also deteriorate, as territories are flooded, landslides occur, and soil collapses.

Years of War Turned Donbas into "JNR"

Residents of Luhansk also note a trend of "dilution" of the local population due to the active resettlement of residents from remote Russian regions, some of whom marry Ukrainian women and have children.

- Each city in Luhansk region is "assigned" to a specific region of Russia, - says Hero of Ukraine Vladimir Zhemchugov, the organizer of the partisan movement in his homeland, who underwent Russian captivity. – For example, Krasny Luch (since 2016, Khrustalny) is linked to Bashkortostan. Accordingly, builders come from there and receive state contracts. Here, as a manager, I understand the logic of the occupying authorities, as they take a fully equipped brigade, trained, with their own equipment, which enters the site, most often roads, and completes the work. They also bring doctors to us, who work alongside locals but receive salaries 2-2.5 times higher.

Of course, locals are unhappy about this. But on the other hand, there are few qualified people left among them; some have retired, and some have died. And how many have left over nearly 11 years of war, including fleeing from forced mobilization?! That is, there are very few men in Donbas; we joke that instead of "LNR/DNR," they should be called "JNR," meaning Women's National Republic. To understand the scale of the tragedy, this spring near our city, there was an accident at a transformer substation. So to fix it, a specialist was brought in from Rostov because there was no one among the locals capable of making the repairs, - adds the interviewee.

By the way, the fear of receiving a summons also affects the work of communal services. Activists from the "Yellow Ribbon" movement note that in Luhansk region, in addition to a Russian passport, an "exemption from the military enlistment office" is required for official employment. The "Atesh" movement emphasizes that the industry is also facing a labor shortage due to mobilization, particularly at the successful enterprise during Ukraine’s time – Alchevsk Metallurgical Plant.

"Summons are distributed by personnel department employees, and some are personally visited by military enlistment officers. The army takes everyone, including young people and people with disabilities. Although it is impossible to specify the exact number of workers subject to mobilization, it is clear that dozens and even hundreds of factory and enterprise employees fall under the draft", - note activists. The same story applies to the mines in Rovenky, Krasny Luch, and Krasnodon.

Dmitry Klimanov highlights the active settlement of Luhansk by Russians, comparing the actions of the Russian leadership in this regard with Stalin's policies and sees them as a long-term strategy.

- They systematically squeezed out the pro-Ukrainian population, - says the publisher. – Therefore, a lot of housing became available, an inventory was conducted, and the so-called "nationalization" took place. They are selecting a contingent from depressed regions of Russia, offering them relocation to Donbas. For them, coming here is a blessing because the natural and housing conditions are better. And all this is happening with an eye on the upcoming elections (the nearest ones will take place in the fall of 2025, but the occupiers are preparing, as according to the data from the Center for National Resistance, there is a task to increase representation in the State Duma of "deputies" from occupied Ukrainian regions — Ed.). And for whom such "migrants" will vote is a rhetorical question.

Under the label "secret," most partisan operations until 2022

Even despite such a prolonged occupation, there are still quite a few conscious Ukrainians in Luhansk region today. This can be seen in the actions of quiet resistance, the results of which are broadcasted by the "Yellow Ribbon" movement and the "Atesh" movement, as well as in the news about the destruction of military facilities, equipment, and personnel as a result of sabotage. While it seems that the occupying law enforcement and security forces have already "filtered out" all those who could be involved in such operations.

- Since the capture of Luhansk by Russians, there have certainly been persecutions and certain "cleansings," - says Dmitry Klimanov. – They were primarily interested in war veterans, their families, journalists, and generally those who could engage in partisanship. But back then, it had a more veiled, hidden character.

Vladimir Zhemchugov also notes that in the territories occupied by Russians since 2022, particularly in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, the repression against local residents is more severe. However, it is well-known that a resistance movement is actively operating there, and it is not quiet in Luhansk region either. For example, a few days ago, near Novoaydar, the "Strela-10" anti-aircraft missile system was set on fire along with its crew. In May, fuel and lubricants tanks were destroyed in Sverdl