In Yelets, a town 350km south of Moscow, winter can feel like a scene from a Russian fairy tale, with golden-domed Orthodox churches and ice fishermen on the frozen river. But the fairy-tale atmosphere is fleeting.
On the riverbank, billboards recruit soldiers with promises of £15,000 for signing up to fight in Ukraine. Posters depict Russian soldiers with Kalashnikovs, accompanied by slogans like “We’re there where we need to be.”
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the conflict has dragged on far longer than expected, surpassing even the duration of Nazi Germany’s war against the Soviet Union. In Yelets, the human cost is visible: a mural on a nine-storey apartment block shows the faces of five local men killed in Ukraine, under the words “Glory to the heroes of Russia!”
Locals like Irina, a bus station ticket collector, struggle financially but still contribute aid packages to soldiers on the front. “Lots of people have been killed. I feel sorry for these lads,” she says. Yet she is unsure about the purpose of this war, comparing it to the Great Patriotic War, where the reasons for fighting were clear.
Even 250km from the Ukrainian border, the front feels close. Ukrainian drones have targeted parts of the Lipetsk region, prompting the installation of concrete emergency shelters around Yelets, including in parks, bus stops, and apartment basements. “The sirens go off almost every night,” says Irina. “We just go into the corridor where there are no windows.”
Signs of war appear in everyday life: local cafes display Latin letters “V” and “Z,” symbols of the “special military operation,” with slogans like “Grab a pancake, then the whole world.”
Economically, the war is straining ordinary Russians. VAT has risen from 20% to 22% to fund defense and security. Small businesses feel the pinch: Anastasiya Bykova, a bakery owner, has had to raise prices due to higher utility, rent, taxes, and ingredient costs.
Even those who support the war, like pensioner Ivan Pavlovich in Lipetsk, feel the economic pressure. “The special military operation is excellent. It’s just that prices keep rising… Pensions go up, but then prices go up even more. So, what do I gain? Nothing.”
As Russia enters the fifth year of its invasion of Ukraine, life is getting harder. Optimism is scarce. Most locals are simply hunkering down, hoping for better times ahead.
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