Ukraine's energy infrastructure has come under attack from Russia once again this week,

leaving millions without power. As temperatures drop below freezing around the country,
there are fears Moscow - struggling to win the war it started - is "weaponising winter".
And nowhere is it clearer what that might look like than at the towns along the front line in
the east.
People in Avdiivka have learnt how to distinguish an incoming shell from an outgoing
one by its sound. But often there is no use in hiding. Pieces of shrapnel can pierce
through metal doors like paper.
"At war," says Anatoliy, "you don't get accidentally killed. You accidentally survive."
The 71-year-old had to move to a basement after his apartment was destroyed in a fire
caused by shelling. He is too afraid to leave the shelter now.
Avdiivka has been at the front line since 2014 when the conflict in eastern Ukraine
started. After Russia invaded Ukraine last February, many predicted that the town would
quickly fall. Yet it is still controlled by Ukrainian forces. In a way, Avdiivka has become a
symbol of Russia's failure in the Donbas.
Relentless bombardments, however, have turned it into a ghost town. Its bustling
streets with colourful murals painted on buildings are now deserted.
Vitaliy Barabash, the head of Avdiivka's military administration, says that Russian forces
continue their attempts to encircle the town from the south and the north.
"They can't launch a direct assault because our positions are well fortified here, so their
tactic is simple - raze everything to the ground, constant bombardment using artillery
and multiple rocket launchers."
Despite daily attacks, there are about 2,000 people remaining in Avdiivka. Many of them
survive thanks to humanitarian aid provided by local and international organisations.
Most people have no income left now.
Before the war, Oleksiy Savkevich used to organise art festivals and youth events in
Avdiivka. Now he delivers food parcels in a war zone, wearing body armour.
"Pensioners cannot withdraw money and people lost their jobs, so they rely heavily on
food supplies volunteers deliver," he says.