Slovyansk endures Russian strikes as Moscow seeks its surrender

Slovyansk, a badly damaged city in eastern Ukraine, is under frequent attack from Russian drones, missiles and glide bombs. Ukrainian drone-unit members escorting a reporter say the danger shapes daily life, while Russia is pressing Kyiv to surrender the city and other parts of the Donetsk “fortress belt” in talks on a possible peace deal.

The city had more than 200,000 residents before the war, but fewer than one in ten remain. Many buildings and shops have been destroyed or closed, and roads are covered with anti-drone netting that offers no guarantee of safety. Russia holds nearly 90% of the Donbas, though its advances have largely stalled this year; Ukrainians fear surrendering the fortified cities could open a route further west.