Thick gray smoke rises from the roof as firefighters arrive at a brick house, one of several homes hit by Russian shelling in a residential area of Kostiantynivka.
The town in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province has come under heavy shelling in recent days as part of a Russian push to capture nearby Bakhmut, where Ukrainian forces have held out throughout of a fierce battle that began last summer.
Ukrainian authorities claim that Russian forces are attack Kostiantynivka with cluster bombs and missiles.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of Donetsk province, said one person was killed and at least three civilians injured after multiple Russian bombardments on Saturday.
An attack on the town the day before had injured eight people and destroyed or damaged more than a dozen homes. The blockades have overwhelmed local firefighters, who are taking great risks to put out fires in buildings and cars even as the shelling continues.
The air is heavy with smoke and the pungent smell of explosives as firefighters deploy a hose. They smash the windows of the brick house and spray water on them.
There is no one inside, but a dog is trapped in a cage in the backyard. A firefighter opens the gate and the dog runs away amid smoke and debris.
The unit leader calls his team to stop what they are doing.
“Attention everyone. Air raid!” he shouts.
Firefighters hide behind the house, they sit quietly as explosions occur nearby.
It is not known if the explosions are a new wave of attacks or secondary explosions caused by fires in the area. Either way, they’re getting closer. The team leader orders everyone to return to the truck.
As they descend the dirt road, another loud explosion rocks the neighborhood, sending a cloud of smoke skyward not far from the house they just left.