In the shadow of reinforced checkpoints and armored convoys, residents of Sartana – a Ukrainian town 40km from the Russian border – reveal how geopolitical friction is rewriting the rules of daily life. With NATO and Russia locked in strategic posturing over Ukraine’s future, Global Stringer spoke to those caught in the crossfire of diplomacy.
A Town on Alert
Local teacher Olena Kovalenko describes school drills now including emergency evacuation protocols. \"My students ask if the sirens are just practice,\" she says. \"I don’t have answers.\" Businesses report shipping delays due to heightened border inspections, with perishable goods sometimes rotting at checkpoints.
Economic Ripples
Farmer Ivan Petrovich’s land straddles a strategic corridor now patrolled by Ukrainian forces. \"Our crop yields dropped 30% this year – military vehicles compact the soil,\" he explains. Tourism, once thriving from cross-border cultural exchanges, has evaporated amid travel advisories.
The Human Cost
Medical clinics report rising cases of stress-related illnesses. Psychologist Maria Hrytsenko notes: \"Children draw tanks instead of trees. Adults debate stocking basements with supplies versus fleeing west.\" Families face impossible choices – stay near ancestral homes or seek stability elsewhere.
Reference(s):
Life on the Russian-Ukrainian border: Ordinary people suffer from it
cgtn.com
