The Donetsk army says it's gained control over the key town of Volnovakha after intense fighting.
Much of the area is in ruins, as residents try to cope with the losses of their loved ones.
RT's Maria Finoshina visits a Donetsk Republic town recently claimed by the local people's militia.
She takes a look at how residents are trying to return to a peaceful life after eight years of violence from the Ukrainian military.
Amid the escalating conflict, NATO gears up for joint military and computer assisted exercises with Georgia, which, like Ukraine, borders Russia and has been striving for membership in the Western military alliance.
