A struggle to survive in Ukraine's east, with Russia at the gates

Kostiantynivka, Ukraine - Hunkered in the basement of his battle-scarred building in eastern Ukraine, 65-year-old Volodymyr rarely emerges as Russian forces press at the doorstep of his city of Kostiantynivka.

"Everything around us has been hit, it all burned up," he said. "It's scary, but we're living on - what can you do?" Residents like Volodymyr, who is staying behind to care for his ailing mother-in-law, are struggling to survive in bombed-out, shrapnel-ridden buildings as winter sets in. Russian troops are bearing down on the city, once a key hub for Ukraine's eastern forces, in a bid to seize more land with Kyiv under pressure to accept a U.S.-backed peace deal that could involve painful concessions.

With the strategic city of Pokrovsk on the verge of capture, officials and analysts believe Russia will now target the so-called "fortress belt" of remaining Ukrainian-held cities in the east.

Kostiantynivka is the most vulnerable, with fighting already raging at its southern edge, according to Ukrainian open-source group Deep State. Powerful explosions rumble in the distance and drones whir overhead, often several at a time.

Nowhere else to go

Volodymyr, who gave only his first name, has fashioned a living space among the grey concrete walls, complete with kitchen cabinets and a stove.

Residents have stocked up on food from humanitarian aid workers who no longer make deliveries because of the danger. They also collect rainwater, later purified at a field station nearby.

"It's hard, but it's tolerable," said Volodymyr, a headlamp strapped to his forehead, as a generator hummed in the background. "We've gotten used to it, settled in a little."

Outside, an elderly woman in a thick blue coat lugged a propane canister in a cart past two well-equipped soldiers on patrol.

Another resident, 54-year-old Yuriy, said he is still in pain after neighbours pulled him from the rubble of a recent Russian strike on his apartment building.

"Where should I go? With what?" he said, adding that monthly rent elsewhere is nearly triple his pension of around $85.

"It may be blown apart," he said of his damaged home, "but at least it's mine."

High-pressure diplomacy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in London on Monday rallying support from allies after what he said were "constructive, although not easy" talks between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators.

Kyiv has pushed back on Moscow-friendly terms proposed by Washington last month, and is seeking security guarantees from partners as part of any deal. In Kostiantynivka, part of the Donetsk region which Russia's Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to give up in exchange for peace, Ukrainian soldiers snake around the decimated city seeking cover under trees and in the remains of buildings.

Dmytro, 32, of the 49th Separate Assault Battalion "Carpathian Sich", said he has little faith the fighting will end.

"I consider every centimetre of the motherland as important," he said, visibly exhausted. "And we don't plan to give it up just like that."