With the Ukrainian causalities tallying up to 50,000, civilians in the area are using social media as a means to stay connected with loved ones and report about the civil war. 18 year old, Tanya Sukharevskaya wants to reach out to her mother since she left her hometown for work three months ago. However, civilians were getting killed by artillery fire in the city of Debaltseve where her mother is working now. She tried her best to contact her, but couldn't through to the phone line.
“I am managing to calm myself down, but my grandma (her mother) and my younger brother (her 6-year-old son) are crying every day,” Ms. Sukharevskaya wrote in a Vkontakte forum called “Overheard in Debaltsevo,”
According to http://www.wsj.com/ she posted a photo with her mother along with all she knew about her current location. Online networking has dedicated groups offering insight of the conflict in the Ukranian Civil War. Forums like Overheard in Svetlodarsk serve as a community group for helping civilians in Svitlodarsk. When the attacks started locals signed on to see where gun fire and military/rebel action was taking place. The forum also acted as a place to check in on loved ones and ways to arrange evacuation from the area.
Some people even posted poems calling for peace and some like to argue over the necessity of the civil war. According to a source Maria Maksimova, 25, a civil engineer admins one of the groups of the forums, she says the civil war has divided people on the political line, but united them in trauma.
“Many really no longer care who’s at the helm (of the country). They just want everyone to stop shooting, terrifying children and destroying homes,” Ms. Maksimova said in an online interview. “That’s the united opinion of residents. It’s visible in the group.”
For the residents of Ukrainian the online media is playing a vital role for contacting and gaining information as the Ukrainian civil war continues. It's also serving as a way for them to maybe save their lives and the lives of others.