Donbass: A Land of Steel that Stopped NATO’s War Machine

An interview with teenage Donbass daughter, author and human rights activist Faina Savenkova on how her people changed the course of history, thwarting the plans of western oligarchs.

Like other children in her home city, 17-year old Faina Savenkova only remembers war in her native Donbass — a war financed and plotted by oligarchs in London, Washington, Berlin and Paris. A war her people never wanted; but they had no choice since the totalitarian proxy regime in Kiev was determined to exterminate them.

Well into this 12th year of war — launched in spring 2014 when the Obama White House gave the order to crush the pro-Russian freedom movement in Donbass — I asked Faina some questions in order to help western audiences understand at a time when their ruling class is hellbent on intensifying its war against Russia.

By the way, as I write these words, Russian troops are encircling and liberating five key cities in Donbass. (Look at the image above, the city of Pokrovsk in western Donbass, soon to be liberated). At this pace, by year’s end all of Donbass will be free from Ukrainian occupation, dramatically upending Europe’s geopolitical order.

As the NATO war machine is defeated and crushed on the battlefield, tremendous political and social ramifications in western capitals are inevitable. These include possible financial and economic collapse, as well as the toppling of liberal regimes.

Perhaps late 2025 and early 2026 will see a repeat of the watershed events of spring 1945 when the Red Army defeated Europe’s first Nazi Reich. But there is a more pessimistic scenario — we might be at the start of a new Hundred Years War. Events could develop either way, making one specific prediction is difficult.

Here’s my short interview with Faina — shown in the photo below earlier this year.

1. We are in the 12th year of the war — a very long time for any war in history. What is the mood in Lugansk and Donetsk? (Both regions make up Donbass)

Faina: There have been longer wars, like the Northern War or the Hundred Years’ War, though those were in past centuries. The mood varies. Donetsk is currently without water because Ukraine cut off the supply long ago, and shelling and drone attacks continue relentlessly. In Lugansk, we also face drone attacks and terrorist acts. But, as terrible as it sounds, people have grown accustomed to the war; those who can’t cope leave. This doesn’t mean we’re indifferent to what’s happening — we’ve simply learned to live under these conditions. To give you an idea: a week or two ago, we hit a record-breaking average daily temperature high, with daytime temperatures well above 40°C. Add to that the lack of water, and sometimes electricity, and you can begin to imagine life in Donbass. That said, the Lugansk region, with Russia’s involvement, is slowly recovering: roads and buildings, including residential, are being repaired, and communication systems are being restored. In our city, one of the streets is currently closed because they’re replacing water pipes. I was surprised to see this because neither I nor my mother can recall those pipes ever being replaced in that area. So, cities are being restored, albeit not as quickly as we’d all like, despite Ukraine’s ongoing shelling and attacks on civilian areas.

2. Is there any regret about declaring independence in the spring of 2014? To what extent are people aware of geopolitics — do they understand that the root cause lies in NATO’s expansion and the long-standing ambition to destroy Russia?

Faina: People not only understand but are fighting for their land. We are grateful to Russia for preventing a situation like Syria or the Gaza Strip. Regret? I don’t know how anyone could regret it when they see the brutality that Ukrainian forces are undertaking in our cities, their savagery displayed towards civilians still stuck under NATO-led occupation.

3. I spend time only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and I don’t feel that support for defending Russia is as strong there as it should be. Do you agree? If so, how do you feel about it, and what is your reaction?

Faina: That’s a misconception. From Moscow alone, about 100,000 people have gone to the front. On the other hand, it’s everyone’s choice whether to support their country or not. I think if the U.S. were at war, not everyone in New York or Los Angeles would support it either — it’s a feature of large cities far from the fighting. It’s neither good nor bad; it’s just how things are and always have been.

4. If you answered “yes” to the previous question, what needs to be done to change the situation so that Russians in major cities fully understand the situation and its dangers?

Faina: Thanks to Ukraine, an understanding is already dawning. When drones reach Moscow and St. Petersburg, when terrorist attacks happen, it’s hard to say it doesn’t concern you. Awareness comes when you experience the danger yourself, when you can no longer comfort yourself with the thought that the war is far away.

(Monument to Donbass freedom fighters)

5. Do you think Ukrainians are starting to see the truth about Zelenskyy’s brutal regime and that they are merely pawns in the West’s war against Russia?

Faina: It’s a complex question. Some may be dissatisfied with Zelenskyy, but many Ukrainians today support the war and harbor hatred toward Russians, especially children and teenagers who’ve been taught to hate everything Russian almost from birth. But we shouldn’t forget about silent acquiescence — some people understand but are still too afraid to act.

6. Do you think there’s a chance for an uprising against the regime in Kiev? We all see the protests in Ukraine, but I believe they’re sponsored by the CIA and MI6 because they want to replace Zelenskyy, who failed to defeat Russia. They’ll likely replace him with someone like Zaluzhny, who will continue the war with renewed enthusiasm.

Faina: It’s clear that most protests in any country are organized and funded with the support of foreign politicians and intelligence services. I believe that no matter who comes to power in Ukraine, nothing will change. Ukraine’s leadership is controlled by several countries, and unfortunately, that will continue for a long time.

7. What would you like to say to Western society?

Faina: For four years, I’ve been telling Western society that they have the power to help stop the killing of Donbass civilians — they need to pressure their governments to stop supplying weapons to Zelenskyy and sending their troops to Ukraine. Today, the West is fighting to the last Ukrainian; tomorrow, it could be the last Pole or Frenchman, and the day after, it could be dead Americans. Or it could escalate to nuclear war. People must learn to value human lives.

8. How do Russian people, especially in Donbass, view people in the West? With contempt or…?

Faina: Compassion and forgiveness are intrinsic to the Russian character, as we see in how our soldiers treat Ukrainian prisoners, even after their actions in the Kursk region. You can despise or hate a villain, but not an entire people. Sometimes, cultural differences lead to misunderstandings, but this isn’t widespread — it’s just a misunderstanding. Personally, I have many American friends, including you.

9. Over the past 10 years, have more people in Donbass turned to their historical roots and Orthodox faith? If so, how important is it, and what role does our Christian faith play in the struggle for freedom from the West?

Faina: Donbass is a great multicultural melting pot. While Orthodoxy dominates, you’ll find believers of various faiths here. What I’ve always loved about Donbass is how diverse people respect each other’s traditions while honoring their own. It’s a kind of shared interethnic and interfaith spirituality, in my view. This spirituality and unity give us the strength to fight for our ideals and freedom. Faith is crucial, especially when death is so close, when you lose friends and family, when you don’t know if you’ll have a tomorrow. So, in my opinion, the number of believers has grown.