Life in Eastern Ukraine: overcoming crisis

According to the United Nations, more than 4,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have fled Ukraine’s southeast as a result of clashes between Ukrainian troops and local militias in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Photo: Local residents fill their buckets with water from a firefighting vehicle in Slavyanoserbsk, Luhansk region

The parties to the Ukrainian conflict agreed on a ceasefire at OSCE-mediated talks on September 5 in Belarusian capital Minsk. Photo: A man selling flags and badges bearing the coat of arms of self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in Donetsk

On September 19 in Minsk, the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine comprising representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE adopted a memorandum on implementing a ceasefire. Photo: A Ukrainian army tank near the village of Metallist

After the November 2 elections in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, Ukrainian parliament registered several bills on revocation of their special status. Photo: A militiaman seen at a checkpoint in Luhansk region

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced Kiev's readiness to enact a new law on Donbass special status which would draw clear-cut borders of districts with special local self-rule status. Photo: Tram in Donetsk with a sign promoting recruitment to the army of the Donetsk People's Republic

Following that statement, Ukraine's self-proclaimed republics' leaders said Minsk agreements didnt work. Photo: A marketplace in Donetsk

On November 5, Kiev announced plans to give up social payments to residents living in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. Photo: Children and parents on a playground in Donetsk

Photo: A destroyed house in the town of Slavyanoserbsk, Luhansk region

According to OSCE report, some 2,400 houses damaged and need repair in Luhansk region. Photo: A house in Luhansk region destroyed in a shelling attack by the Ukrainian government's troops

Photo: Ruins in the town of Slavyanoserbsk, Luhansk region

As of Ukrainian minister Ostap Semerak, around 137,000 Ukrainians from the regions in the country’s east have already reregistered on the territories controlled by Kiev in order to receive pensions and salaries. Photo: A man driving a vehicle near Luhansk