Elderly left behind as young people leave eastern Ukraine | AFP

Many towns across eastern Ukraine's hard-hit Donetsk region have seen dramatic falls in population, with those remaining being primarily the elderly and people with limited mobility. "All the young people left" explains Yulia Tuskova, an 88-year old, as she carries plastic sheeting home to cover her damaged windows, "only the old people remain". The situation is growing worse as intense fighting in the region continues and winter conditions grow harsher.

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