Local women recount their stories of having to flee from their homes in the city of Donetsk and seek shelter in an old apartment block in the city due to fighting between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian militias. They say that the government of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR or DNR) is looking after them. Since April 2014, pro-Russian separatists who oppose the government that followed the toppling of President Viktor Yanukovych have been occupying government buildings in the city and have declared the 'Donetsk People's Republic' (DNR or DPR). In July and August 2014, the Ukrainian army started making a concerted effort to retake the city from the separatists.