In a supermarket parking lot in Bakhmut, the eastern Ukrainian city at the heart of the fighting over the Donbass region, Anatoly rushes to load his truck with coal for himself and his neighbors, determined to stay buried for the winter.

Around half of Bakhmut’s 70,000 residents have stayed despite the fighting that has raged in the past four months, especially in the east of the city.

“It means a lot to us that we’re still here and helping others,” said Anatoliy, a 60-year-old man with a white beard and a cap.

“We will not just stay here and do nothing. We cannot survive on our own,” adds Anatoliy, still shoveling.

Behind him, cars with trailers come and go to pick up the coal the authorities have piled up to help residents face the cold winter.

On the passenger seat of a Soviet-era Lada car are a large bag of toilet paper, a box of candles, and bottles of water.

Locals are allowed to collect two tons of coal per household.

That means a lot in a city that hasn’t had electricity or running water since mid-October.

Already there is almost no coal left in the six heaps, and shovels are scraping across the concrete pavement.

But that din barely drowns out the endless explosions of shells between Ukrainian forces defending the city and Russian troops, reinforced by Wagner mercenaries.

When Russia invaded in February, “we still had emotions, but now we’re just surviving,” says Anatoliy.

“We provide humanitarian aid. I have a house, I have bees, and whatever I can harvest from my garden I give to people for free,” he says.

“If someone needs carrots, cabbage or beetroot, they can take it… I don’t need much as long as it helps people survive,” says Anatoliy.

“Today we think of others more than we used to.”

Very few residents risk wandering the streets just to buy groceries at a small street market in the center or at the grocery stores that are still open.

Every day the city itself is hit by shelling.

In late October, a Russian attack in Bakhmut killed seven people.

There are few children left in town.

One of them, 12-year-old Sasha, has just bought a soda and is on his way home.

“A rocket landed here. One person died,” he says, pointing to one of the entrances to his block of flats before going back inside.

Artillery exchanges take place mainly in the outskirts of Bakhmut.

The line of contact in the eastern suburbs has barely moved in the past four weeks, despite heavy fighting and heavy casualties.

“It has become more difficult in the last three days. (The Russians) are pushing more and more. But our boys are holding their positions,” 26-year-old soldier Vitaliy told AFP.

The soldier stands next to two combat vehicles in a sheltered place in the city center.

The unit was just ordered to bring one of the vehicles to the front line to fire on a Russian position.

The brigade returns 15 minutes later, mission accomplished.

The unit commander climbs out of the armored vehicle, face red, and takes long gulps of water from a bottle.

The Russians “came in and we pushed them back. And now we’re shooting (at their positions) two kilometers from the city,” he explains.

“Well, long story short: We win,” he grins.