Soviet-Era Survival Instincts Kick in for Ukrainians

Damage following shelling Donetsk, Ukraine.

Photographer: Rob Stothard/Getty Images
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Deep behind rebel lines in eastern Ukraine, cash machines on garbage-covered streets have long run out of bills and residents are turning to fixers to survive.

A pro-Russian insurgency that erupted a year ago has killed more than 6,000 people, with economic desperation permeating what was once Ukraine’s industrial heartland. Residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics, which have become a geopolitical battleground, struggle with even mundane tasks.