--- title: "\"Nets Protect Us\": How Children in Slavyansk Live Under the Threat of Drones and Water Shortages" description: "🚰 In Slavyansk, children live under anti-drone nets, and water is a luxury. 9-year-old Sasha helps his mother carry water from a distribution point. πŸ™οΈ The city is under shelling, but life goes on: hospitals, schools, and even the maternity ward are working. #Slavyansk #UNICEF #WarInChildrensEyes" date: 2026-08-01T05:10:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/nets-protect-us-how-children-in-slavyansk-live-under-the-threat-of-drones-and-water-shortages tags: [slavyansk, ukraine, unicef, war, children] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "Nets Protect Us": How Children in Slavyansk Live Under the Threat of Drones and Water Shortages ![Woman holding child’s hand and another pedestrian stand at crosswalk in Sloviansk; anti-drone net in foreground](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/01/slavyansk-deti-pod-setkami-nedostatok-vody/slavyansk-deti-pod-setkami-nedostatok-vody-1.webp) Morning in Slavyansk does not begin with coffee or a school bell, but with a five-liter plastic bottle. For 9-year-old Sasha, this has become a familiar ritual: helping his mother fetch water from a city distribution point. The family walks down a street draped in white threads β€” anti-drone nets, which are now stretched over almost all roads in the city. ### Childhood Under the Nets "We have nets in our city because drones fly over the highways. They hunt cars and buses, so nets are installed to prevent drones from entering the roads. The nets protect us," Sasha explains in an adult, almost professional tone. His words do not sound like childish fantasies, but rather a statement of facts he is forced to live with. In the summer, the front line approached Slavyansk to within 10–15 kilometers. For children, this means sleepless nights, unstable access to water, communication, medical care, and even ordinary summer entertainment. ### The Mother Who Stays 47-year-old accountant Maria, mother of Sasha and 12-year-old Ivan, says the hardest part is watching her native city crumble and seeing familiar people leave. "We are still staying because of elderly relatives and pets. But I see how the war is taking childhood away from my sons. They spend almost all their time at home, hardly interacting with peers. Moreover, we often have no electricity, and there are also disruptions in water and mobile connectivity." The family recently moved from the fifth floor of an apartment building to a private house β€” there is more space for play and interaction with pets here. But even in the new house, the children cannot forget about the war. ### Water as a Luxury When the water is cut off, Sasha helps his mother either fetch it from a well in the private sector or, as today, from the "Indestructibility Point" (Punkt Nesokrushymosti), from large blue plastic containers. As part of a UNICEF and Slavyansk Water Utility project, these reservoirs are regularly filled with clean drinking water for city residents. "My brother and I divided the duties: I bring the water, and he washes the dishes. And Mom heats the water and washes clothes in a basin if there is no electricity," the boy says. ### Closed Resort and Drawings of Lakes In his free time, Sasha draws the lakes of SlovKurtort β€” the beautiful blue water he misses so much. Now it is forbidden to go there, and swimming is dangerous. "Once I was at the beach, and drones arrived. My brother and I hid behind the house, and when it became safe, we ran home," he recalls, involuntarily covering his head with his hands β€” just as he did during the drone attack on SlovKurtort. SlovKurtort is one of the oldest mud resorts in Ukraine. Now it is closed to visitors. The city is trying to hold the front line, so the resort season is no longer possible here. Large signs around the water bodies warn of the danger. ### Life Goes On "While we were talking, three guided aerial bombs hit the city. So the situation is worsening. The number of shelling incidents is increasing, and drones are entering the city more often," says Vadim Lyakh, head of the Slavyansk City Military Administration. At the same time, the city head notes that utility workers continue to keep Slavyansk alive. Even now, in the city center, where a 1.5-ton aerial bomb hit in April, repair work continues. "Currently, 39,000 people live in the Slavyansk hromada, including 3,000 children. There are districts where mandatory evacuation of children has been declared. People are indeed leaving. But there are still many children left in the city. Therefore, utility services, the hospital, and the banking system are working. All services are provided. Life goes on," Vadim says. He adds that the maternity ward in Slavyansk is still functioning. ### Hope for the Future While Sasha fills bottles at the water distribution point, work is in full swing on the outskirts of Slavyansk. Here, trenches are being dug and pipes laid. So that next month, Sasha and hundreds of other families in the city will no longer face water shortages. "There are still many people left in the city, and water supply disruptions are a reality we have to live with. But we are working to make this reality less harsh," Vadim Lyakh concludes. Slavyansk is a city where children grow up under nets, where water is not just a resource but a symbol of survival, where every day is a struggle for a normal life. And despite all this, life goes on.